Web3 Learning Journey

A comprehensive repository documenting my blockchain and smart contract development journey through Alchemy University's Ethereum Bootcamp and Patrick Collins' Solidity courses.

📚 Learning Platforms

1. Alchemy University - Ethereum Developer Bootcamp

An intensive program covering blockchain fundamentals, Ethereum development, and decentralized application (dApp) creation.

2. Patrick Collins - Solidity & Smart Contract Development

Following Patrick Collins' comprehensive blockchain development course, focusing on Hardhat, smart contract testing, and best practices.

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🗂️ Repository Structure

Alchemy Ethereum Bootcamp

Week 1: ECDSA & Digital Signatures

Project: ECDSA Node

• Implementation of Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm
• Client-server architecture for transaction signing
• Understanding public key cryptography and wallet authentication

Week 2: Blockchain & Cryptography Fundamentals

Project: Gift List (Merkle Trees)

• Merkle tree implementation and verification
• Proof generation and validation
• Cryptographic data structures in blockchain

Week 3: Ethereum & JSON-RPC

Projects:

• JSON-RPC Activity: Interacting with Ethereum nodes
• Block Explorer: Building a blockchain data viewer
• Transaction Signing: Understanding and implementing transaction flows

Week 4: Smart Contracts with Hardhat

Topics Covered:

• Hardhat development environment setup
• Contract compilation and deployment
• Testing smart contracts
• Modifying contract state
• Contract interactions with ethers.js

Projects:

• au-hardhat-practice/: Core Hardhat concepts
• modify-contract-state/: State management in contracts
• Test_exercise/: Writing comprehensive tests
• Work with contract/: Contract interaction patterns

Week 5: Advanced Smart Contract Development

Project: Contract Puzzles & Escrow

• Solving smart contract challenges
• Implementing escrow functionality with Hardhat
• Security considerations and best practices
• Local Hardhat Games: Interactive learning challenges

Week 6: Token Standards

Topics:

• ERC-20 token implementation
• Token creation and deployment
• ERC-20 Token Indexer project
• NFT minting and standards

Week 7: Advanced Patterns

Topics:

• Governance contracts
• Upgradeable contracts
• Proxy patterns (Transparent, UUPS)
• Storage layouts and collision avoidance

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Patrick Collins Course

1. Simple Storage (Ethers.js)

Location: ethers-simple-storage-fcc/

• Basic interaction with smart contracts using ethers.js
• Contract deployment from JavaScript
• Environment variable management and key encryption
• Reading and writing to blockchain

Key Files:

• deploy.js: Contract deployment script
• encryptKey.js: Secure key management
• SimpleStorage.sol: Basic storage contract

2. Hardhat Simple Storage

Location: Git_hardhat-simple-storage-fcc/ & my_hardhat-simple-storage-fcc/

• Hardhat framework fundamentals
• Testing with Chai and Mocha
• Task automation
• Gas reporting and optimization
• Code coverage analysis

Features:

• Custom Hardhat tasks
• Comprehensive test suites
• Coverage reports
• Gas consumption analysis

3. Hardhat Fund Me

Location: hardhart-fund-me-fcc/

• Building a crowdfunding/donation contract
• Chainlink price feeds integration
• Mock contracts for testing
• Multi-network deployment
• Deployment scripts with hardhat-deploy

Key Concepts:

• Price feed oracles
• Withdrawal patterns
• Owner-only functions
• Testing with fixtures
• Network configuration

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🛠️ Technologies & Tools

• Blockchain: Ethereum, EVM-compatible chains
• Languages: Solidity, JavaScript
• Frameworks: Hardhat, Ethers.js
• Testing: Chai, Mocha, Waffle
• Tools:
  • Alchemy SDK & API
  • Chainlink (Price Feeds, VRF)
  • OpenZeppelin contracts
  • Hardhat plugins (deploy, gas-reporter, coverage)

