Meet Patrick Collins: Securing Web3, Educating and Onboarding Builders
In the fast-changing world of Web3, some people really stand out. They bring clear ideas, deep knowledge, and a true passion for building a better digital future. Patrick Collins is definitely one of these important people. As a top smart contract engineer, a dedicated teacher, and a key leader at Cyfrin, he’s not just watching new digital technologies grow, he’s actively helping to shape them.
Patrick’s path into Web3 shows how important it is to be curious, keep going when things are tough, and truly want to make this new area safer and easier for everyone to use. From his early days figuring out how to put information onto the blockchain to his current work leading the way in blockchain security and teaching, his journey offers valuable lessons for both experienced people and those just starting out.
At Cyfrin, Patrick and his team are working on some of the biggest challenges in Web3 today. They make sure smart contracts are strong and reliable, and they help train the next group of skilled developers and security experts. Their work not only protects big companies in the industry but also helps individuals through thorough, often free, learning programs like Cyfrin Updraft.
This interview is a special chance to hear directly from Patrick Collins. We’ll talk about his personal story, the important moments that shaped his career, and his honest advice for navigating the exciting but sometimes difficult world of Web3. Get ready to learn from someone who truly believes in the power of decentralized technology and is working hard to make it all happen.
The Interview: Patrick Collins on His Web3 Journey
1. Tell us a bit about yourself.
Patrick Collins: Iâm Patrick Collins. Iâm from MA in the United States. Iâm working on making Web3 more secure with security and educational initiatives as a part of Cyfrin.
2. What were you doing before Web3?
Patrick Collins: Before Web3, I worked as a software support engineer at an asset manager, and as a Devrel at a stock data company.
3. How did you first hear about Web3?
Patrick Collins: I heard about Web3 first when I had heard about Chainlink and how they wanted to âget financial data on chainâ which sounded bizarre to me. At the time, crypto was just like âbitcoinâ and it didnât make sense to me to âput data into bitcoin.â
4. What was your first step into the space?
Patrick Collins: I went to the ETH Denver hackathon and spent the hackathon learning Solidity.
5. What was one big challenge you faced early on?
Patrick Collins: Getting started in general was confusing. I didnât know who to trust, what was good vs bad Web3, there were so many competing narratives. One in particular was if using âsendâ, âtransferâ, or âcallâ on moving ETH. Why are there 3 functions?
6. What helped you push through?
Patrick Collins: My curiosity more or less. I thought the tech was sooooo cool and I just wanted to learn more.
7. What are you most proud of so far in your journey?
Patrick Collins: Cyfrin. Everything weâve done so far, and everything we are going to do. We not only secure some of the largest companies in the industry, but we onboard some of the best people through our security education, and make the whole industry better in safer ways.
8. Any major failure or learning moment?
Patrick Collins: I fail all the time. Get better and move on. One of my favorite learnings was, I had some feedback that my videos were obnoxious and ruining the brand of the product I was promoting. That I needed to be more boring ‘cuz âdevs like boring.â So I made two videos of the same content, one âboringâ and one ridiculous. To this day, the ridiculous one has performed over 20x better than the boring one.
9. What advice would you give to someone just starting out in Web3?
Patrick Collins: Go to Cyfrin Updraft, compete on CodeHawks, and youâll be set up for success.
10. Where can people find or follow your work?
Patrick Collins: X – @PatrickAlphaC and @patrickalphac on YouTube.
11. Any advice would you like to share with builders and learners?
Patrick Collins: Understand why you want to do what you do. Write it down. So that when things get hard, you can remember why youâre doing it and push through.
Itâs truly inspiring to see how Patrick Collins started his journey in Web3. His dedication to sharing knowledge through educational resources has helped thousands of individuals kickstart their careers in Web3. Furthermore, his ongoing efforts are adding immense value to the Web3 space by assisting companies in making their products secure and, as always, helping many across the globe with Cyfrin Updraft’s educational initiatives.