Tonk in action: 20+ applets built at EncodeAI hackathon
See the Tonk stack in action
At Tonk, we want to create a world in which creative people of all stripes can build software that feels like theirs — without relying on big platforms or complicated workflows.
That’s why we’re building the Tonk stack: a more powerful way to vibe code applets that integrate with your data, embed into your daily life and the lives of those around you.
The Tonk toolchain lets anyone with basic coding skills build local-first mini-apps — small, powerful tools that mould to your real life — without giving your data away to platforms or needing a complex backend.
Tonk is built on our team’s experience in web3 and applied cryptography - a hotbed for powerful new distributed systems architectures.
Recently, we put Tonk to the test at the EncodeAI Hackathon.
The results was over 20 mini apps — built by students, friends, gamers, and aspiring builders — in just a few days.
This post is a showcase of what they made, what surprised us, and why we’re excited.
What people built with Tonk
Here’s a glimpse into what people created with Tonk:
📚 Project Lumio: a study ecosystem for students
A full academic toolkit:
NoteBank for organizing lecture notes
CramBot for auto-generating study materials
SemSync for class schedules and reminders
Built on Tonk’s real-time shared database to turn study groups into superteams. Code →
🏡 FlatMade: Student living made smoother
For students living in flats, a suite of tools:
A gamified chore tracker (with proof uploads)
A household budgeting dashboard
A message board for building-wide updates
Built with Tonk + Cursor + ChatGPT, showing how fast vibe coding can bring real ideas to life. Code →
🎮 GameVerse: an interoperable web for gamers
Gamers built a “little internet”:
A Game Encyclopedia for discovery
A Game Compass for local matchups
A Gamer’s Exchange for trading skins and games safely
3 out of 4 builders were new to coding — but with Tonk, they could code bespoke software. Code →
🏥 Medi-Sync: connecting patients, labs, and doctors
A healthcare toolkit including:
Doctor-patient chats
Lab uploads and reviews
AI image analysis for skin and brain diagnostics
Tonk’s sync architecture made real-time collaboration possible. Code →
🐶 A student society hub
A set of apps for managing a university society, including:
A message board
Upcoming events
An AGM voting system
A photo-sharing app for dog pics
A pixelated dog game
Built with Tonk’s decentralized datastore, these apps aimed to solve real problems — like keeping a student society organized and private. Code →
🇫🇷 “The Frenchies” group apps
A trio of apps for a friend group, seamlessly sharing data:
An event planner with AI-generated visuals
A group expense tracker — with rock-paper-scissors debt resolution
A party planner that assigns tasks based on who owes the most
All running on a shared Tonk data layer, so your private group stays private. Code →
📋 Task Master for roommates and friends
A shared task manager that:
Assigns tasks with points
Tracks progress on a leaderboard
Encourages rewards for top performers
Built almost entirely with Tonk’s simple data-sync features. Code →
What we learned
A few things stood out to us from this hackathon:
People with basic coding ability built fast. Even those new to coding got working prototypes up within a weekend.
The apps were interconnected. Groups naturally built interoperable ecosystems of mini apps — not isolated tools.
The ideas were deeply personal. These weren’t commercial pitches. They were solutions for real groups’ real needs.
Tonk makes it easy for AI to work with people, not instead of them. Cursor, ChatGPT, Tonk — all working together to let people vibe code their ideas into existence.
Where we’re headed
Tonk is still early - but what we saw at EncodeAI convinced us that a new generation of creators, powered by tools like Tonk — can open up a new part of the internet.
A new part that’s personal, local, and joyful again.
We’re iterating fast toward product-market fit and we’re excited to see what you might build with Tonk next.
See more examples at https://tonk.xyz