Best GitHub Repos For Web3 Developers (2023)

Written by John Favole

Reviewed by Brady Werkheiser

Published on July 7, 20226 min read

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When new web3 developers are learning blockchain development, there are few common steps including finding the best web3 developer influencers on Twitter, subscribing to the best web3 developer YouTube channels, exploring the best web3 tutorials, joining web3 DAOs, browsing the best online web3 development courses, and signing up for web3 newsletters among other things.

Once web3 developers have a grasp of how to start building, it's helpful to discover the web3 tooling and Github repositories (repos) that builders are using to create amazing decentralized applications (dApps). In this article we curated some GitHub repos that will help you level up your Web3 dev skills.

What is GitHub?

Founded in 2008, GitHub is a California-based source-code platform where developers can host their code for the public to see and contribute. At present, GitHub has more than 83 million developers and 4 million organizations on it. As of last year, GitHub was the foremost code-hosting platform globally.

What is git?

Git is a version control system that helps developers manage project repositories from the command line. 

For Git-specific commands, this Git reference guide can help those who want to use the command line. For others, who would rather have a point-and-click solution, you can do most things in GitHub using a mouse.  

What is a GitHub repository?

A GitHub repository (repo) is a larger folder where users can store their development files—including code bases and other necessary details—and track any latest developments to the code base. ‍

Anyone can create repos both as an individual or for a team. Depending on your preferences, you can select whether you would like to keep your repo private or open to everyone. 

4 Reasons Why GitHub as A Good Resource For Web3 Developers

Over the years, GitHub has proven to be highly resourceful for the entire developer community including Web3 developers. Here is why:

1. Access to the Source Code of Web3 Protocols 

Seeing how other developers build smart contracts for Web3 protocols can empower novice web3 developers make successful replicas, and better understand how smart contracts work. For example, the source code of Uniswap is publicly available, allowing anybody to see what a successful Automated Market Maker (AMM) is built.

One of the ways to improve as a Web3 developer is by reading the code of both senior developers and contemporaries. This will expose you to several cutting-edge frameworks, functions, web3 dev tools, clean code, and this can all serve as a stepping stone to code more sophisticated smart contracts. 

2. Ability to Contribute to Projects 

GitHub is not only for reading source code. You can also contribute. 

By contributing to the code of others, you fortify your understanding and help open-source web3 protocols provide better solutions. Perhaps you notice a bug or something that could be improved in a code file, you can work with other developers to make it better.

The more you contribute to projects, the more you build your reputation in the Web3 developers' community, which can help your career in the long run. 

Here are simple steps to contribute to open-source projects on GitHub:

1. Fork a repository 

2. Clone the fork to your PC or computer 

3. Implement your contributions 

4. Create a branch

5. Create a pull request

3. A Platform to Collaborate 

There are always instances when developers will need to work on projects together. GitHub Collaboration helps developers create a closed group where they can roll up their sleeves and code together regardless of different timezones. 

4. A Place to Network and Close Jobs 

Over time, GitHub has evolved beyond being only a version-control system. It is now a platform for developers to host their contact information, create a live resume, network, follow thought leaders, and display their accomplishments for web3 teams and recruiters to discover.

Star These GitHub Repositories to Become an Expert Web3 Developer

If you want to become a blockchain developer and you're building out your Web3 tech stack, star these GitHub repositories as resources to help you achieve your goals: 

1. foundry-rs/foundry

Foundry is an essential GitHub repo that offers web3 developers a suite of Ethereum application development tools written in the Rust programming language that is known for it's speed and performance.

2. Dabit3/Full-stack-ethereum 

This repo is a great resource for any dApp developer who wants to be proficient in Solidity, Ether.js and Hardhat. Nader Dabit, now a member of the Developer Relations team at Celestia Labs, goes even further and provides resources on how to use indexers such as The Graph. 

If you aren't already following Nader, he's one of the best web3 devs to follow on Crypto Twitter.

3. OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts

With close to 19,000 stars and 10,000 forks, OpenZeppelin is the best repo for launching NFTs on Ethereum. The OpenZeppelin smart contract library standardizes ERC20 and ERC721 (NFT) implementations and has a collection of reusable Solidity components new web3 developers can use to build dApps.

4. OMGWINNING/NFT-Marketplace-Tutorial

There is no better place to start your Web3 development journey than the Alchemy NFT tutorial repository. Using Solidity, Tailwind, and Ether.js, you will get to learn how to build an NFT marketplace from scratch. 

More importantly, this repo highlights how to call the Alchemy NFT API for faster development. 

5. Rainbow-me/Rainbowkit 

Every dApp you create will require wallets for the users to interact with. The Rainbowkit repository is a library that makes it easy for you to integrate wallets with your decentralized applications.  

