This year, I was introduced to Base, Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer 2 solution, during the ETH Safari Hackathon in September. At the time, I was as green as it gets in Web3, still finding my footing in this fascinating but complex space. Little did I know that my journey with Base would spark a passion that continues to grow.
The ETH Safari Hackathon was my first real deep dive into Web3 development. I attended numerous workshops, eager to soak up knowledge. One of these workshops was led by the Base team, featuring Elisha, Dami, and another expert whose name escapes me (apologies!).
I had set my sights on the zkSync and Graph bounties, so I was laser-focused on learning those tools. However, the Base workshop stood out. The way the mentors taught was nothing short of amazing—clear, engaging, and beginner-friendly. As someone new to Web3, I was astonished at how much I could grasp and implement after just afew session. Their teaching style was a breath of fresh air compared to a previous hackathon workshop I had attended, which was… let’s just say less than stellar. So that is how I met Base. After the worksho that was it. I went ahead and continued working with the zksync plugin.
A special shoutout to the zkSync/web3.js mentor - Santiago Trujillo, who was incredibly supportive and willing to help. Anyone who worked with him would agree! H e laid the foundation for my web3 Knowledge.
The contrast between these experiences was striking, and it made me appreciate the Eth Safari team’s efforts even more.(Technical mentors)
Fast forward to the Base Buildathon—an event I was not going to miss{ A chance to build on base and learn more about web3, bet) . Determined to learn more about Web3 and Base, I attended every workshop. And when I say attended, I mean I traveled two hours to the venue and was among the first to arrive every single day. Yes, I’m that proud of myself!
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This time, I invited my partner from ETH Safari to join me. We decided to build our solution on Base, and I worked on not one but two applications:
Afida: A crowdfunding platform.
Miniminds: A decentralized application aimed at kids aged 4 to 17. It incorporates crowdfunding to provide quality education to children in developing countries. (there is more to it)
Before I dive deeper, let’s talk about Base itself. It’s an Ethereum Layer 2 solution designed to make transactions faster and cheaper while maintaining the security of the Ethereum mainnet. Built using Optimistic Rollups, Base offers EVM compatibility, making it easy for developers to port their existing projects. What really sets Base apart, though, is its developer-first approach and community support—qualities I experienced firsthand during the Buildathon.
Unlike hackathons, buildathons emphasize continuity. After the event, my partner and I continued working on Miniminds. This application holds a special place in my heart because of its potential to make a real difference. By providing quality education to underprivileged kids, Miniminds aims to create opportunities and foster innovation in developing countries.
We’re still refining the application, but the dream is to push it to production eventualyy. I’m excited for the day you’ll see Miniminds on your screen, helping kids across the globe access the education they deserve and at the same time earn as they learn. We are also giving teachers a chance to showcase their work , control their work and earn as they teach.
The base meetup.
After the buildathon the base meetup happened and I got a chance to meet the base team including the founder . At the same time I met may like minded developers. Seeing an interactive community ready to help it inspired me to continue building on base. Even though we did not win the buildathon, I believe in the future miniminds will make a great difference, changing the life of students, teachers and how we view education in general.
Looking back, my journey with Base has been trans-formative. From the ETH Safari Hackathon to the Buildathon, I’ve grown not just as a developer but as a problem-solver and visionary. Base has been more than a platform for me; it’s been a catalyst for creativity and collaboration.
As we continue to build Miniminds, I invite you to follow along. The journey is far from over, and the best is yet to come. Stay tuned, because the future of Web3 is bright—and we’re building it together.
Lady.In.Stem
Keep building on base from @HazardKrypto