Web3 Development Basics: A Guide to Building on Blockchain

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Web3 development represents a fundamental shift from traditional Web2 applications, introducing decentralized architectures, blockchain interactions, and smart contract integrations. Whether you're building decentralized applications (dApps), interacting with protocols like Uniswap, or exploring the broader Ethereum ecosystem, understanding the foundational tools and concepts is essential.

This guide walks you through the core components of Web3 development—RPCs, indexers, smart contracts, and developer tools—while focusing on practical implementation and real-world use cases. By the end, you’ll have a clear roadmap for entering the Web3 space with confidence.

Understanding RPCs in Web3

Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs) serve as the primary gateway to blockchain networks. They enable developers to read data from smart contracts, send transactions, and interact with on-chain protocols.

RPC nodes come in two main types: full nodes and archival nodes. Full nodes store recent blockchain data, while archival nodes retain the complete history—critical for applications requiring historical state access. These nodes expose a standardized JSON-RPC interface, allowing consistent communication across clients.

While you can run your own node using implementations like:

…maintaining high availability and synchronization can be challenging. That’s where managed RPC services come in.

👉 Discover how reliable blockchain connectivity powers seamless dApp performance.

For production environments, consider RPC-as-a-service providers that support WebSockets for faster, real-time updates compared to standard HTTP polling. Ensure your provider adheres strictly to the JSON-RPC standard to avoid compatibility issues.

Popular options include Chainnodes (with a generous free tier) and public endpoints via Chainlist for testing.

How JSON-RPC Works

To interact with an RPC endpoint, you make a POST request with a JSON body specifying the method and parameters. For example:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "eth_blockNumber",
  "params": [],
  "id": 1
}

A successful response returns the current block number in hexadecimal format (e.g., 0x11527c0, which decodes to 18,163,648). This low-level interaction forms the backbone of all blockchain queries.

Tools like Postman collections help test these requests interactively. However, manually managing HTTP calls, encoding, decoding, and error handling becomes impractical at scale.

Client SDKs: Simplifying Blockchain Interaction

To streamline development, several client SDKs abstract away the complexity of raw RPC calls. These libraries handle request formatting, response parsing, retries, and signing—freeing developers to focus on application logic.

Key JavaScript/TypeScript libraries include:

But Web3 isn’t limited to JavaScript. Native SDKs exist for various platforms:

Uniswap currently offers TypeScript SDKs, making ethers.js and related tools especially relevant.

Leveraging Indexers for Efficient Data Access

While RPCs provide direct access to blockchain data, they’re inefficient for complex queries—like retrieving all transactions for a wallet address. The blockchain’s structure doesn’t support such lookups natively.

Enter indexers: systems that process blockchain data in real time and organize it for fast querying.

TheGraph: The Standard for On-Chain Indexing

TheGraph is the most widely adopted indexing solution in Web3. It allows developers to query blockchain data using GraphQL, a powerful query language.

With TheGraph, you can:

Uniswap uses TheGraph extensively—its subgraph enables easy retrieval of liquidity pool data, tick information, and trade history without direct RPC calls.

Example subgraphs to explore:

However, remember: indexers are not the source of truth. During network reorganizations or indexing delays, data may lag or become inaccurate. For mission-critical applications requiring real-time accuracy (e.g., trading bots), always verify against direct RPC responses.

👉 Learn how real-time data access accelerates dApp innovation.

Smart Contract Development with Solidity

Smart contracts are self-executing programs running on the blockchain. Most Ethereum-compatible contracts are written in Solidity, a statically-typed language designed for EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) execution.

Developer Tooling

Enhance your Solidity workflow with:

Both Foundry and Hardhat support local testing, script automation, and deployment pipelines—essential for robust development cycles.

Once deployed, interact with contracts using client SDKs like ethers.js, which generate proper ABI-encoded calls and manage transaction signing.

Using Blockchain Explorers for Debugging and Verification

Manual inspection of on-chain activity is often necessary during development and troubleshooting.

Etherscan is the go-to block explorer for Ethereum Mainnet. Use it to:

For deeper debugging—especially failed transactions—Tenderly offers advanced simulation tools. You can step through contract execution, view stack traces, and identify revert reasons instantly.

For example, analyzing a failed Uniswap V2 swap on Tenderly reveals exactly which condition caused the revert—saving hours of guesswork.

The Uniswap Development Suite

Uniswap provides a modular set of SDKs designed to simplify interaction with its decentralized exchange protocols:

These SDKs rely on underlying RPC connections to fetch data and submit transactions. You must provide a valid RPC endpoint (like Chainnodes) and securely manage private keys for signing.

All data reads occur via the connected node; actual swaps require wallet integration for user-signed transactions.

We’re continuously enhancing these tools—stay tuned for new features and improved usability.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an RPC node and an indexer?

An RPC node provides direct access to blockchain data via standardized methods but lacks support for complex queries. An indexer like TheGraph processes this data offline and exposes it through efficient query interfaces like GraphQL.

Do I need to run my own node?

Not necessarily. While running your own node maximizes decentralization and control, managed services offer reliability and ease of use—ideal for most dApps in development or production.

Can I build Web3 apps without knowing Solidity?

Yes. Many developers use existing smart contracts (like Uniswap’s) via SDKs without writing new contracts. However, understanding Solidity helps when auditing or extending functionality.

Why use TheGraph instead of direct RPC calls?

TheGraph enables fast, structured queries—such as fetching all trades from a user—without scanning every block manually. It’s perfect for dashboards and analytics where slight latency is acceptable.

Are Uniswap SDKs only for swapping tokens?

No. Beyond swaps, they support liquidity provisioning, route optimization, price fetching, and integration with advanced features like permit2 and UniswapX.

How do I test my dApp before going live?

Use local forks via Hardhat or Foundry to simulate mainnet conditions. Tools like Tenderly also allow transaction simulation without spending real funds.

👉 Start building with powerful tools that connect you directly to blockchain networks.

Next Steps in Your Web3 Journey

Now that you understand the core components—RPCs, indexers, SDKs, and contract development—you’re ready to dive deeper into the Uniswap ecosystem. Begin by:

Web3 requires new ways of thinking about state management, security, and user ownership—but with the right tools, the transition from Web2 becomes intuitive.

Use this guide as your foundation. Explore the official Uniswap SDK documentation, experiment with subgraphs, and gradually expand your skillset into advanced areas like MEV protection, cross-chain interoperability, and permissionless innovation.

The future of decentralized finance is being built now—and you’re equipped to be part of it.