BisBabble Interview - ShadowCrypto
Welcome to another edition of BisBabble! In this episode, we chat with ShadowCrypto, a dedicated Bismuth supporter and key contributor to the Pawer bot.
The Interview
Q: Hello Shadow! We heard about you in a previous BisBabble episode. You are a vibrant supporter of Bismuth and a much-appreciated code contributor to the Pawer bot. Can you tell us a little about yourself?
A: I’m a programmer by profession and a photographer by passion, drawn to both shadows and crypto—hence my username (pun intended).
Q: Since forums don’t allow for direct observation, how do you describe yourself at dinner parties?
A: As an introvert, I prefer to stay silent and focus on the main purpose—eating, a lot!.
Q: Well, introvert maybe, but you were the one who brought @aravindballa to the party—thanks for that! How did you get into programming in the first place?
A: I have an interesting backstory for this.
- When I finished school and had to choose a field of study, I told my cousin, “Anything except computers.”
- A couple of years later, I ended up doing my undergraduate degree in Computer Science.
I never regretted it—every day was fun!
I first encountered coding through coursework and was fascinated by how a few lines of code could perform complex tasks.
That simple realization keeps me motivated to this day.
Q: The preferred minimalism can be seen in your code. So, programming is your day job?
A: Yes, I pay my bills with programming.
Q: How did you get introduced to blockchain?
A: Like many others—through Bitcoin.
- Initially, I was interested in crypto as an investment.
- At first, Bitcoin’s technical details were overwhelming.
- Over time, I took the time to understand it better.
- I still don’t know everything in detail, but I now have a decent high-level understanding.
Q: What’s the piece of code you’re most proud of?
A:
Back when I was new to HTML & CSS, I worked on email templates.
- I migrated existing templates to plain HTML & CSS/SASS.
- Reduced 1700 lines of code to 450 per template.
- Supported all browsers & mail clients.
- There were 10 such templates in total!
It was a great learning and implementation experience.
Q: Minimalism again! What programming languages have you worked with?
- Python & Java (mostly).
- C/C++? Still unsure if I should count them—I started with them but didn’t continue afterward.
Q: What led you to Bismuth?
A: @cryptotyrion introduced me to Bismuth.
The fact that it was written in Python (my favorite language) made me dig deeper.
Q: What’s your experience in the crypto field?
A: I’ve been an investor/trader since 2017.
Q: What would you say is Bismuth’s biggest strength?
A: The devs.
I’m amazed at how hard and smart they work, even in the toughest times.
Also, the community is incredibly welcoming.
Bismuth was my first open-source contribution.
At first, I had many fears about where to start, but the devs made it easy and were super helpful.
It’s a perfect learning environment for blockchain development—especially in Python.
Q: Thanks! We try to be welcoming because we need contributors like you—and you’ve proved yourself! What would you say is Bismuth’s biggest weakness?
A: The business model.
I may be wrong or less informed, but I don’t fully understand how Bismuth generates money within its ecosystem.
Q: You’ve mainly worked on the Pawer Discord bot. Are there other parts of Bismuth’s ecosystem you’d like to explore?
A: Absolutely!
I’d love to explore:
- ZircoDice 🎲
- Dragginator 🐉
- Other DApps 🚀
I also want to build my own DApp.
If anyone has ideas and needs a partner, hit me up!
Q: Most loved programming language & why?
A: Python—as simple as writing a few statements in English.
Q: Most hated programming language & why?
A: I haven’t figured that out yet.
Q: You’ll live longer if you only love and don’t hate—good call! On a more personal note, what are you up to when you’re not coding?
A: I’m a photographer at heart—that’s what keeps me alive. 📷
I love finding patterns, symmetry, and silhouettes in unexpected places.
Also, I won a national-level award and received a few other recognitions—making my parents proud at a young age.
Q: Do you see any connections between photography and coding?
A: Great question!
For me, programming is also an art form.
- People express creativity in different ways—programming is one of them.
- Photography and coding share similarities—composing a shot vs. composing a function,
keeping things minimal, finding patterns, and reusing them.
Both give me the same dopamine hit—whether I capture a great photo or write a beautiful script.
Q: Your best piece of programming advice?
💡 Programming is evolving fast—it takes just a few days to start learning a language (especially Python).
💡 You can automate daily tasks or build fun projects—just for fun!
💡 Not everything you learn has to make money—enjoy programming!
Thanks a lot, ShadowCrypto, for answering our questions! May the good vibes stay with you! 🚀
Meet ShadowCrypto
You can connect with ShadowCrypto on:
- Bismuth Discord
- Twitter: @_shadow_crypto