Congrats first to Knock, Blacktop, Nimiq kids and PROOF. You shipped, and people use what you built. Now the honest part: I'm disappointed. Partly because stakes.day didn't win, sure. You enter a competition to win. But the bigger part is how this cycle was run, and what I learned about building on Nimiq along the way. So here it is, straight. What's on us: the Council said users decided a lot, with full points at 25+. We had 22 wallets transact with Stakes, and Nimiq Pay sends from changing addresses, so the number of real people is likely lower. We missed that bar. I don't argue with it. What wasn't on us: - The dates kept moving. Cycle 2 was first published as 10 Aug to 7 Sep and ran 24 Aug to 18 Sep. Cycle 3 was set for 14 Sep, then 7 Oct, now 14 Oct. Results were due 2 Oct and came out 8 Oct. - The scoring changed mid-cycle. The final rubric went up on 3 Sep, ten days in. Design dropped from 25 points to 10 and a new 25-point Nimiq category appeared. That's a moving target. - The prize split changed at the end. The rules page said $10k, $5k and $2k, and it still does. Then first place became $7k so a fourth app could be paid. I'm happy for everyone who got paid, but a published prize should stay the published prize. - There was no freeze. Submissions closed on 18 Sep, but apps are judged live and nothing says which version counts. Some apps kept shipping all through the judging weeks. We froze ours a week before the deadline, because we read "deadline" as a deadline. - 15 points ride on "unique users", and nowhere does it say how a user is counted. - Open source, but only at the door. Entries had to be public repos under the MIT license, and Nimiq kids passed that check on 18 Sep. Today its repo shows "page not found", and I don't know when or why. Nothing in the rules forbids it, and I've made the Stakes code private too now that we're out. But a prize-winning app whose code nobody can read anymore doesn't sit right with me. The platform:

*It's Ship Week* 🚀 The final week of Cycle 2. Builders are posting their Mini Apps everywhere and we want to reward the people who bring the energy. As you know, every builder is required to share at least one promotional post on a social platform AND in Skool. So this week brings a wave of builder posts and we want the people who show up to support them to get rewarded. That's where the "reply guys and girls" come in.💪 🏆 THE PRIZES 🏆 6 prizes of $25 USDC. 3 for the best on X/Twitter. 3 for the best in Skool. 🎖️ HOW TO WIN 🎖️ Show genuine support for other builders: test their Mini Apps, share real feedback, answer their questions and back the people who are shipping Mini Apps! ✅ REQUIREMENTS ✅ Be a member of the Skool community, and follow @nimiq and @miniappscomp on X. 🔥 HOW WINNERS ARE PICKED 🔥 No leaderboards, no metrics, no hard requirements. No spam. We're looking for real engagement and real support. Emoji replies, one-liners, and copy-pasted comments won't count. The people genuinely adding value will be obvious, and the team picks them directly. So monitor the Community in Skool, monitor the mentions on X and get in the comments to support builders this week.💪 And don't forget... GET SHIPPING!!

NimCapsule got a proper update. Here's what changed. We added an email notification system. Recipients now get a direct alert when a capsule has been created and ready to open. We also added a recipient box at capsule creation. You enter the receiver's wallet address or email depending on what they have. No guessing. No friction. We continued marketing and currently at active 135 users and the users are enjoying the new update… You should check out Sign in with your Nimiq wallet, Google, or email. Three options so nobody gets left out. Same idea that turned heads in Cycle 1. Now built tighter. Seal a message, photos, and a letter. Lock it to a future date. Send it to someone who matters. Try it at. https://nimcapsule.xyz/

⚠️ Message to all builders: if you're handling real money in a public space and you open source your code, you better make sure it's hard. Run your best model against your app surfaces, because attackers will do the same. You can read the details in my blog post: https://blog.surfstyk.com/i-asked-the-internet-to-hack-my-nimiq-mini-app/

Steakout’s logo is a little steak with binoculars on a stakeout. LOL. That’s the joke. That’s also the point. You can stake NIM from Nimiq Pay, then actually watch what happens after. Official validator scores are about block production. They don’t tell you whether stakers are getting paid. Steakout fills that gap: your position, what the validator says it does, and what payout activity shows up on chain. Your keys stay in your wallet. We’re not holding your NIM. On desktop, scan the QR with Nimiq Pay on your phone to sign in. Already inside Pay? Just connect there. There’s also a demo mode with sample data if you want to poke around before connecting a wallet, plus live public validator records you can browse without signing in. Live site: https://steakout.clevertech.ca Demo (no wallet needed):https://steakout.clevertech.ca/demo