Trexure and Velo, two finalists from the APAC Stellar Hackathon, were interviewed on Rise In's Builder Spotlight. The conversation covered building through hackathon phases, how mentorship and ecosystem support from Rise In and Stellar Philippines shaped their work, and the harder question: what does "after the hackathon" mean when you plan to keep shipping.
On August 6, Trexure and Velo, two APAC Stellar Hackathon finalists, were featured in Rise In's Builder Spotlight series to discuss their experience and what comes next. Trexure built a treasury API for ZK-shielded Stellar payments and finished 2nd in the DeFi & Ecosystem Composability track. The interview traced their journey from initial submission through national Demo Days to the regional finale, then shifted focus to the enablers—mentorship, workshops, and community infrastructure from Rise In and Stellar Philippines that helped both teams ship. The final thread examined post-competition trajectory: how builders transition from hackathon-driven development to sustainable shipping. The piece is a useful counterpoint to hackathon announcements—snapshots tell you who shipped, but the harder question is what builders do with that momentum and support after the spotlight fades.