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🎯 Key Learning Outcomes

Blockchain Fundamentals

• ✅ Cryptographic primitives (hashing, signatures)
• ✅ Blockchain architecture and consensus
• ✅ Transaction lifecycle and validation
• ✅ Merkle trees and data structures

Smart Contract Development

• ✅ Solidity programming and best practices
• ✅ Contract design patterns
• ✅ Security considerations
• ✅ Gas optimization techniques
• ✅ Upgradeable contract patterns

Development Tools

• ✅ Hardhat development environment
• ✅ Contract testing and coverage
• ✅ Deployment automation
• ✅ Network configuration
• ✅ Contract verification

Token Standards

• ✅ ERC-20 token implementation
• ✅ NFT standards and minting
• ✅ Token indexing and tracking

Advanced Topics

• ✅ Oracle integration (Chainlink)
• ✅ Proxy patterns and upgrades
• ✅ Governance mechanisms
• ✅ DeFi patterns (escrow, crowdfunding)

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🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

node --version  # v16+ recommended
npm --version   # v8+

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/Alexander-NM/web3.git
cd web3

2. Navigate to a specific project

cd "Alchemy_eth_bootcamp/Week_4/au-hardhat-practice"
# or
cd "Patrick Collins/hardhart-fund-me-fcc"

3. Install dependencies

npm install

4. Set up environment variables

cp .env.example .env
# Add your private keys, API keys, etc.

Running Projects

Compile contracts:

npx hardhat compile

Run tests:

npx hardhat test

Deploy locally:

npx hardhat run scripts/deploy.js --network localhost

Generate coverage:

npx hardhat coverage

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📝 Project Highlights

🏆 Merkle Tree Gift List

A practical implementation of Merkle trees for efficient verification, demonstrating:

• Proof generation and verification
• Client-server architecture
• Cryptographic data structures in action

🏆 ECDSA Node

Secure transaction system using elliptic curve cryptography:

• Digital signature generation
• Transaction validation
• Public key infrastructure

🏆 Hardhat Fund Me

Full-featured crowdfunding contract:

• Chainlink price feed integration
• Multi-network deployment
• Comprehensive testing suite
• Gas-optimized withdrawals

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🔒 Security Notes

• Never commit private keys or sensitive data
• Use .env files for secrets (add to .gitignore)
• Always test contracts thoroughly before mainnet deployment
• Follow smart contract security best practices
• Use established libraries (OpenZeppelin) when possible

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📚 Resources

Alchemy University

• Alchemy University
• Ethereum Developer Documentation

Patrick Collins

• FreeCodeCamp Blockchain Course
• Cyfrin Updraft
• Patrick Collins GitHub

Additional Resources

• Hardhat Documentation
• Ethers.js Documentation
• Solidity Documentation
• OpenZeppelin Contracts

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🎓 Course Progress

• Week 1: ECDSA & Digital Signatures
• Week 2: Blockchain Fundamentals & Merkle Trees
• Week 3: Ethereum & JSON-RPC
• Week 4: Smart Contracts with Hardhat
• Week 5: Advanced Smart Contract Development
• Week 6: Token Standards (ERC-20, NFTs)
• Week 7: Governance & Upgradeable Contracts
• Patrick Collins: Simple Storage
• Patrick Collins: Hardhat Fundamentals
• Patrick Collins: Fund Me Project

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🤝 Contributing

This is a personal learning repository, but suggestions and feedback are welcome! Feel free to:

• Open issues for questions or discussions
• Suggest improvements to implementations
• Share additional learning resources

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📄 License

This repository is for educational purposes. Individual projects may have their own licenses.

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🙏 Acknowledgments

• Alchemy University for the comprehensive Ethereum Developer Bootcamp
• Patrick Collins for the excellent free blockchain development course
• OpenZeppelin for secure smart contract libraries
• Chainlink for decentralized oracle solutions
• The entire Web3 community for open-source contributions

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Happy Learning! 🚀

This repository represents an ongoing journey in blockchain development. Each project builds upon previous knowledge, creating a comprehensive understanding of Web3 technologies.