Cypher Tank has opened applications for its 2026 Bitcoin-focused pitch competition, following a 2025 event that attracted more than 4,000 participants from 64 countries. Promoted and funded by the Plan ₿ VC Fund and the Plan ₿ Foundation, the competition combines Shark Tank-style negotiations with documentary production featuring real pitches, deals and judge deliberations. The 2026 edition will expand the finalist field to 12 projects, comprising eight for-profit and four nonprofit ventures, compared with 11 finalists in 2025. Founders will negotiate direct investment with a judging panel known as the honey badgers and compete for one of three $100,000 prizes covering incubation, acceleration or relocation services. A committee will assess projects on their alignment with individual freedom, privacy, decentralization and resilience; execution ability, sustainability and market feasibility; and integration into the wider Plan ₿ ecosystem. Applications opened August 13 and close September 25, with finalist notifications beginning September 30. The finals will take place October 25–27 at PoW Space Lugano, immediately after the Plan ₿ Forum. The event will begin with a coaching day, followed by two days of live pitches and negotiations on October 26 and 27. Winners will be selected at the end of the second day. Episodes will remain in post-production through the end of the year and are scheduled to air online in January 2027. Incubation and acceleration support for winners is due to begin at the end of February, once their NDAs lapse. The first season, launched in 2025, offered more than $850,000 in total prizes and included judges such as Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, Blockstream’s Adam Back, Ten31’s Matt Odell, Lightning Ventures’ Mike Jarmuz and Ego Death’s Preston Pysh. It followed a record-breaking Plan ₿ Forum attended by more than 4,000 people from 64 countries and watched by upward of 800,000 livestream viewers. The episodes premiered at Plan ₿ Forum El Salvador in January 2026, while the winners were formally honored in Lugano that March. Season two is seeking to build on that visibility through a larger finalist pool and a four-phase format, as Cypher Tank continues efforts to position Lugano as a global hub for Bitcoin and freedom-tech innovation. Founders can apply through the competition’s application portal.