Six key stops on the Web3 developers' roadmap

Roadmap for Web3 development

The Web3 hype cycle peaked in 2022.

In 2023, the hype around Web3 technologies will be replaced by real-world applicability and implementations. Developers who wish to be in demand should get familiar with the technologies behind it.

Many people think Web3 is mostly about cryptocurrencies built upon a blockchain. However, blockchain technology is useful in areas that go well beyond cryptocurrency.

Web3 examples in the real world

For example, blockchain is the underlying technology in supply chain applications. For example, Walmart’s programs aim to implement food traceability and monitor product movement from farm to store. Another example is the Lemonade Foundation which uses blockchain to provide climate insurance on a global scale.

Examples such as these are only the beginning. Blockchain technology still needs to mature to become a viable data storage option on par with modern commercial databases. But as it does, its role in real-time transaction processing will increase.

Web 3.0 and blockchain processing speeds

One of the biggest problems with cryptocurrencies is their slow transaction processing time. A normal Bitcoin transaction takes about an hour to be verified three times. By comparison, point-of-purchase credit card terminals process a payment in 1-3 seconds.

As a blockchain gets bigger, more confirmations improve its reliability but it may get even harder to just maintain those blockchain times. Technologies such as the Lightning Network, which increases transaction speeds on the Bitcoin network, aim to solve the processing time problem.

The achievement of real-world transaction speeds on par with a credit card terminal is a critical path item that will catapult blockchain out of the realm of wealth storage and usage well beyond cryptocurrency management. But it’s a big challenge to overcome.

Web1 vs. Web2 vs. Web3. (Source: TechTarget)

Blockchain and smart contracts

One application that holds great potential for widespread adoption in 2023 is smart contracts. Smart contracts are applications that are deployed to, and execute from, a blockchain.

Once you can execute a program from the blockchain a whole world of new possibilities appears.

For example, a program can collect, store and refund security deposits for an apartment rental. Or, an application verifies construction milestones as contractors build a house, and then pays those contractors directly according to the milestone achieved.

The possibilities, and opportunities, are endless for those who create and work with blockchain-based smart contracts.

Web3 developer roadmap technologies

To position yourself as well-rounded Web3 developer, familiarize yourself with these five technologies:

1. Blockchain fundamentals. All Web3 technologies build upon the concept of a blockchain.
2. Solidity. This object-oriented programming language is the most commonly used API to create smart contracts.
3. Remix. This flexible, plugin-based development environment offers powerful debugging tools to speed up the development of decentralized Web3 apps.
4. Drizzle. This JavaScript library maintains a collection of APIs that make it easier to create front-end web applications that use Web3 technologies.
5. Ganache. This software lets developers test Ethereum apps locally on a mock blockchain.
6. Forge. This Ethereum validation framework enables developers to write tests for their Web3 applications in the Solidity programming language.

The smart contract development environment is still nascent, with many contenders vying for market share. Three popular Web3 IDEs include Truffle, Hardhat and Remix which was mentioned above.There are many other types of tools to support blockchain-based Web3 development.

Thirty years ago there was no such career as a web developer. Today they are everywhere.

As major industries adopt blockchain-based smart contracts, the Web3 ecosystem will mature and require smart-contract developers. Now is the time to prepare for a career in smart contract programming.