From Minecraft Scripts to a Colosseum Side Track Win. How an 18-Year-Old Developer from Astana Is Building His Path in Web3
Vlad Karachkov is an 18-year-old developer from Astana whose journey into technology started long before his first major Web3 milestone. He began coding in elementary school, driven by a simple goal: automating builds in Minecraft.
The Beginning
Vlad Karachkov is an 18-year-old developer from Astana whose journey into technology started long before his first major Web3 milestone. He began coding in elementary school, driven by a simple goal: automating builds in Minecraft. That curiosity was sparked when his father gave him a book on Python. What started as a game quickly became his entry point into programming and the foundation of a future career.
“I wanted everything to build itself. At the time, I had no idea how much this would change my life.”
A school hobby soon evolved into ambition. Coding challenges with friends turned into a competitive drive, and by the end of high school, Vlad was already completing his first commercial development projects.
“It wasn’t just interest—it was the momentum that pushed me to grow.”
A New Environment, A Clear Direction
Moving to Astana and enrolling at university was a conscious decision. Vlad knew that faster growth required a new environment—one that would challenge him and expand his perspective
“I had to step outside my comfort zone to keep growing.”
His interest in crypto gradually evolved into a clear goal: building next-generation products. Kazakhstan’s Solana ecosystem became the place where everything came together.
“I found a community and people I could work with almost nonstop.”
The Side Track Win and What’s Next
That focus led to a key milestone: winning a Colosseum side track. Today, Vlad is developing Etcha together with his co-founder, Sergey Sadkov—a product they are fully committed to turning into a complete, production-ready solution.
This is no longer just about writing code. It’s about building something with real-world relevance, long-term value, and impact. Vlad’s goal is to create technologies that move the industry forward and inspire other developers to take their first steps.
“Community, growth, momentum, and meaning—that’s my foundation.”