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What Humanathon is

Status: Planned (programme)

Humanathon is a public season run by Merces: 6 weeks in which individuals prove what they build, make and earn, on the record, and the top 5 can go on to raise on Merces. The landing page puts it in one line: the hackathon where you are the project.

A programme, not software

Humanathon is a programme that Merces runs, with rules and events. It is not part of the Merces software, and entering never obliges anyone to raise. Programme rules marked as planned may change before the season opens.

A season, not software​

Humanathon is a programme with rules and events. It is not part of the Merces software, and this section describes rules, not code. The first run is Season 1, powered by Merces. It opens early 2027; exact dates are announced with our lead partner.

The season has four parts: qualify, compete with one proof a week, review, then Proof Day. How a season works walks through them.

How it relates to Merces​

Merces is software and a protocol. It lets a person raise capital against a capped share of their future income, through Mercery and Human Equity Units (HEUs). Humanathon is Merces's first go-to-market: the first way to raise on Merces is to win a place in the season.

Season 1 ends in a Merces raise for Fellows, the top 5 entrants. Their raise is anchor-backed, and backers are paid only from verified income. The season is also the first production run of the ProofOfIncome oracle, with prizes rather than backer money on the line.

Entering never obliges anyone to raise​

Raising is optional. The landing page answers the question directly: prizes and the fellowship are non-dilutive, raising is optional, and it never touches company equity. The season plan gives 4 paths out of the season, and one of them is to keep the prize and stipend and issue nothing. The raise for Fellows describes all four.

What it costs​

Entry costs $0. There is no entry fee, no deposit and no bond. Sponsors fund the season. On a raise, backers pay the Merces fee and the issuer pays nothing.

What is public and what is not​

The leaderboard shows scores and percentiles. It never shows raw income. The jury sees detail. Backers see detail only for Fellows who choose to raise. Each entrant's mandate is public; the income forecast inside it is sealed and is revealed only as an accuracy score. Scoring and judging has the full rule.

Where it lives​

Humanathon has its own page, Humanathon (not live yet), apart from the Merces platform. It is one static page with two forms, a waitlist and a partner form, and no wallet. Enter says how to get notified, and For partners says how to enquire.

What is still open​

  • The lead partner: Status: Not decided
  • The raise terms: Status: Pending counsel. They are draft until counsel advises; The raise for Fellows lists them.
  • The rules and entry terms: Status: Pending counsel. Full entry terms remain an unpublished draft for counsel.

What can go wrong​

  • The lead partner is not signed. Until it is, the season has no public dates and no named network.
  • The raise terms are draft. No raise opens without a written legal opinion. If the opinion is late or restrictive, the raise steps down a fallback ladder; the season itself runs either way.
  • Prize and stipend amounts depend on partner funding. They are announced as partners confirm, and none is published here.
  • Raises open only where and to whom the law allows. Some entrants may take part in the season without being able to raise.
  • Entry opens only after the full Merces stack is live. If the stack is late, the calendar moves.