With the growth of Web3, we have seen an explosion of decentralized applications (dApps) building on top of various blockchain infrastructures. Secured by the immutable blockchain ledger, these dApps allow users to create and exchange digital assets, transfer funds, or carry out other complex functions.
All of the above properties are vital for a vibrant Web3 ecosystem to meet the needs of a range of users and institutions — and this is made possible through the execution of smart contracts on the blockchain. Smart contracts, written in a chosen smart contract language, remove the need for third parties to automatically carry out digital transactions once specific, agreed conditions are met.
A Web3 developer looking to deploy dApps needs to be able to write smart contracts and therefore, familiarity with a smart contract programming language is of paramount importance. Whilst there are several smart contract languages, “ink!” stands out as an opinionated language developed by Parity Technologies.
Ink! is an extension of the popular Rust programming language with the functionality needed to make it smart contract compatible. Rust has inspired several other related programming languages, including Move, and ink! to foster the development of popular blockchains like Solana (Rust), Aptos (Move), Polkadot (Substrate), and Aleph Zero (ink!).
Here, I’ll give you a brief summary of the opportunities that exist to get involved in the ink! community, including access to tool kits, educational content, and grant funding. In particular, this post will focus on Aleph Zero’s initiatives as one of the biggest blockchain projects to use ink!. See our previous posts to learn more about ink! and its potential to redefine the use of smart contracts and dApps deployment.
Ink! developer resource
If you’re a developer looking to build with ink!, you won’t be short of resources and educational content. With over 1,200 stars on GitHub, the ink! repository is rich in resources and usage. Parity’s ink! documentation portal also contains comprehensive information on ink!.
Aleph Zero, as the leading blockchain to use ink!, is making a significant contribution in adding to these developer resources, which is helping onboard new builders onto the Aleph Zero and Polkadot ecosystems. As a recognition of Aleph Zero's contribution to enriching ink! code base, Aleph Zero's Piotr Mikołajczyk became the first non-Partiy member to be able to approve/write access to the ink! repository.
Aleph Zero Dev Portal
The Aleph Zero Dev Portal is an invaluable resource to simplify the onboarding of developers into the world of ink! smart contracts and the Aleph Zero ecosystem. You can visit the Dev Portal to access valuable information to get building on Aleph Zero.
The Aleph Zero Dev Portal contains the following resources for ink! developers:
Tutorials:
Create your first basic smart contract from scratch.
Deploy your smart contract on the Aleph Zero Testnet.
Cross-contract calls allow your contract to interact with other deployed smart contracts.
Installing the required tools to prepare your computer for development in Rust and ink!
Write end-to-end tests for your contracts with ink-wrapper.
Integrate the Aleph Zero Signer into web apps.
Experiment with zero-knowledge apps with Aleph Zero Shielder, which is a smart contract on Aleph Zero (not yet deployed at the moment of writing) that uses the technology of zk-SNARKs to enable private payments and private interactions with DeFi.
Migrate to ink! from Solidity (smart contract programming language for Ethereum Virtual Machine).
Tools:
Sol2Ink toolkit for easy migration from Solidity to ink! and Rust.
Solang, the Solidity to ink! and Rust compiler, enables you to compile smart contracts written in Solidity for Solana, Polkadot, and Aleph Zero.
DRink! is a toolbox for ink! developers that allow for a fully functional ink! contract-development without any running node. DRink! is a collaborative effort led by Aleph Zero, Astar Network, and Phala Network.
Ink!athon is a full-stack dApp boilerplate for ink! smart contracts that allow you to quickly develop your idea to scaffold a production-ready Web3 application. See the Ink!athon GitHub page for more information.
Additional resources to build on Aleph Zero:
Aleph Zero testnet to test your smart contracts before deploying on the mainnet.
Aleph Zero block explorer powered by Subscan containing all on-chain data.
Native and third-party wallets compatible with the Aleph Zero blockchain.
Full documentation providing comprehensive on the Aleph Zero blockchain.
Official GitHub code repository of the Aleph Zero Foundation.
For additional support join the Aleph Zero discord #sc-support channel.
Funding and grants to build with ink!
As listed above, there are plenty of support, educational content, resources, and existing tools to start your Web3 endeavors with ink!. In addition to these resources, opportunities also exist to access funding to build on Aleph Zero and other related ink! ecosystems.
