DEV Community: Graham McCann

I built a Web3 tools directory because everything is scattered

Graham McCann — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:57:11 +0000

I built a Web3 tools directory because everything is scattered

Creating anything in Web3 is weirdly harder than it should be.

Not because of the tech itself, but because everything you need is scattered everywhere.

You find one tool on Twitter, another buried in a GitHub repo, then a random blog post from 2021 that might still be relevant… or might not.

It slows everything down.

The problem

If you're building in Web3, you've probably experienced this:

You need a tool for something specific
You search Google and get outdated results
You check Twitter and find threads with half-broken links
You dig through GitHub repos with little context

There’s no single place that feels reliable or complete.

Everything is fragmented.

And when you're trying to build something quickly, that fragmentation becomes friction.

Why this matters

In most industries, tools are easy to find.

You’ve got directories, marketplaces, comparison sites.

In Web3, it’s still messy.

That means:

More time searching
Less time building
More duplication of effort
Missed tools that could actually help

It shouldn’t be like that.

What I built

So I built Web3ToolLaunch.

👉 https://www.web3toollaunch.com/

It’s a simple directory focused on one thing:

Making Web3 tools easier to discover.

What you can do with it

Right now you can:

Browse tools by category
Explore areas like DeFi, AI crypto, NFT and infrastructure
Discover tools you probably wouldn’t have found otherwise
Submit your own tool

No accounts required, no friction.

Just a clean list of tools that are actually useful.

How it’s different

I’m not trying to build another bloated marketplace.

The focus is:

Simplicity
Discoverability
Clean structure
Useful categories

Over time, the goal is to make this a go-to place when you're starting a new Web3 project.

Early challenges

A few things became obvious straight away:

1. Seeding content

A directory is only useful if it has content.

So the early phase is manually adding tools and making sure the categories make sense.

2. Quality vs quantity

It’s tempting to add everything.

But a directory full of low-quality tools is worse than a smaller, curated one.

3. Getting submissions

The real growth comes when other founders start submitting their tools.

That’s the next big step.

What’s next

I’m planning to:

Expand categories (more specific niches)
Add better filtering and sorting
Highlight featured tools
Improve SEO pages for each category

Long term, I want this to become a proper resource for developers and founders building in Web3.

And Finally ...

Web3 has no shortage of tools.

What it lacks is organisation.

That’s what I’m trying to fix.

If it saves someone a bit of time, it’s already worth it.

How to Create a Solana NFT Without Writing Any Code

Graham McCann — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 08:20:57 +0000

Creating a Solana NFT Without Writing Any Code

If you've ever tried minting an NFT on Solana from scratch, you'll know the process can feel a bit technical at first. Between generating metadata, uploading files to decentralized storage, and preparing the mint transaction, there are quite a few moving parts.

The good news is that you don't necessarily need to write scripts or interact with CLI tools anymore. There are now simpler ways to create NFTs on Solana that handle the technical parts for you.

This guide explains how Solana NFTs work and how you can create one without needing to write any code.

What Makes a Solana NFT Different?

A Solana NFT is simply a token on the Solana blockchain that represents a unique digital item. That item might be artwork, a collectible, music, or even access to a community.

Unlike regular tokens, NFTs contain metadata describing the asset. This metadata includes information such as:

the NFT name
a description
the image or media file
optional attributes or traits

The metadata is usually stored outside the blockchain on decentralized storage such as IPFS or Arweave. The NFT token itself simply references that metadata.

Example NFT Metadata

A typical Solana NFT metadata file looks something like this:

{
  "name": "Example NFT",
  "symbol": "NFT",
  "description": "Example Solana NFT metadata",
  "image": "https://example.com/image.png",
  "attributes": [
    {
      "trait_type": "Background",
      "value": "Blue"
    },
    {
      "trait_type": "Eyes",
      "value": "Laser"
    }
  ]
}

When the NFT is minted, the token points to this metadata file. Marketplaces then read the metadata and display the NFT image, traits, and description.

