Web3 & Solidity development stack For builders

Learn Web3 development with tools you’ll actually use.

A minimal, Hardhat-inspired guide to building, testing and shipping smart contracts with Hardhat, Foundry & OpenZeppelin — without getting lost in buzzwords.

Hardhat, Foundry & OpenZeppelin, one place

Focus on practice, not theory overload

                      
                      
                      
                    
DemoVault.solHardhat

// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
pragma solidity ^0.8.24;

import "@openzeppelin/contracts/token/ERC20/IERC20.sol";

contract DemoVault {
    IERC20 public asset;

    constructor(IERC20 _asset) {
        asset = _asset;
    }

    function deposit(uint256 amount) external {
        asset.transferFrom(msg.sender, address(this), amount);
    }
}

Execution stack

Local dev → Testnet → Mainnet

web3.studio

                      Hardhat Network
                      fork: mainnet
                    

Foundry fuzz & invariants

OpenZeppelin battle-tested contracts

Ethers.js type-safe scripts

Why web3 development

Not just hype, but a new execution layer for the internet.

Web3 is about programmable ownership, composable protocols and transparent state. You write code that controls assets, not just UI.

This site explains the core ideas of web3 by walking through the dev stack: Hardhat, Foundry, OpenZeppelin, testnets, mainnet deployments and security basics.

Ownership

Concept

Programmable assets

Tokens, NFTs and vaults are just smart contracts. You define rules: who can move funds, under which conditions and how protocols interact with each other.

Composability

Ecosystem

Lego-bricks of finance

Protocols like Uniswap, Aave or Maker are open by default. Your contracts can integrate them like libraries, reusing liquidity and security instead of starting from scratch.

Transparency

Mindset

Code is the agreement

Users don’t “trust the brand”, they trust verified smart contracts and audits. This is why testing, security patterns and minimalism matter so much in web3.

Core dev stack

From idea to mainnet: three tools that matter.

There are thousands of frameworks, but most serious teams converge on a small set of tools. Learn them deeply instead of collecting logos.

web3.studio focuses on Hardhat, Foundry and OpenZeppelin: scripting + testing + secure building blocks.

Hardhat

Task runner & dev environment for scripts, deployments and plugins.

Node.js • TypeScript Great for product teams

Foundry

Blazing-fast Solidity test framework with fuzzing & invariants.

Rust-powered Perfect for protocol testing

OpenZeppelin

Battle-tested contracts for ERC-20, ERC-721, access control & more.

Security first Don’t reinvent primitives

Workflow sketch

A realistic day-to-day loop

A typical web3 dev flow looks like this:

Design your contract using OpenZeppelin base contracts.
Prototype locally with Hardhat Network and simple scripts.
Stress-test behavior with Foundry fuzzing & invariants.
Deploy to testnet, integrate with frontend, gather feedback.
Only then ship to mainnet with small, well-audited changes.

Guides coming soon Code samples & tests

Hardhat vs Foundry

They are not enemies. They are layers.

You don’t have to “pick a side”. Most teams use both: Hardhat for scripting & deployments, Foundry for heavy-duty testing.

Use this comparison as a mental model, not a war. The best stack is usually “Hardhat + Foundry + OZ”.

Dimension	Hardhat	Foundry
Primary focus	Dev environment, scripts, plugins	Testing, fuzzing, invariants
Language	TypeScript / JavaScript	Solidity-native tests
Speed	fast enough	extremely fast
Learning curve	easy for web devs	more low-level
Plugins ecosystem	Huge: ethers, wagmi, deployments, gas reports	Growing, but more focused on core tools
Best fit	dApps, teams with TS/JS background	Protocols, auditors, test-heavy projects
Recommended use	Keep as main “control panel” for your project	Plug in when you outgrow basic tests
Our opinion	start here	level-up here

Learning paths

Choose how deep you want to go.

You don’t need to become a protocol engineer on day one. Start where you are and slowly move down the stack.

Each path will have checklists, example repos and test suites you can run locally with Hardhat and Foundry.

Beginner: from zero to first contract

Level 1

Ideal if you know a bit of JS/TS and want to understand how smart contracts work without drowning in protocol details.

Set up Hardhat project with TypeScript.
Write a simple ERC-20 using OpenZeppelin.
Deploy to a testnet & interact with a script.

Solidity dev: shipping real dApps

Level 2

For developers who want to build production-ready contracts that integrate existing DeFi protocols.

Design upgradeable contracts & roles.
Mix Hardhat & Foundry in one repo.
Write meaningful unit & integration tests.

Protocol engineer: testing the edges

Level 3

For those who care about invariants, attack surfaces and formal-ish reasoning about money flows.

Model protocol state transitions.
Use Foundry fuzzing & invariant tests.
Build internal dashboards for risk checks.