About H4ck&Stack
A server, not a startup
The Discord was always meant to be social first: hang out, swap resources, ask the “how does this even work?” questions, and actually know each other. Monthly challenges and this site came later as a way to stir the pot — something optional to rally around so the server does not go quiet again, and so new faces have an easy on-ramp if they want one.
You do not have to ship a project to stick around. Lurkers, beginners, career switchers, and folks who have forgotten more than we will ever know are all welcome. More people, more code, more of the messes worth showing up for.
Four things we mean
- 01
Social first
The server existed to hang out before it had a single challenge. That has not changed — the deadline is optional, the people are the point.
- 02
Beginners welcome
Lurkers, career switchers, and people who have forgotten more than we will ever know all sit in the same channels.
- 03
Work in the open
Repos, writeups, and half-finished things. Showing the mess is more useful than showing the highlight reel.
- 04
Nothing is mandatory
You can ignore every challenge and still belong here. The structure exists for people who thrive on one.
From hangout to habit
Before there were tracks, vote windows, or a website, there was just a wish for a community to talk tech with — to be friends, share resources, and not take everything so seriously all the time. For a while it was a hangout server, and one season of that was a lot of fun. Then, like a lot of small servers, things slowly went quiet.
Instead of calling that the end, we tried the opposite: give people a light structure if they want it — monthly challenges, a bot, a proper home on the web — so there is always something happening for folks who thrive on a deadline, while everyone else can still just chat, joke, and show up as they are.
The hacker track followed once enough security-minded people wanted their own lane for writeups and tooling. Both tracks share one UTC+2 rhythm — build, vote, results — and the same XP loop. The platform behind it is built and maintained by Cyphera, a tech company in Prishtina, Kosovo.
Three ways in
None of them require you to build anything.
Partner with us
Support the community and meet the people building in it. Reach a moderator in Discord.
Just hang out
Voice, feedback, announcements, and the occasional rabbit hole. No commitment required.
Read what we ship
Writeups, tooling notes and security research — published by members, free to read.
Browse the feedBy the numbers
Open stats from the live API — totals and trends across the community.
Total XP distributed
1,311
Projects shipped
0
Articles shared
3
Most used tech stacks
Top 8 by members listing the stack
- NextJS1
- Tailwind1
- Cloudlfare1
- AI/ML1
- Python1
- HTML/CSS/JS1
- React1
- Laser engraving1
Submissions per month
Published portfolio entries
Top contributor (all-time XP)
FAQ
- H4ck&Stack is a global community for developers and security researchers. Each month we run a shared UTC+2 calendar (fixed offset, no DST) for two tracks: a developer track for shipping software projects, and a hacker track for security work like CTF writeups, tooling, and research. Join on Discord, sign in on this site, then submit and vote from the website (including the vote banner on the Challenges page when voting is open). Approved work appears here with XP and rankings.
- Anyone who wants to build or break things responsibly. We welcome students, hobbyists, and professionals. You need a Discord account to sign in and participate; there is no gatekeeping beyond following server rules and treating others with respect.
- H4ck&Stack has two tracks, both sharing the same UTC+2 monthly calendar (days 1–21 build, days 22–27 vote, results on the 28th):
Developer — ship a software project in any stack. Submit via the site.
Hacker — security outcomes: CTF writeups, tooling, vuln research, red team work. Enroll with/enrollin Discord, submit on the site.
Both earn XP and appear in the portfolio when approved. - Yes — use whatever languages, frameworks, or platforms fit your project, on either track. We care that you ship something real and document it clearly, not which tool logo is on it.
- Community voting drives recognition during the vote window. Admins approve submissions first for quality and rule compliance. Votes translate into XP for builders. It is peer-driven and transparent rather than a closed jury.
- XP is your cumulative points total on H4ck&Stack. It powers the leaderboard and determines your Discord role progression: Newcomer → Builder → Veteran → Elite.
XP sources:
- Submission approved: +50 (per submission)
- Vote received: +2 (per vote on your work)
- Article shared: +10 (per article)
- Challenge enrollment bonus: +25 (on first approval)
- First submission ever: +10 (one-time bonus)
On Discord,/pulseawards GitHub activity XP once per challenge month (UTC+2) and shows a month-end estimate from the community formula (capped at 100 XP). - The monthly challenge is designed around one strong submission per member per month so everyone gets a fair shot at attention and votes. If you are unsure, ask in Discord before the submission window closes.
- Late submissions are not accepted for that month — the calendar closes submissions after the build window. You can still participate in voting, community channels, and the next month’s build phase. Watch for day 21 (UTC+2) when submissions close.
- Hacker track entries include CTF writeups, security tooling, vulnerability research, red-team style documentation, and related work. You use the same monthly build and vote windows as developers. Enroll with /enroll in Discord, then submit on the site. Check Discord announcements for anything special in a given month.
- Yes. Joining the Discord, using the site, and appearing in the community are free. We may partner with sponsors in the future, but the core community loop stays accessible.