ETHGlobal Istanbul marked a resounding success, smashing all prior records. It proudly stands as the largest event thus far, boasting 2004 attendees, including 1350 hackers from 90 countries, 48 workshops, and an impressive showcase of 427 projects, reflecting extraordinary diversity.

The event spotlighted remarkable DApp use cases that drew considerable attention. Among these, Dub3.ai stood out, capturing my interest with its innovative use case. It provides an avenue for anyone to generate additional income by enabling the upload and monetization of voice samples on its pioneering marketplace. Its integration of AI to deliver text-to-speech content, convertible into unique NFTs, presents an exciting prospect. The aim is to seamlessly encourage users to upload and monetize their voice samples. Dub3.ai harnessed the Cartesi execution environment for LLM (Large Language Model) inference, facilitated by the Cartesi VM. This Virtual Machine can readily operate these libraries, leveraging their RISC V-based architecture to boot an entire Linux OS. Once synthesized, the resulting voice is securely uploaded to IPFS, simultaneously minting an NFT that represents a one-of-a-kind digital asset. It’s no wonder Dub3.ai claimed the best use case title and secured 1st place as a Cartesi-powered project at the event.

For a live demo, visit: ethglobal.com/showcase/dub3-ai-h1riu

The 10 finalists at ETHGlobal Istanbul showcased exceptional projects:

  1. Clade Club - A fair and socially-driven governance platform emphasizing data-driven decision-making (Winner of the Innovation Pool Prize).
  2. S.C.I - Secure Contract Interactions, an on-chain contract-to-domain verification protocol preventing scams or phishing attacks, securing 2nd place at ETHGlobal Istanbul.
  3. BridgeBuddy - An abstracted wallet utilizing Hyperlane Warp Routes and Safe Core for automated asset bridging, recognized as Hyperlane’s 2nd Best Interchain App and more.
  4. Buddy-Guard - A social & security app offering support for late-night group exits, winning a pool prize on Arbitrum and more.
  5. Sarma - A straightforward primitive enabling private execution on EVM, also winning the Filecoin pool prize and more.
  6. AidDistribute - A mechanism ensuring traceable and accountable direct stablecoin transfers, earning recognition on Arbitrum and more.
  7. TapTrust - Redefining event engagement with NFC & Ethereum’s AA, securing 3rd place on ARX and more.
  8. Footy Stars - On-chain fantasy football with real-world stakes and proven simulation, acknowledged as the Best on Scroll and more.
  9. ZKvote - Utilizing Cartesi to integrate voting tokens with ERC-20, employing ZK proofs for secure L2 state transfer, earning shared pool prize recognition on Cartesi and more.
  10. Lens & Frens - Enabling zero-knowledge proofs for private event attendance, earning 2nd place on Chiliz and more.

Which of these projects from ETHGlobal Istanbul caught your attention the most? I’d love to hear your thoughts.