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The 2026 MoonBit Software Synthesis Challenge focuses on building production-grade software systems using an AI-native approach.

Under the vision of an "AI-Native Software Factory," this challenge explores how Large Language Models (LLMs) can work together with the MoonBit programming language and its toolchain. The goal is to move software development from ad-hoc, experience-driven implementations toward workflows that are reusable, evolvable, and sustainable.

This challenge is for developers who want to actively shape the MoonBit ecosystem by leveraging AI for code generation, architectural reasoning, and collaborative engineering.

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1. Key Dates

  • Applications Open: February 9, 2026
  • Rolling Review: Applications are reviewed on a continuous basis; accepted participants will be notified via email
  • Final Submission Deadline: April 21, 2026

Eligibility

  • Individual Participation Only: This is an individual competition
  • No Teams: Team submissions are not accepted
  • Submission Limit: Each participant may submit one project

2. Project Scope

Participants are expected to propose and build a system-level software project with a strong emphasis on engineering quality.

Your project must:

  • Target a clear engineering objective
  • Demonstrate technical feasibility
  • Exhibit clear potential for long-term evolution

There are no restrictions on implementation style or architecture, provided the project meets the baseline engineering quality standards.

3. Reference Categories (Inspiration)

This list is non-exhaustive. You are free to define your own direction.

Core Systems

  • Spreadsheet engines
  • Lightweight database kernels
  • Document / PDF processing engines
  • Game engine cores
  • Proof assistants
  • Software analysis frameworks

Emerging Directions

  • Static site generators
  • Log collection and query systems
  • Build automation or task pipelines
  • LLM-oriented reasoning or service frameworks
  • 2D graphics or prototyping tools
  • 3D modeling or geometry processing tools
  • Audio / video processing and transcoding tools

Any system-level software with long-term engineering value is welcome, provided it does not duplicate existing projects within the MoonBit ecosystem.

4. Participation Process

Stage 1: Application

Submit your application via the official Google Form, which collects:

  • Personal information: Email address, GitHub profile
  • Project description (minimum 300 words), including:
    • Project overview: the software system you plan to build
    • Engineering goals: the problems you aim to solve and the scope
    • Technical approach: key design ideas, architecture, or implementation plan
    • Feasibility analysis: why the project is realistic and achievable

Stage 2: Development

Upon receiving a confirmation email, you may begin development immediately. All work must be finalized before the submission deadline.

Stage 3: Evaluation

Projects are reviewed on a rolling basis and evaluated across four equally weighted dimensions:

Functional Completeness (25%)
  • Does the project fulfill its declared scope?
  • Is it buildable, runnable, and reproducible?
  • Are key functionalities clearly demonstrated?
Engineering Quality (25%)
  • Clear modular boundaries and system structure
  • Readable, maintainable code organization
  • Sufficient test coverage for core paths and edge cases
  • Consistent error handling and coding conventions
Explainability & Documentation (25%)

Participants must provide a development retrospective covering:

  • Key architectural decisions
  • The role of AI tools in the process
  • References to existing open-source work, if applicable
User Experience (25%)
  • Ease of use for intended users (including AI agents)
  • Clarity and smoothness of the overall workflow

Scale Benchmark

Projects are recommended to reach approximately 10,000 lines of effective MoonBit code. This serves only as a rough reference for project complexity.

5. Awards & Support

  • Participation Grant: Up to USD 600 per participant

Each participant is eligible for this grant only once. If multiple submissions are linked to the same individual, the organizers reserve the right to consolidate eligibility.

6. Open Source Requirements

All projects must be open-sourced on GitHub and adhere to the following requirements:

  • Public Repository: Includes full commit history
  • Documentation: A clear README describing goals, scope, and usage
  • Reproducibility: The project must be buildable and runnable by others
  • License: An OSI-approved open-source license is required
  • Artifacts: Supporting materials (e.g. deployment scripts) must also be open-sourced

Outstanding projects may be selected as reference implementations for the MoonBit ecosystem.

7. Resources & Contact

Resources:

Reference Projects:

  • fastcc - A high-reliability C compiler synthesized using Codex
  • wasmoon - A Codex-synthesized WebAssembly runtime with JIT support

Terms & Conditions

  1. All grants are incentives and do not constitute employment, commissioned work, or procurement.
  2. Tax handling and distribution follow applicable regulations.
  3. Organizers reserve the right to adjust rules with prior notice.
  4. Participation implies acceptance of these terms.
  5. Grants may be withheld if submissions fail to meet expected technical standards.