Devcon Review | Buidl with OS, a Talkshow for Web3 Developers

Author: 0xAmber, OKLink

"Can you build at the speed of___?" On November 15, during the Devcon event, we embarked on the #Buidl with OS journey in a workshop in Bangkok with this question in mind.

In the opening speech, Chief Innovative Officer Jason delivered a keynote titled "Build onchain, any chain," highlighting the multi-chain features of the OS platform. Its extensive ecosystem supports over 100 different blockchain networks (including Ethereum, Bitcoin, Solana, etc.), helping developers seize emerging opportunities and enter the market faster.

Regarding product details, OS BD head Shen introduced on-site that OS currently offers four types of powerful APIs, including Marketplace, Explorer API, etc. Taking the OKLink Explorer API as an example, Explorer and EaaS provide rich developer tools, supporting over 50 mainstream blockchains (including EVM, UTXO chains, and on-chain data from Solana) and token data from over 200 networks. Developers can access real-time on-chain data, aggregate statistics, and seamless contract verification through browser APIs. Easily integrate EVM RPC modules for smooth migration and high compatibility.

The EaaS service further empowers development teams to fully explore the potential of blockchain. Whether it's a new L1 or an established chain, rollup or application chain, our zero-cost service can be customized to meet your specific needs.

During the forum session, Simon, Product Director of OKLink, initiated a discussion themed "What is the new gold mine of blockchain data?" Guests from Blocknative, Rootdata, Consensys SMG, Amberdata, and Blockaid shared insights from both theoretical and practical perspectives.

Simon@OKLink: What are the most pressing issues or challenges in bringing Web2 users into Web3? Security issues, trust issues, the difficulty of finding "gems" among numerous new projects? Or the technical complexity of existing tools? How can blockchain data address these issues? What plans/projects are currently attempting to solve (or have already solved) these problems? Raz@Blockaid: In my view, user experience and security are the primary concerns. For example, can you make your grandmother immediately understand the product you are working on? So it's essential to ensure that your users can fully grasp what you are doing and what benefits it brings them. We can see that many projects and applications in the industry are already doing an excellent job. If a Web2 user can fully understand the login interface when logging into a Web3 application without spending a lot of extra time, and if the prompts on your interface can make them believe and let down their guard that it is safe, then this boundary will naturally disappear, and bringing in Web2 users will no longer be a bottleneck. Matt@Blocknative: My answer might be different from everyone else's. I believe users need a good reason to come on-chain. I want to ask each of you, do you remember the last time you solved your payment problem on your phone? Why did you do that? For me, two weeks ago, when I first came to Thailand, I needed to use the transportation app Grab, so I downloaded it. And when I was in Chiang Mai, I couldn't use my credit card, so I downloaded another payment app. In such scenarios, there are clear signals telling me, "Hey, you really need cash," which is a very persuasive situation. In this context, it’s not surprising why users make clear choices. Do you remember the first time you logged onto the internet, where there was only one internet? In the on-chain world, you have multiple network choices, and the complexity is significantly increased, such as user experience, fees, and latency, all of which you need to consider. The most convincing scenario in my experience is the Telegram bot; it’s not free, but it’s very convenient to use, and it’s straightforward to set up—just a few clicks to get results, which makes users satisfied. So my point is that this user experience is about minimizing complexity as much as possible and doing useful things. Useful things can be entertaining, engaging, or practical, but they must be applicable. Simon@OKLink: What challenges might hinder institutions or enterprises from adopting Web3 technology? How can blockchain data help them accelerate the adoption of Web3 technology? Please provide examples. Hunter@Rootdata: I would like to take my project Rootdata as an example, which may differ from other guests. We focus on off-chain data as a Web3 asset data platform, which has become an essential data platform for millions of Web3 users' investment decisions and aims to be a productivity-level tool for Web3 enthusiasts and investors. By presenting more refined data, including physical addresses, financing rounds, etc., we help project parties and experienced individuals make better decisions. The rapid changes in the entire industry drive us to leverage data methods and continue moving forward.

Simon@OKLink: Change seems to be the norm in Web3, with new chains emerging every week. For Web3 builders, iterating the right use cases while dealing with the evolving chain infrastructure (which currently seems to be multi-chain coexistence) is extremely challenging. What innovative data tools can separate infrastructure from user experience and enable Web3 builders to quickly test ideas and incubate the next killer application? Tongtong@Amberdata: I have been working in data-related fields for seven years and have experienced several cycles. For a long time, it seemed that people were not paying attention to the data itself. But now it’s different; in several events I attended, I was excited to see participants discussing which data metrics they focus on, allowing these "data enthusiasts" and "wizards" in the community to share insights. This reflects that each of us is trying to understand data and connect them. Therefore, the data tools represented by APIs available in the market can solve developers' problems because powerful APIs make data acquisition no longer a challenge and allow for one-stop aggregated processing. Max@Consensys SMG: During our process of building new chains, we may face a situation where, as integrations increase, the value of the chain itself gradually diminishes, which can lead to a loss of developers in the ecosystem, while the maintenance costs remain high. Developers naturally need a series of toolkits, so from my perspective, there should be enough efficient and easy-to-use toolkits on-chain to facilitate developers' quick onboarding and convenient integration, thus maintaining the competitive advantage of new chains.

At the same time, OKLink engaged in direct conversations with several developers on-site. Among them, developer community opinion leader and special researcher at the Institute of Science and Technology Innovation Master Cui (@MasterCui) shared experiences from the perspective of a senior developer and technical instructor: "On-chain data and analysis platforms can help developers build smart. On one hand, it can take on some of the backend work, and the data it provides saves the cost of developing a backend to acquire data. Another possibility is that the on-chain data platform itself can be repackaged into a new application. For example, I can apply the results of existing data to other applications I develop."

Additionally, he mentioned that communication and efficiency during the development process are crucial. Mature on-chain tools can significantly save developers' time in searching for corresponding open-source code, and provide good statistical and collection tools. Therefore, developers should fully utilize all available APIs and other data tools, and use AI and other means to continuously optimize development collaboration and improve efficiency, maintaining innovation and competitiveness in the Web3 field.

When discussing the challenges encountered during development, developer Panda (@CodeMorePanda) stated: "Because the entire public chain ecosystem is very diverse and there are heterogeneous situations, such as Solana and EVM ecosystems being completely different, if we connect them one by one, it would be quite time-consuming. At this point, we can actually choose some data aggregation APIs, such as the OKLink API we are using, which can greatly reduce our development time and allow us to focus our time and energy on creativity."

Build Onchain, Any Chain. We had an open and enjoyable afternoon with developers in a relaxed workshop atmosphere. The pace of building the on-chain ecosystem has never stopped. As data tools continue to improve and AI methods become more intelligent, more creativity and inspiration will continue to emerge, driving Web3 to bring more unexpected excitement in a smarter and more agile manner.