Ink!ubator:
Aleph Zero has joined forces with Astar Network, Web3 Foundation, Parity Technologies, Phala Network, and 727 Ventures to start Ink!ubator which aims to grow the ink! ecosystem.
Ink!ubator grant funding aims to support key areas, including developer growth, security audits, full-stack tooling, as well as high-impact product launches. The first cohort of the initiative started in Q2 2023 and is already full, with applications for the second cohort now open (as of writing this post). The initiative provides support for three tracks:
Builder Track: Only two projects aspiring to build on ink! will be enrolled on Builder Track. Accepted projects will receive a $50,000 budget for hiring and product development. Additionally, successful application teams will get technical help from the core ink! team and developers from supporting community teams including Aleph Zero, Astar, Phala, and 727 Ventures.
Auditor Track: Two experienced consultancies aiming to expand into ink! security audit services will be enrolled in the Auditor Track. Successful teams will receive technical help from the core ink! team and developers from supporting community teams including Aleph Zero and other partners. The Builder Track and Ecosystem Grant recipients have a budget to pay for security audits, which must be used to hire cohorts in the Auditor Track.
Ecosystem Grants Track: Ink! projects can also receive grants in three categories: (i) Canary dApps, (ii) Technical showcase, and (iii) Infrastructure.
i — Canary dApps might not be battle-tested enough to become a serious use case that has potential. These could be DEXes, lending platforms, NFT marketplaces, multi-sig digital vaults, or other good ideas.
ii — Technical showcase applications must demonstrate the superiority of the ink! language over other smart contract languages. Successful ideas in this category could be ways to decrease contract sizes for innovative games and collectibles.
iii — The infrastructure category aims to improve the ink! ecosystem infrastructure and tools. Ideas to help innovate in ink! and Rust ecosystem is encouraged including all libraries, static analysis, and on-chain contract verification projects, as well as initiatives that improve developer and debugging experience.
Web3 Foundation Grants:
Web3 Foundation also funds teams and projects that advance software development and research efforts related to the Polkadot and Kusama ecosystem, including projects building on Aleph Zero.
The Web3 Foundation grant has helped support numerous innovations in Web3, including Aleph Zero. Cardinal Cryptography, the research and development team behind Aleph Zero, previously received a Web3 Foundation grant for their work on a randomness beacon for Substrate.
Various other projects building on Aleph Zero have also received Web3 Foundation grant support, including ArtZero and InkWhale, Scio Labs, and AZERO.ID and Syncra.
Aleph Zero Ecosystem Funding Program:
The Aleph Zero Ecosystem Funding Program (EFP) is a $50 million fund from the Aleph Zero Foundation to support innovations from developer teams that expand the capabilities, functionalities, and adoption of the Aleph Zero blockchain. Project ideas can range from proof-of-concept and early-stage companies to experienced teams with solutions deployed on different platforms.
Project ideas can receive funding ranging from $10 thousand to $500 thousand. The Aleph Zero Foundation particularly encourages application ideas focusing on leveraging the unique features of Aleph Zero. These can range from novel zk-SNARK applications, and DeFi use cases to improve the network.
Successful EFP projects may be chosen to pitch to Aleph Zero’s VCs and secure further funding. There are also opportunities to have your project audited or receive marketing support.
Explore the Aleph Zero ecosystem projects and visit the EFP page for more information.
Amazon Web Service Activate:
Amazon Web Services (AWS) supports Aleph Zero builders via the Activate program, offering between $10 thousand and $100 thousand in free infrastructure credits.
The AWS Activate program is available to all eligible Aleph Zero builders seeking support in setting up their infrastructure. AWS Activate is a program that provides startups with a host of benefits, including AWS credits, AWS support plan credits, as well as training to help the teams grow and succeed. The program is available to all grantees of the Aleph Zero Ecosystem Funding Program.
Start building on ink! and Aleph Zero
Whether you're a seasoned programmer or a novice coder, there has never been a more exciting time to start building on Web3. Parity's work — with support from partners like Aleph Zero — in developing an extensive code base and resource for ink! builders, growing community support, and ample access to funding mean it's also never been easier to start executing your Web3 idea with ink!. So, come on devs — what's stopping you from getting ink! to it?
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