Encode Autumn 2023 Bootcamp Sponsored by the Solana Foundation: Summary
We’re pleased to announce the successful wrap-up of our fourth Encode Bootcamp, graciously sponsored by the Solana Foundation. Spanning six weeks, this immersive online program honed participants’ skills in Rust and Solana development, effectively moulding them into adept Rust Solana developers.
As we conclude this chapter, our focus remains on supporting these talented individuals in securing roles within the crypto sector.
A special nod to Laurence Kirk and the outstanding Extropy team. Their expert lectures and hands-on mentoring played a pivotal role in elevating the learning experience for all involved.
We highly encourage Bootcamp graduates to continue their journey in the Solana ecosystem! Build and advance your projects, participate in Solana hackathons and make your way to the Encode Club’s Solana Accelerator starting on 2nd November! We also invite all previous Encode x Solana programming participants to apply for the Accelerator.
About the Bootcamp
From Monday to Thursday, participants attended classes that lasted for an hour and a half. Post-session, homework assignments were given for reinforcement of the day’s learning. Each participant was provided with mentors and teachers to guide them throughout the journey. The entire operation was conducted virtually, utilizing platforms like Zoom and Discord.
Curriculum
Week 1 — Introduction to Blockchain / Solana theory / Rust
Week 2 — Rust / Development tools / Solana token program
Week 3 — Anchor Framework / User interfaces
Week 4 — Solana Program Library / NFTs with Metaplex
Week 5 — Security / DeFi / Advanced features
Week 6 — Sponsor Week
Week 7 — Sponsor Week
Week 8 — Project Week
Sponsor Week
The bootcamp also entailed a sponsor week. We had five incredible partners sponsoring this bootcamp and holding workshops:
- Phantom
- Solana (two workshops)
- Web3Auth
- Ironforge
Phantom Workshop
Noah Hein from Phantom presented a new feature that they rolled out called Wallet Shortcuts and the purpose was to get the participants thinking about how can they can increase the user experience when building dApps.
Solana Workshop #1
Callum from Solana Labs talked about OPOS (Only Possible On Solana), which is a term that started as a meme in the Solana community but now represents the potential of Solana. Key points were: compression, scalability, environment, payments, mobile and Superteam.
Solana Workshop #2
John from the Solana Foundation talked about Minting NFTs on Solana by Scanning QR Codes. He demonstrated and explained how to do that using Solana Pay Transaction Requests.
Web3Auth Workshop
Mohammad Shahbaz Alam from Web3Auth did a hands-on session on how to integrate Web3Auth into a Solana dApp. He started the workshop by showing and explaining what Web3Auth does and is aiming to solve.
Ironforge Workshop
Italo from Ifronforge presented Ifronforge and its platform and showed various features and how to use them.
Final Projects
Group 1
This project is a game on the Solana blockchain, allowing users to bet and flip digital assets. It aims to offer an interactive and enjoyable gaming experience, providing a fun diversion during bear market periods.
Group 1
This project facilitates minting NFTs based on Solana Name Service (SNS) attributes owned by a user. Upon connecting their wallet, users can select a Solana Name Service found within, choose the type of NFT to mint — options include plain text, Hirst Spot painting, or AI-generated NFTs. This endeavour aims to promote the utility and value of owning a Solana Name Service by offering a creative and personalized avenue for NFT creation.
Group 1
This project involves creating a Telegram bot for tracking transactions on the Solana blockchain. The bot is designed to send notifications whenever a new transaction occurs, providing real-time updates to users directly through Telegram.
Group 2
This project encapsulates a decentralized application (dApp) aimed at enabling users to showcase their NFT collections. Utilizing React.js, Web3.js, and the Anchor library, a user-friendly frontend has been crafted. On the backend and smart contract development front, the Anchor framework, Solana CLI, and Rust programming language have been employed. The primary objective of this dApp is to provide a platform where users can share and showcase the NFTs they own, creating a community-centric space for NFT enthusiasts to display their collections.
Group 2
This project introduces a platform where content is collectively curated, moderated, and managed by its members. Initially, a user can connect their Solana wallet for a read-only view of the content. To actively participate, a user needs to mint an NFT, which allows them to become either a Member, who can create posts, or a Moderator, who has the authority to delete or upvote posts. The ultimate vision is to evolve this platform into a DAO, where designated members can vote on member inclusion and content moderation, fostering a decentralized, community-driven ecosystem.
Group 3
This project is a token airdrop program on Solana, designed to distribute tokens to specified Solana addresses. It serves as a basic faucet for tokens, providing a straightforward method for users to receive tokens, either as a form of reward or to facilitate their engagement within a particular blockchain ecosystem.
