The Costa Rican Blockchain Association (Asoblockchain) reaffirms its commitment to strengthening the national technology ecosystem by fostering spaces where local talent meets opportunities for global impact. As part of this vision, we celebrate the extraordinary results of the Crypto Cantina: Stellar Sessions and Pura Vida Ideathon program, an initiative that demonstrates the power of institutional and community synergy, coordinated by Karla Córdoba Brenes and Anouk Rímola, with the support of Manuel Jiménez and Daniel Garbanzo, active members of the Stellar ambassador community in Costa Rica.

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This project was born from a strategic alliance with the Blockchain Acceleration Foundation (BAF) , an organization focused on accelerating Web3 education and adoption globally. BAF is investing heavily in Latin America, and we are proud to celebrate their particular interest in Costa Rica, motivated by the high quality of our developers and the successful Stellar-based projects that have originated in our country. The program was implemented in close collaboration with the Asoblockchain Education Committee and Cripto Cantina, our initiative of regular meetups designed to strengthen the local blockchain community.

The goal was clear: to democratize knowledge about decentralized infrastructures, train local developers in the Stellar ecosystem, and facilitate the creation of native solutions from Costa Rica. Through a series of three in-person educational sessions and a virtual hackathon, the program successfully brought together dozens of enthusiasts and experts.

The result was the collaboration of over 20 active projects addressing topics such as secure payment systems, event applications, decentralized finance, and group savings. To recognize this effort, the competition was divided into two categories. In the Scale Track (projects with prior development), first place went to Meteorito (Rolando Arguello) and second to PArtyPay Cashless (Isaac Camacho). In the Genesis Track (projects from scratch), BitGate took first place (Jafet Chinchilla) and Cuotia second (Frederic Jasmin Dixon). Additionally, the national protocol Writz awarded bounties for the best technical integrations, recognizing BitGate and Cuotia .

Asoblockchain’s commitment to the technical excellence of these projects was reflected in the active participation of members of our Board of Directors, such as Andrés Gómez and Ilán Meléndez, who contributed their experience as judges to evaluate the viability and security of the solutions.

Karla Córdoba Brenes, President of Asoblockchain, emphasized the strategic value of these types of partnerships for the future of the country:

“In Costa Rica, we have exceptional technological and human talent. Our mission at Asoblockchain is to create the necessary bridges so that this potential can be transformed into tangible tools. Putting our developers to work on solving real problems, supported by global protocols and solid alliances, is fundamental. This initiative is a demonstration of the level of innovation we are building towards TicoBlockchain 2026.”

The Pura Vida Ideathon and Stellar Sessions mark a milestone in the Association’s educational and development agenda. This effort will continue with the Pura Vida Bootcamp, a five-week program running throughout November, organized by Oppia with the support of BAF and AsoBlockchain, and culminating in a Hackathon. Each week, a Costa Rican startup from the Stellar ecosystem will facilitate sessions on its own technology, which the participating hackathon projects can integrate into their proposals. The startups presenting their work are GrantFox, TrustlessWork, ACTA, KindFi, and Neko.

By facilitating the integration of global protocols with grassroots communities, Asoblockchain continues to solidify Costa Rica’s position as a blockchain innovation hub in Latin America, paving the way for the major discussions and developments that will take center stage at our annual event in May 2027, when we celebrate the seventh edition of TicoBlockchain Blockchain & Fintech Day . This gathering, co-organized by Asoblockchain and Fintech Costa Rica, is becoming the most important industry event in the country, demonstrating that Costa Rican talent is ready to transform the present and the future.