Blockchain ,Web3 and Beyond: Exploring Crypto and Smart Contracts

My Unexpected Journey Into Blockchain
I’ve always been the kind of person who likes to explore and push boundaries, even when it feels like I’m venturing into unknown territory. That’s exactly how I stumbled into the world of blockchain.

It started out of curiosity after hearing buzzwords like “crypto,” “blockchain,” and “Web3” thrown around by tech enthusiasts. ; i started just attending and getting involved several events based on blockchain online and in person (I even participated in their hackathons 😂 lost some won some as well ) I remember feeling like I’d opened Pandora’s box. There were so many terms, so much hype, and honestly, so much confusion.

As fate would have it, I wasn’t alone in this. My outgoing and ambitious nature led me to connect with two friends, both equally curious and clueless about this space. Together, we began exploring, sharing discoveries, and challenging each other to learn more.

To be honest, I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d be here on dev.to writing about smart contracts and building decentralized systems. These things sounded so far removed from the world I thought I’d belong to. Back then, I didn’t even know the difference between blockchain and Web3.

But here I am, knee-deep in this fascinating new world, learning step by step. And now that I’ve taken the plunge, I want to share what I’ve learned so far, not just to document my journey but also to help other beginners like me who might feel intimidated by all the jargon and complexity.

What I’ve Learned So Far:

A Beginner’s Guide to Blockchain
Decentralization : It is a foundational concept in blockchain, Web3, and distributed systems. A mechanism of *distributing authority, decision-making, and control across multiple nodes, participants, or entities in a system, rather than relying on a single central authority. *

** Blockchain **
At its core, blockchain is just a database. But what makes it revolutionary is how it stores and verifies information. It’s decentralized, meaning no single entity owns or controls it. Transactions are recorded on a transparent, unchangeable ledger.

Think of it as a Google Doc, but instead of one person editing it, everyone in the network has access and can verify every change without trusting a central authority.

Terms That Sound Fancy but Aren’t (Once You Understand Them)

1. Web3 vs. Blockchain:
2. Web3 is the vision of a decentralized internet. Id define it as the new age of the web based on the traditional web2 which are **centralized,**
3. Blockchain is a distributed ledger with growing lists of records (blocks) that are securely linked together via cryptographic hashes
4. Smart Contracts: Self-executing code that runs on the blockchain. They’re like vending machines—you input something, and they automatically deliver the outcome.
5. EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine): The “brain” that executes smart contracts on Ethereum.
6. The Oracle Problem: Blockchains can’t access external data on their own, so oracles are needed to bring in real-world info. But trusting these oracles creates a single point of failure.

Ethereum vs. Bitcoin: The Foundation of My Understanding
When I first started, I kept hearing about Ethereum and Bitcoin. They sounded like rival tech titans, but as I dug deeper, I learned they’re more like complementary pieces of the blockchain puzzle:

1. Bitcoin: The pioneer. It’s a digital currency, like gold, focusing purely on secure, decentralized transactions.
2. Ethereum: The innovator. It’s more than a currency—it’s a platform for building decentralized applications (DApps) using smart contracts.

Layers of Blockchain
(Layer 1, 2, and 3)
Understanding blockchain architecture is like understanding the layers of a cake: sounds fun huh😂?

Layer 1: The base blockchain (e.g., Ethereum, Bitcoin). It ensures decentralization, security, and trust.
Layer 2: Built on top of Layer 1 to scale and speed up transactions (e.g., zkSync and rollups). Think of it as a highway built above a busy road.
Layer 3: The user-facing layer, focusing on applications and seamless integration for developers and users.

Key Concepts That Blew My Mind

1. Smart Contracts: Programs that self-execute when certain conditions are met. They power DApps like Uniswap and Chainlink.
2. oracle problem : a state at which when blockhains wants to access data thats outside the system / maybe in centralized entities.
3. Blockchain Oracle: Bridging on-chain and off-chain data. Platforms like Chainlink solve the Oracle Problem, allowing blockchains to fetch real-world data securely.

Consensus Mechanisms:

_1. Proof of Work (PoW): The energy-intensive process used by Bitcoin.

1. Proof of Stake (PoS): A greener alternative, used by Ethereum post-Merge._
   Cryptographic Hash Functions:

2. SHA-256: used by Bitcoin protocol

3. Keccak-256: Used by Ethereum.

Byzantine Fault Tolerance: A system’s ability to function despite malicious nodes or faults.

Decentralized Data:

1. On-chain: Data stored directly on the blockchain (secure but expensive).
2. Off-chain: Data stored elsewhere but verified on-chain (cost-efficient).

Ethereum’s 4 Pillars: What Makes It Special

1. Blockchain: A decentralized ledger for transactions.
2. Smart Contracts: Self-executing code that powers DApps.
3. EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine): The engine that runs smart contracts and ensures compatibility across the network. checkout this reddit thread i promise you will understand what an EVM is : EVM
4. Frontend: The user-facing interface that connects people to DApps.

Beginner’s Guide to Solidity
What is Solidity?
Solidity is a programming language for writing smart contracts _on _Ethereum. It’s like JavaScript but built for blockchains.

Getting Started with Solidity
Here’s how I took my first steps:

Setting Up Your Environment:

Use an Remix IDE ( web based).
Access test networks like Rinkeby or Goerli using testnet faucets (free Ether for testing).

Basic Solidity Syntax:
Contracts in Solidity are like classes in OOP. They hold functions and state variables.
Example:

pragma solidity ^0.8.0;

contract HelloWorld {
string public message = "Hello, Blockchain!";
}
Data Types in Solidity:

Basic types:
_

1. uint,
2. int,
3. bool,
4. address,
5. string.
6. Arrays,
7. mappings, _ Deploying Smart Contracts:

Use Remix IDE to write, test, and deploy contracts.
Connect a wallet like MetaMask to deploy on testnets or mainnets.

Key Terms in Solidity Development

1. Gas Fees and Gas Price: A fee paid to miners for executing transactions and running smart contracts. Measured in gwei (a fraction of Ether).
2. Public and Private Keys: Think of the public key as your address and the private key as the password that unlocks your wallet.

Blockchain Platforms That Support Smart Contracts
Beyond Ethereum, several blockchains support smart contracts:

1. Cardano
2. Solana
3. Bitcoin (via layer solutions)
4. Tron
5. Tezos

Consensus Mechanisms:

1. Proof of Work (PoW): The energy-intensive process used by Bitcoin. 2.** Proof of Stake (PoS):** A greener alternative, used by Ethereum post-Merge.

Cryptographic Hash Functions:

SHA-256: used by Bitcoin protocol
Keccak-256: Used by Ethereum.
Byzantine Fault Tolerance: A system’s ability to function despite malicious nodes or faults.

Advanced Topics I’m Exploring Next
This is the beginning of a great start, continuous development, learning and data analysis, id appreciate some guidance and comments on this too 🤍