Group 4
This project entails a betting game where players predict the price of BTC and send a transaction to a smart contract, which then determines the winner based on the closest prediction to the actual BTC price. The winner, once determined, is announced on the frontend and receives a reward. The game is facilitated through a Next.js application with a /deposit route for placing bets on the BTC price. Additionally, there has been work done on implementing the required smart contract on the Solana blockchain to manage the game mechanics and determine the winner.
Group 5
This project presents a Flappy Bird game variant, where to play a session, players purchase and burn a token costing 0.1 SOL. The stakes are high as navigating through 5 pipes entitles the player to a 1 SOL prize, essentially betting on their skills for a tenfold return on success. Through this setup, players are motivated to hone their skills for a shot at the rewarding prize.
Group 6
This project is aimed at developing a to-do application on Solana, with a potential additional feature of a tic-tac-toe game if time permits. The intriguing aspect of this project is the integration of a cryptocurrency wallet with the to-do list, hypothesizing that this combination could foster good habits and consistency among users. Through this blend of productivity and gaming, the project explores an engaging way to promote task management and enjoyable user interaction within the blockchain domain.
Group 7
This project encompasses a crowdfunding application that leverages Solana for processing payments and verifying transactions. It aims to provide a clear and transparent mechanism for tracking funds movement, embodying a reliable platform for fundraising. While the initial framework has been established, there’s an aspiration to continue developing this platform further, given the vast potential and myriad possibilities that crowdfunding on a transparent blockchain infrastructure can unlock.
Group 8
This project, dubbed sol-lottery, manifests an on-chain raffle on the Solana blockchain, allowing participants to vie for a money pot. The unique aspect is the proportional odds mechanism, where investing more Solana in the raffle entry fee amplifies one’s chances of clinching the money pot. Besides providing an engaging raffle platform, the core objective of this venture was to serve as a practical learning journey in crafting a dApp on Solana, with a particular focus on utilizing the Anchor framework.
Group 9
This project introduces a simple on-chain virtual pet creation and simulator game on the Solana blockchain. Users can create a pet linked to their account and interact with it to boost its happiness level, which declines over time. The game provides a hands-on learning experience on creating a Program Derived Address (PDA) from an account address, minting fungible tokens, and burning the minted tokens to play with pets and enhance their happiness. Additionally, it offers a learning avenue for writing tests against local Solana validators, facilitating repeatable testing to ensure the game operates as intended. Through managing the fluctuating happiness levels of pets, users delve into various blockchain functionalities, making the game both engaging and educational.
Group 9
This project entails an on-chain Blackjack game on Solana, complete with a web frontend. The core consists of a non-trivial on-chain program for game mechanics, while the web frontend provides a usable interface for player interaction.
Group 10
Yield-Sol is a yield protocol on Solana enabling users to borrow assets by overcollateralizing their loans, ensuring a secure and transparent borrowing environment. Distinct from conventional lending platforms, it mandates a 120% collateral, where borrowing $100 in any asset necessitates a $120 USDC deposit, enhancing security and trust for both borrowers and lenders in the ecosystem.
Group 11
This project unveils a tool designed to ease the transition from web2 to web3 for users. Utilizing Instagram and AI, the tool generates captivating images which users can effortlessly mint into NFTs with a single click via Phantom Wallet. Named the Social Candy Machine, this innovation transforms Instagram photos into mintable digital assets, bridging the gap between traditional social media and blockchain technology.
Apply for the Accelerator
Only a limited number of projects (teams) will be selected, which makes our application process very competitive. Previous hackathon and bootcamp participants will be reviewed first, but don’t let that discourage you — we’d love to see your project! After receiving a message confirming you have successfully applied, we kindly ask our applicants to wait for a follow-up email from our Programme Manager regarding the next steps.
About Solana
Solana is a blockchain built for mass adoption. It’s a high-performance network that is utilized for a range of use cases, including finance, NFTs, payments, and gaming. Solana operates as a single global state machine and is open, interoperable and decentralized.
About the Solana Foundation
The Solana Foundation is a non-profit foundation based in Zug, Switzerland, dedicated to the decentralization, adoption and security of the Solana ecosystem.
About Encode Club
Encode Club is a Web3 education community learning and building together through fantastic programmes with the leading protocols in the space. Together we organize programmes like education series, bootcamps, hackathons, accelerators both online and in person. We then help our community get jobs and funding for projects and startups.
Questions
If you have any questions, please email: bootcamp@encode.club.
