Rebuild production backend systems as on-chain Rust programs

We’re inviting developers from the Solana community to take part in our “Rebuild Backend Systems as On-Chain Rust Programs” Challenge

Your Task 🛠️

Take a traditional backend system and rebuild its core logic as a Solana program written in Rust.

The goal is to reframe Solana as a distributed state-machine backend - not just a crypto tool - and demonstrate how familiar Web2 backend patterns can be redesigned using on-chain architecture. This challenge aims to help onboard traditional developers by showing practical backend use cases built on Solana.

Task Description 💻

Choose ONE backend pattern and implement its core logic as a Solana program.

Example systems include (but are not limited to):

• Escrow engine

• Subscription billing system

• Order matching engine (simplified)

• Access control / RBAC system

• Rate limiter system

• On-chain job queue

• API key management system

• Leaderboard / ranking engine

• Auction engine

Scope Detail ⚙️

Architecture design - translate a traditional backend pattern into Solana’s account model
Program development - implement logic using Rust (Anchor or native SDK)
System thinking - demonstrate how state, permissions, and execution differ from Web2 backends
Practical usability - make the system testable and understandable for other developers

Mandatory Requirements 📩

• Rust (Anchor or native SDK) 

• On-chain program deployed to Devnet 

• Public GitHub repo

• Architecture explanation included in README:

  • How this works in Web2

  • How this works on Solana

  • Tradeoffs & constraints

• Devnet transaction links

• Testable publicly deployed/shared basic client (minimal frontend or CLI) 

Judging Criteria weight 🏆

Submissions will be evaluated based on:

Architecture & account modeling 30% 

Code quality & Rust patterns 25% 

Correctness & testing 20% 

Web2 → Solana design analysis 15% 

UX / client usability 10% 

Rewards 💰

1st Place: 700 USDC

2nd Place: 200 USDC

3rd Place: 100 USDC