AI AGAINST CRYPTO RISKS AND AGRO ANALYTICS: RESULTS OF THE CYBERSHIELD-2026 HACKATHON

A national-level hackathon, CyberShield-2026, was held at Kozybayev University, organized jointly with the Department of Economic Investigations for the North Kazakhstan Region as part of implementing the principle of “Law and Order.”

Teams from 13 universities across Kazakhstan took part in the hackathon. The total prize fund amounted to 4 million tenge. The event aimed to identify students’ potential in solving tasks in IT and mobile technologies, information security, and artificial intelligence. The hackathon brought together students from various fields and competencies, ready to tackle challenges under the guidance of experienced mentors.

Opening the event with an online address, Vice Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan Dinara Shcheglova noted that, in accordance with the instructions of the Head of State, systematic work is underway in the country to advance digitalization and the development of artificial intelligence.

“Analysts, developers, and engineers of the new generation must be able to create their own solutions for the economy. Platforms like today’s hackathon give students the opportunity to implement these tasks in practice. The cooperation between Kozybayev University and the Department of Economic Investigations is a clear example of effective integration of education and practice. I am confident that today’s hackathon will serve as a foundation for the emergence of strong new solutions and the formation of professional teams,” said Dinara Shcheglova.

Participants worked in two key areas: “AI in Agro Analytics,” which focused on developing intelligent solutions to improve agricultural efficiency, optimize processes, and ensure sustainable development of the agricultural sector; and “AI Against Crypto Risks,” which involved creating tools for transaction monitoring, fraud detection, and risk analysis in the field of digital assets.

“Today, our university has become a hub for 57 teams from leading universities across the country. This is more than 160 young talents ready to take on the most complex technological challenges of our time. Digitalization today is not just process automation, but a foundation of national security and economic prosperity of Kazakhstan. Our university actively supports state policy in IT and artificial intelligence. We are proud that Kozybayev University is an anchor university of the ‘AI-Sana’ program, creating conditions for students’ ideas to turn into real prototypes,” said Chairman of the Executive Board - Rector Yerbol Issakayev.

At the end of the hackathon, participants presented their projects to an expert jury, demonstrating their practical relevance and potential for real-sector implementation. Winners in each category received 1 million tenge, while second and third places were awarded 500,000 and 300,000 tenge respectively.

Winners and prize-winners:

Track: “AI Against Crypto Risks”
1st place - team “Kings of Taiynsha,” Kozybayev University, Petropavlovsk;
2nd place - Academy named after Sh. Kabylbayev of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kostanay;
3rd place - team “Ramira,” L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana.

Track: “AI Agro Analytics”
1st place - team “Open to Work,” KBTU, Almaty;
2nd place - team “Van Gogh,” L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana;
3rd place - team “White Hill,” IT University, Astana.

Special Prize - 400,000 tenge for the most creative digital solution was awarded to team “67,” Kozybayev University.

Students from the “Kings of Taiynsha” team at Kozybayev University developed a digital tool for detecting suspicious activity in cryptocurrency networks — CryptoGuard AI. It is designed to assess wallet risks, track the movement of funds, and analyze tokens for fraudulent patterns.

Participation in such initiatives enables students to develop critical thinking, teamwork, and project skills, as well as gain valuable experience working with real-world cases and expert communities.

This forms the foundation for training competitive specialists capable of contributing to the country’s digital transformation. Further development of digital education, support for AI initiatives, and expansion of practice-oriented platforms remain key conditions for shaping a new generation of professionals ready to effectively respond to the challenges of the modern economy and ensure the sustainable development of Kazakhstan.