HackQuest Africa: Co-Learning Camp #7

🚀 HackQuest Africa Co-Learning Camp #7 – Arbitrum Edition

Get ready to dive deep into Arbitrum's high-performance L2 ecosystem with Rust-first development—tailored for builders across Africa. Whether you're new to Rust or looking to master Arbitrum's Stylus SDK, this 2-week intensive camp is your gateway to building scalable, gas-efficient dApps on one of Web3's fastest-growing Layer-2 networks.

⚡ Track Focus: Arbitrum + Rust — Next-Gen Smart Contract Development

Why Build on Arbitrum?

• Ultra-low fees, blazing speed: Optimistic rollup technology delivering up to 10x lower gas costs than Ethereum L1

• Rust-native contracts: Stylus SDK enables writing smart contracts in Rust for major performance gains

• EVM++ compatibility: Full Ethereum compatibility plus enhanced execution environments

• Multi-chain flexibility: Deploy on Arbitrum One (DeFi/RWA), Arbitrum Nova (gaming/social), or Arbitrum Orbit (custom chains)

• Developer-first ecosystem: $200M+ ecosystem fund, active grants, and world-class tooling support

• Future-proof architecture: Industry-leading L2 roadmap with fraud proofs, data availability, and cross-chain UX

💻 What You'll Build

• DeFi primitives with ultra-low transaction costs

• Rust-powered smart contracts using Arbitrum Stylus SDK

• Token standards (ERC-20, ERC-721) on Arbitrum testnet

• Cross-chain dApps leveraging Arbitrum One, Nova, and Orbit

• Mini Hackathon project — team-based real-world application

• GitHub-first workflow — all code open-sourced and portfolio-ready

📅 Key Dates

🗓️ Last Date to Register: 24th January, 2026

🚀 Camp Starts: 25th January, 2026

🎓 Camp Ends: 10th February, 2026

📣 Live Townhalls (All at 9 PM – 10 PM EAT)

Phase 1: Foundation & Rust Basics

🗣️ Townhall 1: [Day 1] — Web3 Fundamentals + Arbitrum Ecosystem Overview

• Introduction to Arbitrum One, Nova, and Orbit

• GitHub setup + Rust environment configuration

• Hands-on: First "Hello Web3" Rust program using ethers-rs

💡 Townhall 2: [Day 3] — Rust for Web3 Developers

• Rust syntax fundamentals (ownership, borrowing, traits)

• Using ethers-rs for on-chain interactions

• Hands-on: Query balances, transfer test tokens on Arbitrum testnet

Phase 2: Smart Contract Development

⚙️ Townhall 3: [Day 6] — Stylus SDK Introduction

• Writing smart contracts in Rust with Stylus

• Contract deployment on Arbitrum testnet

• Hands-on: Deploy your first Stylus Rust contract

🚀 Townhall 4: [Day 8] — Token Standards on Arbitrum

• ERC-20 token development in Rust

• ERC-721 NFT minting flows

• Hands-on: Issue your own token + mint NFTs on testnet

Phase 3: Advanced Development & Mini Hackathon

💡 Townhall 5: [Day 11] — Arbitrum One vs Nova vs Orbit

• Choosing the right Arbitrum chain for your use case

• DeFi on One, Gaming on Nova, Custom chains on Orbit

• Team formation + Mini Hackathon kickoff

• Hands-on: 4-hour mini hackathon (build real projects in teams)

⚙️ Townhall 6: [Day 14] — Graduation + Demo Day

• Team presentations (3 minutes each)

• Peer feedback + mentor Q&A

• Graduation ceremony + next steps (Quack Believers invite)

📝 Assignments & GitHub Requirements

All assignments must be submitted via GitHub:

Phase 1 Challenges:

1. Level 1: Calculate Arbitrum gas fees using ethers-rs

2. Level 2: Connect to Arbitrum testnet RPC

3. Level 3: Query test token balance of any address

4. Level 4: Execute test token transfer (address A → B)

5. Level 5: Interact with deployed contract (query contract name)

Phase 2 Challenges:

1. Deploy a Stylus Rust contract to Arbitrum testnet

2. Issue an ERC-20 token using Rust + Arbitrum

3. Mint an NFT collection on Arbitrum (full code + proof)

Phase 3 Mini Hackathon:

Project topics (choose one):

• Arbitrum transfer notification tool (Rust backend + email/Telegram alerts)

• Testnet NFT batch minting script (Stylus SDK)

• On-chain balance query mini app (Rust backend + HTML frontend)

Requirements:

• All code open-sourced on GitHub

• Use Arbitrum-related libraries (ethers-rs, stylus-sdk, etc.)

• Document library usage in README

• Team collaboration via GitHub (branches, commits, PRs)

🎓 Graduation Rewards

Eligibility:

• Obtain Arbitrum Level 2 certificate on HackQuest

• Complete all GitHub assignments and mini hackathon project

• Keep personal/team repositories public and open-source

Rewards:

• Limited-edition Arbitrum merchandise

• Invitation to Quack Believers Advocate Program

• Featured on HackQuest Africa portfolio (top projects)

🧠 About HackQuest

HackQuest is your gateway to structured, self-paced Web3 developer education. With expert-curated tracks and certifications across ecosystems like Solana, Arbitrum, Mantle, Eclipse, and 0G — HackQuest empowers developers across Africa and beyond to learn, build, and grow. From co-learning camps and IRL meetups to launchpad support, we're here for every step of your journey.

🔗 Follow HackQuest

➡️ https://x.com/hackquestafrica

➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/company/hackquest

👾 Join the HackQuest Community

➡️ https://t.me/hackquester

🌀 Limited Spots Available!

Don't miss your chance to master Rust + Arbitrum, build production-ready dApps, and join a pan-African community of Web3 builders.

👉 Register now before 24th January 2026 and secure your seat!