Freelancing in Web3

How I Got Paid to Freelance in Web3 — Without Selling My Soul

Freelancing in Web3 sounds like a dream: paid in crypto, working async, and building on bleeding-edge tech. But the reality? It’s chaotic, fast-paced, and full of noise.

Here’s what I learned from landing and completing my first serious freelance project in the space — no hype, just signal.

🚀 Why Web3 Freelancing Is Different

In Web2, freelancing is mostly about shipping interfaces. In Web3, you're often shipping protocol logic, smart contracts, and dApps — things that directly move value and can't afford to break.

You're not just a developer — you're an engineer with a kill switch.

This means:

• Clients are more careful (or should be).
• Security matters more than speed.
• Your code can literally be part of a live economy.

🔍 How I Landed My First Gig

I didn’t spam job boards. Here’s what worked:

• Build in Public: I was posting my dev progress — no fluff, just commits and testnet links.
• Niche Down: I focused hard on smart contracts and dApps, not just “blockchain dev”.
• DM-Ready Profile: My pinned post showed what I’d built. No need for fancy portfolios.

Eventually, someone reached out who needed a trustless game mechanic built. Perfect fit.

💸 The Deal

Without going into specifics (NDA), here’s how we structured it:

• Fixed Price — for scope clarity.
• Crypto Payment — stablecoins. Fast, no middlemen.
• Smart Contract Audit Light — I did my own internal review before handing it over.
• No Long Meetings — everything async. Purely technical comms.

This is how freelancing should be.

🧠 Lessons Learned

1. Don’t Work Without a Wallet Address
   Get 50% up front or agree to escrow. Trustless doesn’t mean naive.

2. Contracts Are Law
   Code is literally law in Web3. One bug = client loses funds = your fault. Test, then test again.

3. Clarity > Everything
   Scope creep kills Web3 projects. Define exactly what you’re building, down to the contract methods.

4. Post-Delivery ≠ Ghosting
   Stick around a few days for bugfixes. It builds reputation.

🛠️ Tech Stack (Generalized)

• Solidity / Cairo for contracts
• React + Wagmi / StarkNet.js for frontend
• Testnets + Faucet-fu
• Hardhat / Foundry / Protostar for dev workflow

🧭 Where I'm Headed Next

Freelancing in Web3 is viable — but only if you're selective. I’m now focusing more on:

• Building my own zk-integrated dApps
• Taking on fewer, higher-impact contracts
• Contributing to open source where possible

If you’re looking to start freelancing in Web3, here's my advice:

Build something weird and real. Show it. Stay curious. Be trustworthy. The work will find you.

💬 DM-Friendly

I'm open to:

• Collaborating on side projects
• Giving advice to new devs entering Web3

Feel free to reach out.