A structured roadmap to go from zero to job-ready in Web3 — covering Ethereum and Solana with real projects, modern tech stacks, and 2025–26 market additions.
| Path | Language | Phases | Projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⬡ Ethereum | Solidity | 6 Phases | DeFi Lending · NFT Marketplace · Smart Wallet (AA) |
| ◎ Solana | Rust / Anchor | 6 Phases | Token Launchpad · Order Book DEX · MEV Arbitrage Bot |
Foundations → Smart Contracts (Solidity) → Frontend (wagmi · viem · RainbowKit) → Advanced (L2s · DEXs · RWA) → Extra Stack → Projects + Job Prep
Foundations → Core Concepts (SPL · PDAs) → Anchor Framework → Advanced (Jupiter · Helius · MEV) → Extra Stack → Projects + Job Prep
Ethereum
- Account Abstraction (ERC-4337) — gasless wallets, biggest ETH trend
- wagmi + viem + RainbowKit — modern frontend stack
- Layer 2 deep dive — Arbitrum, Base, zkSync
- Smart contract auditing — Slither, Mythril
- The Graph, Chainlink, RWA tokenization
Solana
- Token-2022 (Token Extensions) — new SPL standard
- Jupiter SDK — swap aggregation used in every DApp
- Helius webhooks + DAS API — standard indexing stack
- MEV + Jito bundles — highest-paying niche
- Yellowstone gRPC, @solana/web3.js v2
- DeFi Lending Protocol — Solidity · Hardhat · wagmi · Next.js · The Graph
- NFT Marketplace with Royalties — ERC-721/2981 · RainbowKit · IPFS · Next.js
- Smart Wallet (ERC-4337) — Account Abstraction · Pimlico · wagmi · Base L2
- Token Launchpad + Vesting — Anchor · Token-2022 · Metaplex · Helius
- On-chain Order Book DEX — Anchor · PDAs · Jupiter SDK · web3.js v2
- MEV Arbitrage Bot — Rust · Jito bundles · Yellowstone gRPC · Jupiter
| Level | 3–4 hrs/day | 5–6 hrs/day |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | ~9–10 months | ~6–7 months |
| Basic JS | ~7–8 months | ~5–6 months |
| Intermediate | ~5–6 months | ~4 months |
| Advanced | ~3–4 months | ~3 months |
💡 Tip: Finish one path completely before starting the other. Start applying after your first project — don't wait for all three.
Ethereum: Solidity · Hardhat · Foundry · wagmi · viem · ethers.js · The Graph · Next.js · TypeScript
Solana: Rust · Anchor · @solana/web3.js v2 · Jupiter · Helius · Metaplex · Next.js · TypeScript
Shared: Git · GitOps · ArgoCD · IPFS · Private key management
This roadmap is based on a Web3 course covering: Blockchain fundamentals · Bitcoin · Solana · Ethereum · EVM · Solidity · Hardhat · Foundry · Ganache · Truffle · Anchor · PDAs · CPIs · DEXs · Bridges · Upgradable contracts · Staking · Wallet adapters · Token launchpad · TG trading bots · GitOps · ArgoCD · Private key management · Indexing · IDLs · Smart wallets
- Solidity / Smart Contract Developer
- Solana Program Developer
- Web3 Frontend Developer
- DeFi Protocol Engineer
- Smart Contract Auditor (with security module)
- Blockchain Bot Developer (MEV / trading bots)
Legend: 🟡 Orange = new 2025–26 addition · 🔥 Hot = actively hiring · ⬜ Gray = shared across both chains