Web 3.0 is not just a new technology trend anymore as it evolves in the form of a revolutionary philosophy. The third generation of the internet revolves primarily around putting back users in control and ownership of their data. Any aspiring tech professional aware of web3 might wish to become web3 developer and join the game-changing industry. Many of you must have imagined the lucrative rewards of employment in the domain of web3. Well, the scarcity of web3 developers has obviously spurred massive growth in salary for web3 professionals.

Can you capitalize on the short supply of web3 developers and offer employers what they need? As a beginner, it is quite difficult to answer the question when you don’t have any knowledge or practical experience of web3. The following discussion serves as a web3 developer roadmap with a description of the rationale for pursuing the role of web3 developers. You can develop a clear impression of the skills required for catering to the responsibilities of web3 developers.

Why Should You Pursue Web3 Developer Roles?

The first thought in the mind of any beginner would obviously focus on the career opportunities for web3 developers. Will you receive any rewards for your efforts in learning web3 developer skills and building your expertise? Now, it is important to note that web3 is the next big thing. Many people associate web3 with almost anything that implements cryptocurrencies. On the other hand, web3 has also been characterized as the decentralized internet of value offering peer-to-peer transactions among users.

The notion of removing the control of tech-giant intermediaries such as Facebook or Google is one of the biggest drivers for web3. The importance of web3 also becomes evident in the coverage of artificial intelligence, IoT, blockchain, NFTs, and metaverse in the equation. Considering the functionalities of these technologies, it is reasonable to assume that web3 is the future.

On top of it, recent reports have suggested that the average web3 developer salary ranges from $90,000 to $150,000 annually. Some sources have suggested that the salary for web3 professionals in higher roles could extend up to $500,000 or $750,000. The potential of web3, the shortage of talented web3 developers, and the lucrative professional rewards set the ideal reasons for becoming web3 developers.

Responsibilities of Web3 Developers

The foremost thing required in building your expertise for web3 development is an outline of web3 developer responsibilities. When you know what you have to do as a web3 developer, you can identify the skills you have to learn for the same. Interestingly, the responsibilities of web3 developers vary according to the niche, such as play-to-earn games, DeFi, metaverse, NFTs, or other blockchain applications. However, the common responsibilities of web3 developers would focus on core development and application development. Here is an outline of the tasks you have to deal with in each role.

Web3 Core Developer

The web3 core developer takes care of designing, architecture, and security for blockchain systems. If you want to become web3 developer as a core developer, you have to prepare for the following responsibilities.

• Designing and developing layer 1 blockchain networks from the foundation
• Tailoring security patterns and consensus protocols for application network
• Designing network architecture and operational nodes
• Monitoring the complete network

The work of a web3 core developer offers a viable foundation for defining the future of decentralized applications or dApps.

Web3 Application Developers

The web3 application developers leverage the architecture offered by the core developers for designing and deploying dApps. You can find two distinct aspects in the responsibilities of web3 application developers, such as front-end development and backend development. What are your responsibilities as a web3 developer in both cases?

• Web3 Backend Development

Web3 backend development is completely different from the usual backend programming as you don’t need servers. Developers can use layer 1 network solutions suited to the goals of the dApp and create smart contracts for defining the application logic and automation. The primary tasks in the backend side of web3 development involve designing and deploying smart contracts or working with distributed databases.

• Web3 Front-End Development

The front-end serves as the face of web3 applications, the client-side aspect of an application. A major share of the work on front-end architecture focuses on ensuring seamless interaction with smart contracts. Front-end development also focuses on establishing suitable mechanisms for ensuring user authentication and wallet connections.

What Do You Need to Become a Web3 Developer?

The glimpse of career opportunities for web3 developers alongside the details of the responsibilities of web3 developers set the right tone for any beginner to seek the best web3 careers. The obvious question of “What do I need to become a web3 developer?” would be an important priority for beginners.

Start with Blockchain Basics

The obvious entry in the list of web3 developer skills, blockchain technology, is the foundation of a new web3 domain. Blockchain is the immutable, decentralized, and public database under the ownership of users. The database stores data in the form of consecutive blocks associated with each other with hashing algorithms.