6. Matter-labs/Awesome-zero-knowledge-proofs 

ZK proofs help Ethereum scale using rollups while ensuring privacy with zero knowledge technology. This collection of ZK Proof resources goes deep into ZK-Snarks, ZK-STARKs, Snorks, and other forms of validity proofs. 

You are more likely to understand ZK proofs with this repository because it has a lot of high-quality articles, courses, and projects to check out. 

7. Smart contract kit/Full-blockchain-solidity-course-py 

Solidity is one of the main languages used to write smart contracts on the Ethereum protocol. Patrick Collins, a Developer Advocate at Chainlink offers a deep dive into Solidity; going from the basics to advanced skills, including how to integrate and call the Alchemy API. 

This repo also has a video version for faster comprehension on YouTube. Patrick Collins is also one of the best web3 developers to subscibe to on YouTube.

8. llSourcell/Learn_Blockchain_in_2_months 

Learn Blockchain In 2 Months is a pragmatic and well-planned roadmap to becoming a Web3 developer. Starting with cryptography, the repo covers L1 protocols and how to build DeFi projects with Solidity. 

9. Metaplex Foundation/Metaplex

Metaplex is the go-to GitHub repo for launching NFTs on Solana. With a variety of implementations, NFT creator tools such as Candy Machine and Auction House, Metaplex is a must-use repository for builders and NFT creators planning to launch on Solana.

10. Polygon Academy 

The academy has a list of Polygon repositories where you can learn how to build an NFT marketplace, a Web3 game, and a DAO. It also includes a couple of resources to better understand how to build on Ethereum with Polygon. 

11. Developer-DAO/Create-dao

Developer DAO, one of the foremost Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) for Web3 devs, created this repo to help developers learn how to build a DAO. You’ll learn how to use Chakra UI, Next.js, Hardhat, and Solidity. 

12. Developer-DAO/Web3-UI 

Developer DAO also created a repository of frontend UI components that every Web3 developer should be familiar with because a well-designed frontend is important for end-users to have a good experience interacting with Web3 products.

13. FrancescoXX/Free-Web3-resources 

In this repo, Francesco gives links to a lot of high-quality web3 content starting from both the Ethereum documentation and several other practical roadmaps. 

He also provides a link to an exhaustive article on Web3 development by one of our Developer Relations team members at Alchemy, Vitto. ‍

14. Cristina Solana/Solana-developer-resources

Solana is one of the most popular monolithic blockchains at the moment. Therefore, new web3 developers should add its languages and tooling to their web3 tech stack. Cristina curated a list of helpful resources to understand Solana including its CLI, SDK, frameworks, and languages. 

15. Xel/Blockchain-stuff 

This repository of Bitcoin and Ethereum blockchains includes resources spanning infographics, books, and YouTube channels. Study these resources, and you'll be well on your way to becoming a stellar Web3 developer. 

16. OffcierCia/DeFi-Developer-Road-Map

In the DeFi Roadmap, Cia Officer addresses several topics like ZK-snarks, security, and a few other basics in Web3 development. This repo also teaches smart contract creation with different token standards and essential web3 tools.

17. Protofire/Blockchain-learning-path 

Apart from resources such as courses and best practices provided in this repo, Protofire also links to games to practice web3 development. It also gives in-depth insights on how to build on the Ethereum protocol, especially with its libraries. 

18. Nambrot /Blockchain-in-js 

Javascript is one of the most used languages in programming and is also relevant in Web3 development. This repository shows how to use Javascript in Web3. It also gives an explain-like-I’m-five (ELI5) walk-through of blockchain technology. 

19. Nosequeldeebee/Blockchain-tutorial 

A couple of blockchain protocols were implemented in the Go language. If you have always wanted to build your blockchain as a Web3 developer, this repo will show you a step-by-step approach to building your blockchain in less than 200 lines of code. 

20. Bkrem/Awesome-solidity 

As the name sounds, the Awesome Solidity repository is a compendium of plugins, libraries, tools, and languages that are involved in Web3 development. Moreover, it includes how to audit smart contracts and enhance their security.

Wrapping Up the Best GitHub Repos for Web3 Developers

Web3 development might appear to be complicated on the surface, but with the right resources, anyone can become a battle-tested Web3 developer. There are no better resources to learn Web3 development than GitHub repos, as they always have real projects and helpful files.

With the carefully-selected GitHub repos above, we are confident your Web3 development journey will make a quantum leap in understanding and the practical application of Web3 development.

Learn more about how Alchemy can help you develop your applications faster and move you forward toward your Web3 development goals.