Developer Marketing 2024 Outlook: Build to Scale

Web3 adoption is more promising than ever. The ecosystem is flourishing with new ideas and innovations, and more people around the world are experiencing the benefits of open money innovation on the blockchain. The moment for builders to meet this growing demand for on-chain solutions and digital dollars is now – and our Developer Marketing team is here to support devs with the most widely used stablecoin infrastructure in the world.  

2023 was the first full operating year for Circle’s Developer Marketing team, which is composed of three pillars: Developer Relations, Community and Ecosystem. Last year, we focused on cultivating a community of builders who are innovating with Circle’s products and services including: USDC, Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) and our suite of Web3 Services (i.e. Programmable Wallets, Smart Contract Platform and Gas Station). These programmable, chain-agnostic product offerings simplify the builder’s journey and deliver seamless UX for their users. 

Builders have discovered the power of blockchain technology through our online videos and demos, and are meeting us at ecosystem events and conferences. Through our curated content offerings, developers are learning how to supercharge their applications with the power of near-instant, cost efficient on-chain transfers with USDC. 

Before we dive into what is in store for 2024, let’s recap key accomplishments from 2023.

• Community Engagement: This was a major focus area to build from the ground up. Developers received direct support from Circle experts and community leaders who answered questions and brought value to our users. We introduced ‘BuildOnCircle’ across channels (i.e. Discord and X) and delivered interactive workshops, with examples and inspiration to drive growth in the USDC developer community. In the past year, our Discord server grew from roughly 1,000 active contributors to nearly 8,000 members (as of February 2024) who are eager to harness the benefits of building with Circle and USDC. 
• Quickstart Learning: Whether you are a seasoned developer or are just starting your journey, our developer documentation went through multiple updates to help devs easily discover the benefits of USDC, EURC, Web3 Services and more. We also worked with our product team on a ‘show versus tell’ quickstart guide, featuring step-by-step interactive tutorials for devs to try their hands at transfers and transactions.
  
• New Content: In the latter half of 2023, we created an evergreen library of content that provides fundamental instructions for faster builds and inspirational stories of builders in the USDC community. Devs can now access over 40 videos and tutorials housed in our blog and YouTube channel.

We are only just beginning to unlock the power of Web3 in the new era of blockchain utility. Hear from developers building with USDC and Circle in our Builder Series.

Our efforts to grow the community of builders and provide educational resources remain at the core of our team’s growth strategy for 2024. Additional programs, tools and resources will supercharge our efforts to push for exponential growth this year.

Coming in 2024:

• Education for every builder: More educational content, builder testimonials and workshops in our Discord are expected throughout the year. The content will cater to developers working on a range of projects that support their levels of expertise. The current Web3 landscape still has barriers to entry due to steep learning curves, fragmented tools and disjointed user experiences. Our educational content will help address multiple phases of the builder’s journey, provide the modular building blocks to create apps faster, and make the developer’s learning experience much more seamless and enjoyable.
• Grant Programs and Bounties: This program offers grants, bounties and credits for early-stage, high-impact builders in the ecosystem. These programs are especially for those building on top of USDC or CCTP, or integrating Web3 wallet capabilities involving Programmable Wallets and our Gas Station. Projects showing payment integration and regional on and off-ramp access with long-tail business focus will catch our attention. Bounty programs will expand to unlock more ways community builders can participate in our ecosystem. Hackathons and Hacker Houses, in collaboration with our partners and community members, will continue to be a big part of our team’s in-person presence.
• Global Reach: Last year, our team was present at global events – across Asia, Africa and Latin America – all centered around developers. Our global expansion efforts will continue as technological innovations and Web3 projects flourish in these regions. Our team will meet developers where they are and work with education and ecosystem partners to encourage interoperability and collaboration. As our technology and services continue to promote low- to no-cost frictionless exchanges of value, we will bring opportunities where builders can connect with our team and fellow innovators.

Are you ready to build the next-generation of open money solutions with Circle and be part of the USDC community? Discover our resources by visiting our official page, and connect with us on Discord and X. 

Learn how USDC enables developers to build with open-source, programmable dollars that can move globally without the costs and friction of traditional payments in our latest report: State of the USDC Economy.

Programmable Wallets and Smart Contract Platform application programming interfaces (“API”) are offered by Circle Technology Services, LLC (“CTS”). CTS is not a regulated financial services company and the APIs do not include financial, investment, tax, legal, regulatory, accounting, business, or other advice. For additional details, please click here to see the Circle Developer terms of service.