Dean Ball
Full Stack Developer | Founder @ DD Gaming
About Me
From military aircraft engineer to award-winning blockchain developer
Former aircraft engineer turned self-taught full-stack developer with a proven track record of rapid learning and execution. Founded DD Gaming, a gaming and venture studio building custom games and innovative Web3 experiences across multiple blockchain platforms. Won Solana Mobile Hackathon with Scrolly - teaching myself Next.js and TypeScript from scratch to build the entire platform solo. Active member and contributor of Superteam UK, working to grow and strengthen blockchain gaming in the United Kingdom. Driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge and a desire to prove myself in the tech world. I thrive in fast-paced, high-pressure environments and don't need hand-holding - I'm highly proactive and always looking to contribute to innovative blockchain projects.
Experience
A journey from military operations to Web3 innovation
Founder & Lead Developer
2024 - PresentDD Gaming | Gaming & Venture Studio
- Founded and built a gaming and venture studio specialising in Web3 gaming across multiple blockchain platforms
- Developed 4 custom games for clients and built a suite of 25+ games for Scrolly platform
- Won Solana Mobile Hackathon with Scrolly - solo developed the entire platform
- Successfully deployed applications to iOS, Android, and multiple blockchain mobile platforms
- Leading Developer Capital Markets (DCM) initiative - live coding full projects in 8-12 hour streams to onboard new blockchain founders
Shift Production Manager
2019 - PresentRailway Operations | London
- Manage and oversee all engineering and operations across London for day-to-day railway running
- Thrive in high-stress, fast-paced environment making critical decisions
- Lead teams in a highly competitive and demanding operational setting
- Developed strong leadership and crisis management skills
Lead Mechanical Engineer
2009 - 2019Commando Helicopter Force | British Royal Navy
- Served as Lead Mechanical Engineer for Commando Helicopter Force for 10 years
- Deployed worldwide in high-pressure military operations
- Awarded medals for acts of service and received distinctions in engineering qualifications
- Demonstrated exceptional ability to adapt and learn quickly in fast-paced environments
Skills
Full-stack expertise across blockchain, web, and game development
Blockchain & Web3
Programming Languages
Frontend & Mobile
Game Development
Backend & DevOps
Projects
Building the future of Web3 gaming
Scrolly
Solana Mobile Hackathon Winner - The TikTok for games with endless feeds across multiple categories. Solo developed the entire platform from scratch, teaching myself Next.js and TypeScript in the process.
Card Crush
Match-3 game launching on Solana Mobile with full Web3 integration. Creating educational Magic Block series on YouTube to help developers learn Web3 game development.
Sudo Cat
Multiplayer wagering game where players bet with Solana in a fighting game. Winner takes all in this skill-based token combat experience.
DCM
Developer Capital Markets - Live streaming initiative building complete Solana projects in 8-12 hours to onboard new founders with drive but limited resources.
Banana Blocks
Unity-based puzzle game with Web3 integration currently in development for Solana ecosystem.
Faangs
Unity-based game with Web3 integration being built for the Solana gaming ecosystem.
Education
From military service to self-taught mastery
HNC Aeronautical Engineering
Kingston University London
2009 - 2019 | During Military Career
Military Honors
British Royal Navy
Medals for acts of service | 10 years as Lead Mechanical Engineer
Self-Taught Developer
Solana Mobile Hackathon Winner
Built production apps from zero prior coding experience