Blocks contain the concerned transaction data alongside its own hash, as well as the hash to the previous block. Any changes in the blocks would lead to changes in hash, thereby invalidating the next block. With the copies of blockchain stored across multiple computers worldwide, it is practically impossible to introduce malicious changes in blockchain. A course on blockchain fundamentals could be a great way to start your journey towards becoming a web3 developer.

Fundamentals of Decentralized Applications

The web3 developer roadmap might remain incomplete without references to decentralized applications. dApps created on the top of blockchain networks serve as one of the core elements of the web3 landscape. Every aspiring web3 developer must know about dApps and the technologies associated with them. The notable technologies for frontend development in dApps would include JavaScript frameworks, such as Angular, React, and Vue.

On the other hand, the backend technologies for dApp development include Rust/Solana or Solidity/Ethereum. Decentralized applications can serve many crucial use cases, and they have been revolutionizing many industries. For example, dApps can help in managing integrity of records alongside facilitating easy and secure payments with cryptocurrencies. In addition, decentralized apps can also contribute significant value improvements in ensuring successful execution of smart contracts.

Basics of Frontend Web Development

If you want to become web3 developer, then you would need some experience in frontend web development. Web3 apps or dApps could have blockchain technology underlying their backend architecture and JavaScript helming the frontend. Therefore, you need fluency in the following aspects,

• Common HTML tags
• Basic properties of CSS and features such as Grid and Flex
• CSS frameworks such as Tailwind, Bootstrap, Semantic UI, and others
• Variables, functions, ES6, classes, and other concepts of JavaScript
• JavaScript frameworks such as Angular, React, and Vue

In addition, aspiring web3 developers must also have a solid command of the principles and technologies associated with web2 backend.

Learn Ethereum Basics            

Ethereum is the biggest candidate for developing and deploying dApps. It is a trustworthy choice of web3 developers for processing smart contracts. The basics of Ethereum are an essential addition to web3 developer skills along with Solidity programming language. You can develop your skills and knowledge of Ethereum by referring to the official documentation of Ethereum.

One of the most notable requirements for all aspiring web3 developers in the domain of Ethereum is the knowledge of smart contracts. However, you must learn about the following important topics in Ethereum basics.

• Definition of cryptocurrencies, Ethereum and ETH
• Use cases of Ethereum
• Participation in Ethereum ecosystem
• Methods to leverage Ethereum protocol

Furthermore, web3 developers must also gain knowledge regarding the best practices for engaging with the Ethereum community.

Knowledge of Smart Contracts

The major portion of work of web3 developers would revolve around using smart contracts. Therefore, you would need fluency in smart contract development with expertise in Solidity, the most popular programming language for developing smart contracts. The high-level contract-oriented language has been tailored for scripting smart contracts effortlessly on the Ethereum blockchain.

Aspiring web3 developers must learn programming in Solidity for developing smart contracts according to client needs. Some of the important highlights of Solidity which every web3 developer must learn include,

• Variables and functions
• Enumerated lists
• Arrays
• Mappings
• Conditionals and Loops
• Simple Smart Contract examples

Most important of all, candidates must practice all the concepts and functionalities in Solidity with actual projects.

Connecting the Smart Contract to Frontend 

The next crucial process after developing the smart contract would evidently focus on deployment. You must develop a clear idea of the suitable methods for using the smart contracts you have scripted. Developers can rely on two primary libraries for web3 development, such as web3.js and ethers.js.

Interestingly, ethers.js presents better advantages in comparison to web3.js. For example, ethers.js library is considerably smaller in size with fewer bugs and improved documentation. With the facility of extra features, ethers.js is an obviously popular choice among web3 developers.

Learn about Development Tools 

It is important to have a basic knowledge of web development tools if you’re aspiring to become a web3 developer. Alchemy, Remix, and Hardhat are the most common tools for web3 development; here’s an overview.

Alchemy

Web3 developers must also work on improving their skills in using Alchemy. It is a collection of developer tools that can help in faster prototyping, debugging, and shipping of products. The developer tools suite is compatible with different blockchain networks such as Flow, Ethereum, Polygon, and many others.

