Developer Stack Cheat Sheet
And why is this important.
As the year comes to its end, we finally see Bitcoin passing the 100K threshold. We begin to feel the excitement for the promise of a bullish future. I am sure it is going to happen, we are looking ahead to a 5-10 years technological shift. But that’s the thing, this is about a technological shift and the opportunity to develop better and more purposeful tools for a better future. Not just trying to extract the maximum value of a bullish market through speculation, we have been there and nothing good came out of it.
After making these reflections I realized how far I am from understanding the underlying technology behind Web 3. I mean, I understand the general frameworks, slang, and trends, but it wasn’t until last week I realized how far I am from understanding how the general stack works. This was triggered after an interview where the recruiter made me realize how far I was from having a deep understanding which I claimed to have. This brought me many further thoughts regarding how challenging are this recruiting process, and how tough is to keep pace specifically in industries like this one. This substack is going to be very simple and mostly prompt. But my idea was to make a cheat sheet for the developer stack for Ethereum, and Solana Chains. After making this cheat sheet, I added to the comparison the evolution of each stack with the AI/Blockchain intersection trend. I also compared this stack with a Web 2 stack. Each tool and feature is attached to a workflow, and each workflow creates a use case to make it easier to understand.
Main Differences:
Ethereum is better for applications where decentralization, security, and broad adoption are critical (e.g., high-value DeFi and NFTs). Its established ecosystem makes it the go-to for enterprise and governance-focused applications.
Solana is best for applications requiring speed and low cost, such as gaming, high-frequency trading, and real-time applications like payments or logistics.
At the end of this subs, you will find four use cases that aim to explain the stack and the required workflow to build a DeFi lending platform like Aave, a fast and cost-efficient NFT marketplace like Magic Eden, a marketplace that uses AI to analyze NFT market trends, predict prices, and assist users with optimized bidding strategies like Solsea, and a platform where AI algorithms analyze DeFi opportunities while decentralized identity ensures personalized recommendations. Using as real-life references: Ocean Protocol and Singularity DAO.
Here is the cheat sheet with the most important tools for developing dApps, and Smart Contracts in two of the most important chains, Ethereum and Solana.
Ethereum Use Case: Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Lending Platform
Objective: Build a DeFi lending platform like Aave.
Proof of Stake Secures the Ethereum network, ensuring a decentralized and reliable foundation for transactions.
Solidity Write smart contracts for managing lending, borrowing, and collateral mechanisms.
Hardhat Develop, test, and deploy smart contracts in a local environment.
ethers.js Enable interaction between the front end and Ethereum blockchain for seamless user interfaces.
Dune Analytics Monitor platform performance, analyze user activity, and track TVL (Total Value Locked).
P2P Broadcasting Ensures transaction propagation and finality across the network.
Ganache Simulate Ethereum transactions locally to test lending logic and smart contract interactions.
Workflow:
Write and deploy lending smart contracts using Solidity.
Simulate user scenarios like depositing collateral and borrowing assets in Ganache.
Use ethers.js to connect the frontend interface with the deployed contracts.
Monitor platform performance and user activity through Dune Analytics dashboards.
Solana Use Case: High-Frequency NFT Marketplace
Objective: Build a fast and cost-efficient NFT marketplace like Magic Eden.
Proof of History Provides the network's fast and low-cost consensus mechanism.
Rust Develop on-chain programs for minting, transferring, and listing NFTs.
Anchor Streamlines the development of secure and efficient Solana smart contracts.
Solana Web3.js Bridges the marketplace’s front end to the Solana blockchain for user interactions.
Flipside Crypto Analyze marketplace performance, user behavior, and NFT trade volumes.
Turbine Optimizes data propagation across the network, ensuring low latency for NFT transactions.
Local Validator Test on a local environment to simulate high transaction volumes and optimize performance.
Workflow:
Use Rust and Anchor to develop smart contracts for creating and managing NFTs.
Deploy contracts and set up a local validator to test under simulated real-world conditions.
Integrate Solana Web3.js to enable wallet connections and transactions from the marketplace UI.
Track user interactions and marketplace performance using Flipside Crypto analytics tools.
Ethereum AI Use Case: Decentralized Identity for AI-Powered Financial Advisors
Objective: Develop a platform where AI algorithms analyze DeFi opportunities while decentralized identity ensures personalized recommendations.
AI adds value by offering advanced insights, fraud detection, and portfolio optimization.
Real-life references: Ocean Protocol and Singularity DAO
Proof of Stake Provides secure and energy-efficient blockchain operations for storing user credentials.
Solidity Write smart contracts for AI-based advisor algorithms and identity verification.
Hardhat Test AI-integrated smart contracts in a simulated environment.
ethers.js Connect AI recommendation algorithms to the Ethereum blockchain for a seamless user experience.
Dune Analytics Visualizes AI-driven performance metrics, such as ROI predictions and trading insights.
P2P Broadcasting Enables distributed computation of AI models via peer-to-peer interactions.
Ganache Simulate transactions and AI-triggered contract executions.
Workflow:
Train an AI model to identify lucrative DeFi opportunities and integrate it into a Solidity-based recommendation system.
Use Ganache and Hardhat to test the AI's interaction with DeFi smart contracts.
Deploy the system, ensuring recommendations are auditable via Dune Analytics dashboards.
Solana AI Use Case: Real-Time AI-Powered NFT Pricing Engine
Objective: Build a marketplace that uses AI to analyze NFT market trends, predict prices, and assist users with optimized bidding strategies.
AI plays a key role by processing large datasets in real-time and reducing decision-making latency.
Real-life reference: Solsea
Proof of History Enables rapid AI-driven computations to align with the blockchain's high throughput.
Rust Develop efficient AI pricing models and integrate them with on-chain programs.
Anchor Streamlines smart contract creation for real-time AI-driven NFT pricing.
Solana Web3.js Facilitates interaction between the AI engine and the marketplace front end.
Flipside Crypto Analyze AI recommendations and user interactions for performance metrics.
Turbine Supports rapid data propagation for low-latency AI-driven pricing updates.
Local Validator Test how AI algorithms affect real-world scenarios under high transaction volumes.
AI Example Workflow:
Train AI models to predict NFT valuations using historical data and integrate them with Rust-based smart contracts.
Use Solana Web3.js to display AI predictions and recommend bids directly in the marketplace interface.
Run simulations with a Local Validator to ensure stability during high-volume trading.