Applications for the 5th cohort of the Interchain Developer Academy are now open!
Join this self-paced, expert-guided online training program to discover the core aspects of the Interchain Stack
We’re very happy to announce that the Interchain Developer Academy is open to applicants for its fifth intake. Devised and delivered by B9Lab’s team of expert trainers and funded by the Interchain Foundation, the Academy program aims to transform skilled web2 devs who want to forge a career in blockchain and web3 devs eager to maximise their capabilities.
You will find this an outstanding opportunity to start exploring the interchain. 800 developers have graduated from the Academy since its inaugural cohort, and 95% of them said they would recommend it to their peers. Special praise has been directed at the practical coding elements, the guidance provided by the B9Lab expert training team, and the active and supportive participant community on the Academy Discord.
“Great job. It was absolutely amazing. I previously had theoretical knowledge but by far not so deep. Every time I hit a wall I was thinking that the solution must be somewhere inside the learning materials. It was a very rewarding feeling — especially because it challenged me far out of my previous comfort zone. I learned a lot and was able to apply it at my company already. Fantastic work. Really well organized and support was also always there!”
— Martin Schäffner | Cohort 4 graduate
About the Interchain Developer Academy
The Academy is conducted 100% online and provides more than 80 hours of content over the seven-week program. You’ll embark on a self-paced journey supported by hands-on guidance from the same team at B9Lab that designed the learning material. Cohort interaction is coordinated through dedicated Discord channels, so you and the other participants can benefit from the community’s collective knowledge and experiences.
You’ll dive into the foundational principles of blockchain and a comprehensive overview of the Interchain Stack. The program highlights the distinguishing characteristics of different technologies and ecosystems and explores ATOM, wallets, and staking. Practical coding activities form the core of the program, to help you integrate the knowledge and techniques you’ll encounter, so when you graduate you’re ready to put your skills to work.
The Academy focuses on the following:
- Blockchain technology and main concepts of the Interchain Stack
- Developing with the Cosmos SDK & Ignite CLI
- Using the Inter-Blockchain Communication Protocol to connect chains
- Relaying in the Interchain
- Building front- and backends with CosmJS
- Integrating wallets such as Keplr
- Node operation and validation on Interchain blockchains
- Moving from code to MVP to production and migration
After completing the main program, you can choose to undertake a final exam and be officially certified by the Interchain Foundation. There is a growing alumni community for you and the other past participants to discuss plans and opportunities within the interchain, and where core contributors can reach out with offers like those listed on the B9Lab jobs board.
“My experience with the Academy was extremely positive. I loved the content and the instructors. This was the most useful and informative free online web3 course I’ve seen. It allowed me to branch out and explore work in other places in the ecosystem, and it led directly to a full-time job offer at the Interchain Foundation, which I was delighted to accept!”
— Serdar Turkmenafsar, IBC Engineer with Interchain GmbH | Cohort 3 graduate
300 devs will join the interchain — be one of them
Applications are now open to join the fifth cohort of the Academy. You’ll do a screening test to confirm your knowledge of general web2 software development concepts and demonstrate your problem-solving skills. This test does not assess blockchain-related topics — you’ll learn those in the Academy itself.
The deadline for screening is October 23rd and the program will run from November 2nd to December 21st. After a two-week break the program resumes in 2024 for the examination period, between January 4th and February 1st, if you want to try for official Interchain certification.
This will be our second 300-seat cohort, but be aware that there are typically 400% more people registering to apply than can be accepted for the final intake. Be sure to give the screening test serious focus for your best chance to score high and make the selection!
Visit academy.interchain.io to find out more about the application and screening process.
“Even before the Academy was finished it was already delivering great value. I participated in my first Code4rena auditing contest and took 3rd place with some nice prize money! The Academy was instrumental to help me quickly gain enough knowledge to know where and what to look for in a project within the interchain ecosystem.”
— Peppe Landolfi | Cohort 4 graduate
Why learn the Interchain Stack?
The interchain is home to a wealth of independent, application-specific blockchains made interoperable with the ground-breaking Inter-Blockchain Communication Protocol (IBC) and constructed with the Cosmos SDK, a suite of user-friendly tools for modular development.
With the Interchain Stack, you can create sovereign blockchain-based apps that interconnect with both other web3 projects and with traditional web2 systems. The Stack is continuously updated and well-maintained, the bedrock of a large, lively, and helpful community of devs.
Over 100 secure, trust-minimised appchains have been built with the Interchain Stack, providing the foundation for hundreds of dApps and services. As the interchain grows so does the demand for skilled developers with proven ability. By expanding your horizons you can also contribute to the expansion of the ecosystem and all those reliant upon it.
Is the Academy right for you?
You don’t need to be a blockchain coder to join the Academy, but you do need at least three years of professional programming experience, and be willing and able to commit to the recommended 10+ hours of weekly study to complete the seven-week program. We provide a planned structure, but you are free to approach the material however you choose.
The Interchain Developer Academy looks for devs who are excited by blockchain’s potential and serious about kickstarting or stimulating their career in web3. For some that will mean creating an original project with the Interchain Stack. For others, it could be proving their skills to present or future employers.
If that sounds like you, then apply now!
What do Cohort 4 graduates think about the Academy?
“When I signed up for the Academy, I didn’t know how good and extensive it would be. You have definitely exceeded my expectations and the material was top! Very well written and peppered with valuable links throughout. I find it a pity that it is unfortunately over, but will definitely continue. Great work!”
— Markus Horn | Cohort 4 graduate
“Stressful pleasure! Thanks for the opportunity to learn something new and exciting.”
— Daniil Grassevich | Cohort 4 graduate
“It was fascinating to see what is behind the tech stack we already use daily and explore what we can develop with it. The Academy shows us the history and power of the Cosmos. Now I feel more comfortable about developing. Thank you so much for your well-planned and qualified learning path.”
— Mevlüt Canvar | Cohort 4 graduate
“Good learning experience, lots of details explained.”
— Martin Kohlrusch | Cohort 4 graduate
“It was a good experience and a good introduction to the interchain ecosystem and how to build in it. Thanks for the support, time and energy you put in the Academy to help us learn about this ecosystem!”
— Dinesh Atchuthan | Cohort 4 graduate
“Very good. I recommended to other people interested in blockchain.”
— Nicanor Gutierrez | Cohort 4 graduate
“I feel much more confident about launching (re-launching) our testnet and trying to transition over to mainnet now. I got a good grasp of how IBC works, and how node/typescript hooks are created for web3 connectivity, including the signing stargate.”
— Ryan Molecke | Cohort 4 graduate
“Great, and very interesting I learned a lot about Blockchain technology and creating dapps.”
— Rafeeq Weideman | Cohort 4 graduate
“Fantastic — thank you so much for this excellent course! The material and format was top-notch and I learned a ton. I’ve learned so much about Cosmos SDK, especially around genesis, testing, and IBC. Everything we learned feels like knowledge I can apply right away.”
— Luke Venediger | Cohort 4 graduate
“It’s a great experience. Great team and great instructors, reading material covered from basic to advanced.”
— Hendri Sulistya | Cohort 4 graduate
About B9Lab
B9Lab have trained over 17,000 people in more than 160 countries about multiple blockchain protocols, and now we’ve been tasked by the Interchain Foundation to run the Interchain Developer Academy. We’re passionate about technology adoption, getting new developers into web3, and helping blockchain ecosystems to thrive.
