It’s been a while since my last blog post, and in the past month, a lot has happened in my journey of exploring the blockchain world. I’ve been diving deep into new technologies, building projects, and testing myself in competitions. Here’s a recap of what I’ve been up to.

Diving Deeper into Rust & Solana

I continued my journey with Rust and Solana development, focusing on how Solana programs (smart contracts) work at a deeper level. Rust has its challenges, but it’s also rewarding… the more I code, the more I understand why it’s so powerful for blockchain. I also programmed a solana vault with anchor, along with blueshift.gg challenge.

To stay consistent, I’ve been learning through the Ackee School of Solana, which has given me a strong foundation in writing and deploying Solana programs. This has set me up for the next big step: preparing for Turbin3, one of the most impactful learning cohorts in the Solana ecosystem.

Exploring Stellar & Soroban

While working with Solana, I also decided to explore Stellar and Soroban (Stellar’s smart contract platform). Soroban offers a fresh take on building smart contracts with Rust, and I was excited to try it out.

In Stellar Ragnarok, I pitched my product AidChain, a solution built on Stellar that focuses on transparent and efficient aid distribution.

Not only did I successfully deploy a few smart contracts on Stellar, but I also managed to secure 2nd prize at Stellar Ragnarok, winning USD 150. This experience gave me confidence that I can take ideas from scratch to implementation in real ecosystems.

Looking Ahead: Turbin3

Now, my main focus is preparing for Turbin3. It’s one of the most competitive programs in the Solana space, and getting in would be a big milestone for me. With the experience I’ve gained from both Solana and Stellar.

Lessons Learned

This month wasn’t just about coding ~ it was about learning some important lessons:

Consistency pays off – Whether it’s Solana exercises or Stellar contracts, progress compounds when you show up every day.
Pitching is a skill – At Stellar Ragnarok, I realized that how you tell the story of your product matters just as much as the product itself.

Final Thoughts

This past month has been full of learning, building, and small wins. From writing Rust code for Solana to deploying contracts on Stellar and even winning at Stellar Ragnarok, every step has been pushing me forward.

The blockchain space is fast, competitive, and sometimes overwhelming, but it’s also full of opportunities.

Onward and upward 🚀

“Stay hungry, stay foolish.” – Steve Jobs

Day X+1: Things started;