Embracing the Challenge

The NEAR Spring Hackathon 2022 presented an exhilarating challenge: to develop eight distinct decentralized applications (dApps) over four weeks. This was not just a test of skill and creativity but also an endurance challenge, focusing on learning and adapting to the NEAR blockchain ecosystem and smart contract development.

Innovative dApps for Social Good

Among the dApps I developed, two stood out:

1. Rewarding Social Good: This app was designed to incentivize socially beneficial actions. Users could upload proof of their good deeds, ranging from helping the homeless to assisting the elderly. The platform enabled other users to reward these deeds with NEAR tokens.
2. Aiding Ukrainian Zoos: Amidst the Ukrainian war, zoos were struggling. I created a gacha game where users collected sets of zoo animal NFTs. A portion of the NFT sales was allocated to a dedicated wallet for zoo donations, while the remainder formed a jackpot. Collecting a complete set entitled users to win 50% of the current jackpot, making it a strategic and charitable endeavor.

Personal Growth and Learning

The hackathon was a deep dive into uncharted territories for me. Prior to this event, my experience in web development, especially with modern technologies like React, was minimal. I was not only learning to craft NEAR smart contracts with Rust but simultaneously mastering React for frontend development.

Outcome and Reflection

The hard work paid off – I emerged as one of the two winners of the hackathon. This victory, however, was more than just a title. It was a testament to the joy and fulfillment I found in dApp development. Nevertheless, the intensity of these four weeks, balanced alongside full-time work, taught me the importance of pacing myself.

Future Directions

This experience catalyzed a significant shift in my professional focus – from C# to web 2.0/3.0 technologies. It marked the beginning of a new chapter in my career, steering me towards a future rich in web technologies.

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