Furthermore, Alchemy also offers an NFT API which can help users launch their own NFT collection or project without difficulties. Some of the other significant highlights of Alchemy refer to the support for web3 push notifications and a powerful blockchain API.

Remix

The answers to “What do I need to become a web3 developer?” would also draw attention towards fluency in Remix. It is a browser-based IDE tailored for developing Ethereum smart contracts through Solidity.

Remix is an essential tool for web3 developers due to the ease of writing code as well as testing and compiling it. In addition, Remix also ensures the flexible deployment of smart contracts.

Hardhat

The job of web3 developers can be quite difficult, especially considering the repetitive tests and changes required before final deployment. In such cases, you would need skills in Hardhat, which offers a local Ethereum environment. Developers can use the local network for deploying the contract and employ different tests alongside debugging of Solidity code.

Another possible alternative to Hardhat would direct you towards Truffle Suite, an ecosystem of smart contract development tools. Truffle serves as the compiler for smart contracts and simulating blockchain networks, as well as a source of front-end components. You can discover multiple avenues for improving efficiency in developing web3 applications through Hardhat and Truffle. The primary benefit of cost-effectiveness allows flexibility for using these tools in web3 development.

Best Practices for Finding Web3 Developer Jobs

The long list of skills required for becoming web3 developers validates the web3 developer salary estimate to a certain extent. Any candidate would deserve the lucrative salary as a reward for the dedicated efforts in learning the skills for web3 developers. However, it is also important to know the ideal route to find web3 developer jobs. Here are some of the best practices you must follow for building your career as a web3 developer.

• Choose Professional Training

One of the most urgent priorities for any web3 developer is professional training. You must rely on training courses on Ethereum, smart contract development, and web3 concepts such as NFTs and cryptocurrencies. In addition, you must also take note of the advanced courses which feature multidisciplinary themes such as a combination of blockchain and IoT technologies.

Professional training courses can help you build your web3 expertise from scratch, especially with fundamental courses. You can gradually make your way through other concepts pertaining to web3 development and the best practices for the same. Therefore, it is reasonable to seek training course providers with a broad assortment of courses on web3-related topics.

• Get Certified

The most plausible recommendation for anyone to become web3 developer would focus on certification. How is a certification relevant for careers in web3? Will a certification offer any value for your career as a web3 beginner? The answers to these questions are evident in the recognition you can receive with certifications.

Certified web3 professionals are the first priorities of employers in hiring decisions as they can bring something of value to the organization. How? The certification proves the web3 expertise of a candidate and shows their efficiency in developing web3 applications.

Examples such as Certified Web3 Professional or CW3P certification on 101 Blockchains offer great opportunities for beginners with comprehensive training. The certification training course can help beginners develop their fluency over web3 and how different technologies interrelate in the web3 ecosystem.

• Community Involvement and Networking

The web3 developer roadmap would also emphasize the need for networking and participation in communities. Web3 is an evolving concept, and the ‘open-source’ element in web3 sets the foundation for massive communities. Beginners can rely on web3 communities for solutions to their queries regarding web3 technologies and careers. Communities and virtual forums can be great platforms for interacting with professionals and peers.

At the same time, aspiring web3 developers must also work on improving their professional networking capabilities. Simple initiatives such as customizing social media profiles and advocacy for web3 trends can help you attract the attention of potential employers. In addition, your reputation in a community can also work as a crucial determinant for your employment as a web3 developer.

Conclusion

The final outtake from the guide to become web3 developer suggests that you have to learn many skills to achieve the goal. Web3 applications or dApps would define the future of technology and digital solutions in general. Therefore, beginners must search for the right direction and resources to earn the title of web3 developer.

Over the course of years, web3 has transformed into an inherent philosophy emphasizing the decentralization of the internet. Many promising technologies such as blockchain, NFTs, DeFi, metaverse, and NFTs come under the umbrella of web3. Aspiring candidates can explore many prominent value advantages in their journey towards the role of web3 developer. Learn more about the best certification course to prove your expertise as a web3 developer.

Source: 101 Blockchains