My name is Giorge Abdala, and I have over 15 years of experience as a Software Engineer and have been a passionate Linux enthusiast for more than two decades. I have developed a strong foundation in system architecture, complex problem-solving, and a deep passion for open-source technology.
My involvement with the Polkadot ecosystem is active and growing. As an ambassador, I have represented Polkadot at major events in Brazil such as Blockchain Rio, Blockchain São Paulo, Smart City Expo (2024 and 2025) and Futurecom 2024.
I co-organized the Decoded Party View Curitiba (2023) and gave talks at events such as Connection Week 2024 and Modular Cripto 2024, where I presented on Substrate and JAM.
In 2025, I also participated in a podcast hosted by the Prefeitura de Curitiba, where I spoke about Polkadot.
These efforts reflect my commitment to knowledge-sharing and community building, which are core pillars of the Fellowship (Manifesto, sections 2.3.4 – Nurturing; 6.2 – I Dan). I am also responsible for running the first Polkadot full node in South America.
It has always been a dream of mine to become a Substrate developer and join the Fellowship. Over the last two years, I have pursued a focused path of study, which included:
I have read the entire Rust Book.
I completed the course Rust: The Complete Developer's Guide by Stephen Grider, which greatly clarified my understanding of ownership, borrowing, and generics.
I also read Rust for Rustaceans, which explores advanced memory management concepts, concurrent programming, ownership, WASM, among others.
This dedication to learning Rust resulted in practical applications. Professionally, I completely restructured a complex legacy system for processing tax credit requests for the state of Paraná/Brazil. I replaced an outdated architecture with a modern, high-performance Rust-based solution, reducing processing time from up to 48 hours to less than 30 seconds. This transformation demonstrates my ability to deliver “modest but substantial contribution to protocol development” (Manifesto, 6.2.1 - I Dan) and “elegant and, at least sometimes, reusable” implementations (Manifesto, p.9, III Dan).
To complement my blockchain studies:
I completed the Rust, Blockchain, and Polkadot Developer Formation course offered by Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná: An advanced training focused on decentralized systems, smart contract development, Rust programming, Substrate-based blockchain networks, and Polkadot parachain architecture.
I completed PBA-X, the cohort-based, online blockchain course by the Polkadot Blockchain Academy — covering fundamental concepts in cryptography, economics, governance, interoperability, and using the Polkadot SDK.
I just finished reading the book Rust for Blockchain, which focuses on Rust concepts applied to blockchain, Substrate programming, pallets, FRAME, etc.
In addition, I completed the Web3 Academy Masterclass Rust course by Web3 Surf. This course deepened my knowledge in developing pallets using Substrate FRAME, testing and benchmarking, working with off-chain workers, and performing runtime upgrades and migrations.
I am currently practicing and studying through the Polkadot developer documentation (https://docs.polkadot.com/).
My goal is to become a proficient Substrate developer, and I believe that the Polkadot Fellowship is the ideal environment to accelerate this growth. My aspiration is to reach the level of "Humble Member" (I Dan) and advance further over time.
I believe I am ready to face this challenge, and my intention is to start by solving GitHub issues, learning from more experienced members, and gradually taking on more responsibility. If anyone has suggestions for a “better path” or is willing to mentor me, I am completely open to discussion.
Giorge Abdala
giorgeabdala@gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/giorgeabdala
https://github.com/giorgeabdala
Hello Giorge,
Please make sure to join the Polkadot Technical Fellowship Open Channel (Matrix) and provide a link to your application there, so that it can be reviewed by Fellows.
Many thanks.