Forem: Dami_Crypt

WHAT I LEARNED DEBUGGING MY DEV CHALLENGE PROJECT AT 2AM

Dami_Crypt — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:39:38 +0000

While working on the challenge i was stuck for 3 hours because my "Connect Wallet" button threw Cannot read properties of undefine.

I thought Solana was broken. Turns out, I was broken. Here are 3 concepts that clicked for me:

async/await is just "wait for your food" JavaScript doesn't wait by default. When you call an API, you get a Promise, not data. //Wrong – I did this for days const res = fetch(url) console.log(res) // Promise {}

// Right
const res = await fetch(url) // pause until network responds
const data = await res.json() // pause until body is parsed
console.log(data)
Rule: Use await twice for fetch. Once for network, once for .json(). And your function must be async.

window.solana.connect() is not JavaScript This was my biggest facepalm. I assumed connect(), publicKey, signTransaction() were built into JS like fetch().

Reality check:
new Connection()👇 @solana/web3.js npm package
window.solana.connect()👇 Phantom extension injects it

Phantom adds this script to every page:
window.solana = {
connect: async () => { /opens popup / },
signTransaction: async (tx) => { / signs locally / }
}
If you uninstall Phantom, window.solana disappears. That's why my code crashed in incognito.

Lesson: If it's not on MDN and you didn't npm install it, check if an extension injected it. Open console and type window.solana to verify.

I am opened to comments, corrections and learning more. Let's take up the next challenge 💪.

What concept clicked for you recently? Drop it below 👇

DEV FACE CHALLENGES

Dami_Crypt — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 15:46:14 +0000

Nobody talks about the quiet parts of being a developer

CHALLENGES
It’s not the code. The code makes sense. Functions return what you tell them to.

It’s the silence after you hit send on 20 proposals.

It’s refreshing your inbox knowing nothing new came in.

It’s friends thinking you’re blowing because you work with computers, while you’re calculating if data will last till month end.

It’s looking for clients after 3 years of coding.

It’s the guilt of being too tired to learn the new framework Twitter says will make you employable.

It’s questioning if you’re actually good at this.

The hardest bug I’ve debugged this year wasn’t in my code.

It was the voice in my head saying “maybe you should just quit”.

Todo
But I’m still here. Still opening VS Code. Still applying. Still believing that one yes will make all the no’s make sense.

If you’re a dev and you’re tired, or doubting yourself today: you are not alone.

We just don’t post this part.

DevLife #BuildInPublic

Building a Blockchain Garden Tracker for Earth Day

Dami_Crypt — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 01:59:52 +0000

This is a submission for Weekend Challenge: Earth Day Edition

What I Built

For this Earth Day challenge, I built a simple decentralized application (dApp) called Garden Tracker a tool that allows users to log the crops they plant and store that activity on the blockchain.

The idea is simple:
Plant something in real life -> Record it on-chain

Using the Solana blockchain, users can connect their wallet, select a crop, and sign a transaction that permanently records their planting activity.

Demo

I deployed my project on netlify via GitHub, the url to get to the application is : https://damiedchallenge.netlify.app/

Code

The full code can be viewed via the GitHub repository below. Also the GitHub repo contains a README file which explains what the project is about and how users can navigate it.

https://github.com/CEO12DOLS/Earth-day-challenge.git

How i built it

I built the Garden Tracker using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript with integration into the Solana ecosystem.

The app connects to the Phantom Wallet using window.solana, allowing users to securely sign transactions.Also the application uses devnet tokens to sign transactions and not real tokens

When a user plants a crop, the app creates a Solana transaction using Solana Web3.js and stores the planting data as a memo on-chain (e.g. “Planted Tomato at Backyard”).

This approach demonstrates how blockchain can be used to record real-world activities like gardening in a transparent and verifiable way.

Prize categories

Best Sustainability Impact - because it tracks real-world planting and promotes eco-friendly habits.
Best Solana Project - It uses the Solana ecosystem with wallet and on-chain transactions.

Credits

Solana Web3.js documentation
Phantom Wallet documentation
Inspiration from AI

An introduction about myself

Dami_Crypt — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 23:39:11 +0000

Hi, I’m Gilbert a website developer, crypto and luxury lover. I am looking to connect with other developers and grow in the tech space