First Romanian Solana Blockchain Developer Program – 3rd Cohort Kickoff Event

On March 11th, the Romanian Web3 community came together online for the kickoff session of the 3rd Cohort of the Solana Blockchain Developer Program. Organized by Comets of Web3, this program aims to empower developers of all levels—from beginners to experienced coders—to dive into the Solana ecosystem and master Rust programming.

• Daiana Marculescu – Founder of Comets of Web3

• Jacob Creech – Head of DevRel at Solana Foundation

• Jeff R. – Co-founder of Turbin3, a Solana-based project

• Daniel Pavel – Founder at NFTs for Less, Comets of Web3 trainer

Special Guests

A Deep Dive into Solana Development

• This inaugural session provided participants with an introduction to the Solana tech stack, setting the foundation for an exciting learning journey. The event covered:

  • Meet the Comets of Web3 Team: Participants got to know the Romanian Blockchain Builders Community and the team behind Comets of Web3, the driving force behind this educational initiative.

  • Learn Solana: A first look at the Solana blockchain architecture, key development concepts, and how it stands out in the Web3 space.

  • Industry insights with Jeff R.: Jeff shared insights on building on Solana, the current state of blockchain development, and practical advice for developers entering the ecosystem.

  • Discover Opportunities: The session also introduced upcoming workshops, educational resources, and hands-on coding sessions, designed to guide developers through building decentralized applications on Solana.

  • Colosseum Hackathon: the team provided some project ideas that aim to inspire the students to work together, form teams and brainstorm the next successful projects on the Solana Network.

Why Join the First Romanian Solana Developer Program?

Key Advices from Jeff R., Co-founder of Turbin3

1. Learning Rust for Solana Development

• Rust is not as difficult as perceived; it's a matter of perspective.

• The Rust compiler provides detailed and helpful error messages.

• Prior JavaScript or C knowledge can make Rust seem harder due to unlearning required concepts.

2. Challenges in Solana Development

• The hardest parts are dependency management and writing tests.

• Writing tests is more time-consuming than learning Rust for Anchor programs.

• Setting up a proper development environment from day one is crucial.

• Avoid using Solana Playground for serious development.

3. Best Practices for Development Setup

• Do not update software (MacOS, Anchor, TypeScript) during the First Romanian Solana Developer program.

• Use Solana Stack Exchange to troubleshoot issues.

4. Hackathons and Project Selection

• Choosing the right project is essential for motivation and success.

• Hackathons focus on product-market fit rather than pure technical skills.

• Winning a hackathon requires both technical and sales skills.

• Start working on pitch decks and videos at least a week before submission.

• Maintain an active GitHub presence, as it serves as a better resume than listing hackathons on a CV.

5. Importance of Teamwork and Collaboration

• Collaboration is key to success in Web3 development.

• Maintaining social connections can help in career growth.

• Proof of work is more valuable than merely participating in events.

6. The Colosseum Hackathon

• The competition is about product viability and long-term founder potential.

• Investors are looking for projects with strong ROI potential.

• Developers who build impressive technology during hackathons become highly sought-after by product-focused teams.

7. Salaries and Hiring in Web3

• Solana salaries range from $90,000 to $180,000 per year.

• You should pay attention to compensation deals that rely heavily on equity or tokens.

• Token-based or equity-based salaries can be risky, as their value depends on project survival and succes.

8. Advice for Comets of Web3 Developers

• Pick a project that excites you to stay motivated.

• Don't chase hackathon prizes or immediate financial gain—focus on meaningful work.

• Engage with peers and build a network within the developer community.

Q&A Session on Cohort 3 setup

The Future of Blockchain Innovation in Romania

The First Romanian Solana Developer Program is a structured, hands-on initiative where developers can learn and build on Solana using Rust and Anchor. Whether you’re just starting or already have experience in blockchain development, this program provides step-by-step guidance, mentorship, and networking opportunities.

Check out the full program details here:First Romanian Solana Developer Program: 3rd Cohort.

Q1: Are we going to get randomly allocated in teams?

A1: At first, we're going to encourage you to choose and socialize and mix in everybody with everybody. Find cool projects that you want to build together. And if you end up not doing that, come to us. We're gonna have a list with people that are seemingly unpaired. We're gonna do our best to mix everybody with whoever's comfortable. If not, like last resort, you can work alone on your project. That's fine too.

Q2: How many people are there in a team?

A2: No more than three (3).

Q3: What does office hours mean?

A3: Office hours are gonna be two weeks in terms of timeline, after we finish the course. We’re gonna be online at the same time and days as we are for the workshop, trying to help you with all your questions. If you have any bugs, you can come to us. Or if you have any questions, if you’re stuck somewhere or your teammate doesn’t respond.

Q4: The repository we are using for this course, should be created as private or public?

A4: It should be public for the organization, so I can see your project.

Q5: The project should be coded in Rust, right?

A5: Well, that depends. There are a lot of frameworks now that you can use to develop and run a Solana program, but the most popular is the Anchor framework that's written in Rust. So I strongly suggest you use that one if you want to build your projects. I think you can build in Python too, which I think it compiles down and converts to Rust. You can do it in JavaScript, too.

Q6: Should we install Node 18?

A6: No, use Node 20, as it’s the latest version.

If you missed the session, you can catch the full discussion here.

With a growing interest in Web3 development, programs like this are bridging the gap between traditional developers and blockchain technology. The First Romanian Solana Developer Program continues to foster innovation and expand the Web3 ecosystem by equipping developers with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed.

Stay tuned for more workshops, coding sessions, and mentorship opportunities as this cohort progresses. The future of blockchain innovation in Romania is just getting started!