Rostyslav Bortman is a prominent figure in the global and Ukrainian Web3 development industry, serving as the Head of Blockchain Development at IdeaSoft and founder of ETHKyiv Community. He is known for his outstanding Web3 products and for organizing the Ethereum hackathon in Kyiv that was attended by Vitalik Buterin. In a recent interview, he discussed the future of the Ethereum market, the Ukrainian Web3 sector, and the specific challenges faced by Ukrainian developers.
Bortman’s journey into blockchain development began with smart contracts on Ethereum, a topic he explored for his thesis in 2016. He was captivated by the concepts of decentralization and the elimination of intermediaries, which drew him into the Web3 industry. He believes that Ukrainian developers have made significant progress in creating innovative solutions, but there is still work to be done to build products that reach mainstream success.
As the founder of the Kyiv Ethereum Community, Bortman has been instrumental in organizing meetups and events to promote the development of the blockchain ecosystem in Ukraine. The community has achieved numerous milestones, including organizing the successful ETHKyiv hackathon, which attracted key figures in the Ethereum Foundation and raised funds for the Ukraine Armed Forces.
Hackathons and developer conferences play a vital role in advancing the Ethereum ecosystem by onboarding developers and fostering innovation. Bortman acknowledges the challenges involved in organizing such events but believes they are essential for driving the development of blockchain technologies. He also highlights the emergence of new blockchains and protocols in the Web3 space, such as Base, which are driving innovation and promoting a culture of builders.
Looking ahead, Bortman sees potential trends in Web3 development, including account abstraction, SocialFi, decentralised messengers, consumer apps, cross-chain interoperability, and GameFi. He emphasizes the importance of educational initiatives in training new specialists for the industry and believes that integrating blockchain and Solidity into school curriculums could help accelerate adoption.
In the coming years, Bortman envisions a future where Web3 applications become mainstream, solving key UX challenges and finding killer use cases. He anticipates mass adoption of blockchain technologies and the continued growth of the industry. Bortman is motivated by his belief in the principles of decentralization, censorship resistance, and self-custody, as well as the opportunity to work alongside incredibly smart and open-minded individuals in the Web3 community.
