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Web3 Development Stagnation: A Call to Action

The advancement of Web3 development has come to a standstill. The concepts dominating the current crypto cycle—L2s, DeFi, RWAs, gaming, and prediction markets—originated in the previous cycle. This indicates a lack of growth and innovation, leaving us stuck in place.

The root of the problem is the shortage of developers in the crypto space. Despite the historic work accomplished by the web3 dev community, it remains small—approximately 22,000 developers, less than 0.1% of the estimated 27 million developers worldwide. To onboard “the next billion users,” we first need to attract the first million developers. This involves empowering them by treating them as creatives, embracing AI dev tools, and fostering a culture of collaboration.

Vitalik Buterin’s Vision for Blockchain

In his keynote address at the recent Token2049 event in Singapore, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin outlined his vision for the future of blockchain: completing the “durable digital structures” that comprise the network’s ecosystem, making crypto faster, cheaper, and easier to use, and preserving the aspirational qualities of blockchain technology that differentiate it from the traditional financial system.

While this vision is inspiring, it raises questions about who will do the building and where the ideas to realize this vision will come from. As often said in web3, “Devs, do something!”

Decline in Developer Numbers

In 2023, the overall number of blockchain developers fell by more than 10%, driven by an exodus of “newcomer” developers—those with less than one year of experience—whose numbers dropped over 50% year-over-year. Even with last year’s milestone rollout of Ordinals, Bitcoin lost 19% of its developers, leaving only 1,000 BTC builders.

The decreasing number of web3 developers needs to be addressed. Instead of urging “Devs, do something!” we should be saying, “Do something for devs!” Here are some strategies to make web3 a more appealing home for developers:

Recognize Developers as Creatives

Developers are inherently creative. Creativity is messy, non-linear, and doesn’t always follow a schedule. It’s time to stop treating developers as if their role is to compile pre-existing blocks of code into pre-designed structures. Instead, provide the support they need to create, test, and build new ideas.

Embrace AI in Development

AI is not a replacement for developers; it enhances their capabilities. AI tools can accelerate the learning curve for new developers, allowing them to focus on mastering concepts rather than piecing together incomplete documentation. Experienced developers are already using AI-powered tools to reduce deployment time and assist with complex smart contract audits.

For instance, my company offers ChefGPT, an AI chatbot that helps spark ideas, search smart contract libraries, troubleshoot problems, and more. This makes it faster and easier for developers to plan, build, and deploy projects on-chain. AI dev tooling plays a crucial role in the future of web3, and we should make these tools available to as many developers and students as possible.

Foster a Collaborative Community

Developers work best when they collaborate. The web3 dev community is small and often isolated. While web2 developers are more collaborative, web3 developers frequently have direct interests in their protocol’s success, leading to competition rather than cooperation.

Web3 is often divided by tribalism—Bitcoin vs. Ethereum vs. Solana—but we are moving towards a multi-chain universe where different blockchains serve different use cases with growing interoperability. Less bickering and more building will benefit the entire community. This requires more communication and cooperation among developers, both online and in person.

Creating shared workspaces and facilitating real-world interactions can spark creative ideas and build stronger relationships. Let’s activate strong global crypto communities in cities like San Francisco, New York, Lisbon, Zug, Singapore, Buenos Aires, Lagos, and Sydney. Meeting in person can help design the future together.

Web3 has made significant progress in building a more open successor to Web2. To regain the momentum lost before 2022, we need to do more for developers. Don’t just give them work; let developers innovate and create.

“Devs, do something!”

About the Author

Tyler Sehr is a developer and builder specializing in web3 and blockchain development. He is currently the CEO and Founder of Cookbook.dev, a platform focused on simplifying smart contract development with a comprehensive library of tools for developers to easily build and deploy smart contracts. Sehr previously founded several DeFi and web3 projects, including StockSwap and FanFare. He also co-founded Simple Breakthrough LLC, a web3 design and development agency supporting projects like QiDAO/Mai.Finance, BlockDuelers, and NFT Lootbox.

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