Exclusive Interview With Agoric Director of Developer Relations

In the rapidly evolving world of blockchain and decentralized applications, Agoric stands out as a beacon for developers looking to transition from Web2 to Web3. But what exactly is Agoric, and why is it making waves in the developer community? In this exclusive interview with Diego Lizarazo, Director of Developer Relations at Agoric, we delve deep into the heart of Agoric, its newly launched components library, and the vast opportunities that await Web2 developers in the Web3 realm.

What is Agoric?

Agoric is a layer 1 Proof-of-Stake (PoS) public blockchain and smart contract platform that delivers a safer, more familiar platform for accelerated development and deployment of decentralized applications. Agoric empowers over 14 million JavaScript developers to pioneer Web3.

Agoric component’s library recently launched. What is it and what is the library’s primary purpose?

We have created the components library to meet the Web3 developer community’s ongoing need for rich, reusable, open-source components to help speed up application development. The purpose of this library is to create a one-stop shop that holds everything a developer needs to begin assembling code across the interchain, including an introduction to Web3 programming, in-depth guides and tutorials. Developers with previous JavaScript knowledge will find learning Agoric’s Hardened JavaScript framework straightforward. Within the library, developers can access useful resources such as a lending protocol, an LP stop loss contract, smart contracts for interacting cross-chain, NFT drop and auction mechanisms, and an on-chain governance committee.

Why is there such a discrepancy between the Web2 developer community and the Web3 developer community?

There is a stark difference. According to the Electric Capital’s Developer Report, there were 21,000 monthly active crypto developers in 2022, compared to the outstanding 14 million monthly active JavaScript developers working in Web2. Another major issue facing the industry is interoperability, or the capacity of various blockchain networks to communicate. Currently, the interchain consists of approximately 60 zones actively connected by the Inter-Blockchain Communication protocol (IBC), and all have their users, applications, and economies. However, for Cosmos to become the internet of blockchains, applications built on the interchain must cooperate. Building an application that takes action across multiple blockchains requires highly programmable smart contracts that handle asynchronous execution. Agoric has designed the components library to equip developers with plug-and-play resources that will allow them to start building and encourage more developers to enter the Web3 space.

Why should Web2 developers consider joining Web3? What opportunities exist here?

The realm of Web3 is exciting for traditional Web2 developers to explore without the constraints and saturation of the sheer numbers of developers already operating in Web2. An emerging space with lots of potential for career growth, developers can work across a number of new innovative spaces including decentralized finance, interoperability and cross-chain interaction, and smart contracts. 

Agoric is well-positioned to provide Web2 developers with an ideal starting point for their Web3 journey as the library provides developers with plug-and-play resources to begin building and participating in new opportunities right away. However, onboarding Web2 developers requires speaking to them in a language that they can understand – initiating dialogue is crucial in achieving this. The components library aims to invest time and resources in this Web2 developer audience so that they can join the Web3 community and begin transferring their skills and building. This ongoing support is crucial in the onboarding process as developers are navigating a new and complex space. 

Where can developers learn more about this? 

Agoric is committed to supporting developers interested in learning more about Web3. We have set up regular developer office hours (Wednesdays at 9 am PT / 16h UTC) and offer hands-on technical support through our Discord channel. In addition to this, Agoric is working with Chainboard Academy to run boot camps, which incorporate a mentoring focus and peer-to-peer learning to offer developers the ability to build, test, and deploy their dApps on the Agoric chain. If you are interested in learning more, you can join the community of developers building apps for the interchain on our components library homepage. 

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