The Traditional Minting Workflow

Developers who mint NFTs manually usually follow a process like this:

Create the artwork or digital asset
Write the metadata JSON file
Upload files to IPFS or Arweave
Use Solana tools to mint the token
Verify the NFT on a marketplace

For developers this process is manageable, but for creators or beginners it can feel unnecessarily complicated.

A Simpler Way to Create Solana NFTs

These days many people use web-based tools that automate most of the process.

Instead of preparing metadata and scripts yourself, the tool generates the metadata, uploads files, and prepares the mint transaction automatically.

For example, this tool allows you to create and mint NFTs directly from your browser:

Solana NFT creator

The idea is straightforward: you upload your artwork, enter the NFT details, and the platform handles the technical steps behind the scenes.

Why Many NFT Projects Use Solana

Solana has become popular for NFT projects for a few practical reasons:

transaction fees are extremely low
confirmation times are very fast
the ecosystem of NFT marketplaces is growing

Because minting costs are so small compared to other blockchains, Solana is often used for experimental collections or new creator projects.

Where Solana NFTs Are Sold

Once minted, Solana NFTs can be listed on marketplaces such as:

Magic Eden
Tensor
Solanart

These platforms allow creators to sell NFTs and collect royalties from secondary sales.

To Wrap Things Up ...

Creating NFTs on Solana used to involve several technical steps, especially around metadata and minting scripts.

Today, tools exist that simplify the workflow so creators can focus more on the artwork or project itself rather than the infrastructure.

If you're curious about the Solana NFT ecosystem, the easiest way to understand it is simply to try minting one and see how the process works.

How I Create Solana Tokens Without Writing Any Rust

Graham McCann — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 13:13:05 +0000

Creating a Solana Token Without Wrestling With the Tooling

Creating a Solana token sounds simple until you actually try it.

You read the docs, install half the internet, argue with Rust versions, get lost in SPL token flags, and somehow still end up wondering if you’ve accidentally given mint authority to the void.

I kept seeing the same questions pop up in Solana and Web3 dev spaces:

How do I mint a Solana token quickly?
Do I need to write Rust for this?
How do I handle metadata properly?
How do I avoid messing up supply or authority?

So I built a small tool that does one thing well: it lets you create a Solana token cleanly, without touching Rust or CLI tooling.

The Flow Is Simple

Connect your wallet
Set the token name, symbol, supply and decimals
Add metadata if you want it
Mint the token

No test scripts.

No local builds.

No copy-pasting commands you don’t fully trust.

What Happens Under the Hood

Under the hood it still follows standard Solana token behaviour.

That means:

Mint authority is explicit
Freeze authority is visible
Supply configuration is clear
Metadata is handled properly

Nothing hidden, nothing magical. Just a cleaner interface for the standard token process.

Why I Built It

Originally I built the tool for my own launches.

After a while a few other developers started using it too, mostly for:

quick experiments
MVP projects
early-stage token ideas

Sometimes you just want to spin up a token and move on to the interesting part of the project.

The Tool

If you're curious, you can try it here:

https://www.soltokenlaunch.com

It's not meant to replace custom Solana programs or serious on-chain development. It simply removes the friction when you want to create a token quickly without building the entire infrastructure stack first.

Curious About Other Workflows

If you're already deep into Solana development, I’d be genuinely interested to hear how you handle token creation in your own workflow.

Do you rely on CLI tooling, custom scripts, or something else?

DEV Community: Graham McCann

I built a Web3 tools directory because everything is scattered

I built a Web3 tools directory because everything is scattered

The problem

Why this matters

What I built

What you can do with it

How it’s different

Early challenges

1. Seeding content

2. Quality vs quantity

3. Getting submissions

What’s next

And Finally ...

How to Create a Solana NFT Without Writing Any Code

Creating a Solana NFT Without Writing Any Code

What Makes a Solana NFT Different?

Example NFT Metadata

The Traditional Minting Workflow

A Simpler Way to Create Solana NFTs

Why Many NFT Projects Use Solana

Where Solana NFTs Are Sold

To Wrap Things Up ...

How I Create Solana Tokens Without Writing Any Rust

Creating a Solana Token Without Wrestling With the Tooling

The Flow Is Simple

What Happens Under the Hood

Why I Built It

The Tool

Curious About Other Workflows

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