Blockchain is one of the most exciting emerging technologies in the world. Blockchain networks like Ethereum make it possible to create self-executing contracts called “smart contracts”. These are set to revolutionize many industries – from finance to medicine. However, this revolution is going to need a lot of great work from one group of people: blockchain developers.
Good blockchain developers are already in extremely high demand. As crypto networks and applications grow further, this demand will only increase. If you’re looking for an exciting career in one of the newest and most lucrative markets in the world, look no further than blockchain development.
What's worth learning?
To become a blockchain developer, the first thing you’ll need to do is make sure you have a fundamental understanding of blockchain technology. You should learn how blockchains work and why smart contracts are so powerful.
Your next goal is to understand the specific blockchain platform you want to work on. This means reading the whitepaper and any other important materials related to the technical features of the network.
You’ll also need to master one of the programming languages used for writing smart contracts. The choice of language will depend on the blockchain technology ecosystem you want to write for. If you want to develop for the Ethereum network, a great place to start is the Solidity programming language.
Self-studying & courses
The beauty of the internet age is that you can learn anything by yourself for free. That’s certainly true of cryptocurrency programming. There is free online information on every possible topic. However, not all of it is reliable.
If you’re going to become a skilled, high-value developer, you need to learn from trusted sources. When collecting free information online, check who the publisher is. Only accept information from reputable blockchain developers.
If you prefer to receive information in a prepackaged form, online courses will be a great option. There are tons of variations online; the easiest way is to begin with online platforms like WeAreDevelopers, Udemy, and Udacity.
What programming languages do you need to know?
You don’t need to know every programming language in the world. However, these days apps are usually built using multiple programming languages, each for specific functions. Here is a selection of popular programming languages for blockchain applications and reasons why you should consider learning each one.
Solidity
Solidity is the original smart contract development language developed by Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin. It’s a high-level, object-oriented programming language for creating smart contracts and dApps on a blockchain-based platform such as Ethereum. The language is a must-know if you want to be a blockchain developer.
C++
C++ is one of the top five most popular programming languages of all time. It is a general-purpose programming language that’s used for many blockchain projects, like the infamous Bitcoin. The EOS blockchain was coded using C++.
If you learn C++, not only will it be a helpful tool for blockchain development, but you’ll also be able to move on to programming in almost any industry with this highly flexible language.
Java
Java is one of the key programming languages that built the internet. It did it by being a very portable language – you can write a program in Java, and then almost anyone in the world can run it. It is a useful feature in blockchain development.
Java is also a multipurpose programming language, and many blockchain projects have been built using it, including Ethereum, NEO, IOTA, and Hyperledger Fabric.
Python
Python is the second most common programming language in the world (behind JavaScript, the web programming language). It’s becoming a beast in the worlds of IoT (Internet of Things), app development and blockchain.
It is incredibly intuitive and easy to learn, which is why it is so successful. Most programming is close to plain English and can be easily understood.
Simplicity
Simplicity is a new language that’s built specifically for developing smart contracts. The language was created to be a high-level blockchain language for developing and reading smart contracts.
Cryptography
Cryptography is fundamental to the blockchain. Almost every process uses some form of public-private key encryption.
You don’t need to become a cryptography expert. However, you should understand the basic principles of cryptography and the basic algorithms. The main ones are block ciphers and hash functions. It's also a good idea to learn the Rivest-Shamir-Adleman and the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature algorithms.
Cryptonomics
Beyond the purely technical skills of programming, as a blockchain developer, you should understand the socioeconomic mechanics of cryptocurrencies. You should know the motivations for developing cryptocurrencies, and how they are different from regular currencies.
You should also get highly familiar with the decentralized application (dApp) movement, and why dApps have the potential to be so revolutionary. Other topics to start learning include game theory, currency valuation and monetary policy on different crypto networks.
Coding resources for beginners
Here are some of the best online resources for learning blockchain programming:
- WeAreDevelopers Videos: Log in to WeAreDevelopers for free and access hundreds of coding videos, talks, and workshops that including blockchain.
- IBM blockchain training: free learning resources by one of the world’s largest tech companies
- CodeAcademy: learn blockchain with Python
- edX: free online courses by world-renowned universities
- Blockchain Council: blockchain certifications
Aside from these, a simple search on Google or YouTube will come up with plenty more learning material. It’s a great idea to follow popular cryptocurrency influencers and channels on Twitter, YouTube and other networks to keep up with what’s happening in the industry.
Conclusion
Blockchain development is now one of the most exciting and profitable careers. There has never been a better reason to become a crypto expert. However, it takes a specific set of skills to get to the level where you can charge fantastic rates, or even develop your own project or company.
The suggested areas in this article are where you need to start, and there are plenty of resources to do so.
There are people who are using blockchain technology to create the next generation of the internet – and get rich in the meantime. The only question is, will you join them?
