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:
Level 1: Calculate Arbitrum gas fees using ethers-rs
Level 2: Connect to Arbitrum testnet RPC
Level 3: Query test token balance of any address
Level 4: Execute test token transfer (address A → B)
Level 5: Interact with deployed contract (query contract name)
Phase 2 Challenges:
Deploy a Stylus Rust contract to Arbitrum testnet
Issue an ERC-20 token using Rust + Arbitrum
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
🌀 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!