According to popular opinion, the blockchain industry is likely to reach $20 billion in revenue by 2025. It is only right that more and more enthusiasts want to learn about blockchain technology and possibly even become blockchain developers. Blockchains have already transformed the digital world by making it more secure and robust, with the best developers from different parts of the world having successful and lavish careers.
Here comes the question - how does one become a Blockchain Developer? Is it hard? How many steps do you need to take in order to start creating and generating income? Let’s find out.
What Is a Blockchain?
Blockchain functions as a digital ledger, akin to a decentralized record-keeping system. In contrast to traditional databases stored in a central location, it disperses information across numerous computers globally.
When transactions occur, they are recorded in a "block" of data, and these blocks are sequentially linked to form a "chain." Notably, the strength of blockchain lies in its immutability—once data is written into a block, altering it becomes highly challenging.
This inherent transparency and security render the technology applicable to diverse use cases beyond mere transactions, such as building complex applications for various use cases related or not related to cryptocurrencies.
What exactly Is Blockchain Development?
The entire lifecycle of creating and maintaining applications and systems that utilize blockchain technology involves various stages.
It includes the creative design phase, the coding or implementation phase, rigorous testing to ensure reliability, and ongoing maintenance to address issues and keep the system up-to-date.
The goal is to harness the benefits of blockchain networks, such as decentralization and security, to create innovative and efficient solutions.
With the broadening capabilities and adoption of these platforms, skilled developers are increasingly sought after
Who is a Blockchain Developer?
A blockchain developer is a tech specialist who works on completing the tasks requiring the implementation of blockchain technology. This could be building smart contracts, designing protocols and consensuses, etc.
N.B. Get more information about different types of blockchain consensuses via GetBlock’s guide.
What does a Blockchain Developer Do?
A Blockchain Developer works with a wide spectrum of tasks; this could be designing blockchain consensus protocols or the network’s architecture. Blockchain Developers are also responsible for building and working with APIs, frontend & backend dApps, and smart contracts. The broad list of responsibilities highlights the importance of a blockchain developer position for the industry as a whole.
How to start a Blockchain Developer career?
To start a Blockchain Developer career, you first need to get familiar with a few key aspects of Blockchain Technology. They include learning about blockchain basics, acquiring tech skills, and getting some firsthand experience.
1. Blockchain Basics and Tech Skills
While it is recommended to have an academic degree in Computer Science or Information Technology, some developers have opted for online educational courses, such as the one on Coursera. Free courses usually do not offer specifics; however, they may help you understand the fundamentals behind blockchain technology and get a better understanding of the core elements each blockchain has. Pay close attention to the principal concepts including (but not limited to) DLT and decentralization.
At this step, you may also want to acquire some basic tech skills, such as checking out information on Programming Languages (e.g. Java, C++, Python), Databases, Cryptography, Data Structures, and so on. What’s more, it is recommended to learn about web designing and development processes, as it could be a massive help in the future.
2. Cryptonomics
Cryptonomics (Cryptography + Economics) is a cardinal element of blockchain technology. It is the economical prospect of some blockchain-based products that drives them to success. Here, you have to get a clear understanding of transaction fees, mining, as well as the current environmental concerns.
3. Ethereum and dApps
With the launch of Ethereum in 2015, blockchain development was able to blossom. Ethereum is the number one choice for smart contract & decentralized application development. While recently platforms like Solana have also entered the game, beginners usually resort to Ethereum, as it is extremely functional and versatile.
4. Solidity and smart contracts
At this step, it is essential you get familiar with smart contracts, as they are associated with protocols and conditions that are used to get rid of the third party presence. Thus, smart contracts substitute for a crucial part of the blockchain development process. Moreover, Solidity - a programming language leveraged by the Ethereum ecosystem - will help you write smart contracts; therefore, it is important to get some kind of idea of what it looks like.
Solidity Explained Solidity Tutorials
5. Get some experience
One would know to implement some of the theoretical knowledge into the real, more practical, world. This is a particularly important step, as it may help you decide on what kind of direction you want to go further: perhaps, you would like to write smart contracts, or maybe you’re more into designing architecture for a new network.
Furthermore, there are several forums, like Reddit or Stack Overflow, where you can connect with other blockchain enthusiasts and share your experience with each other. What’s more, some people like to participate in hackathons (hacking marathons), where they can practice their skills and collaborate with other software engineers; or get a scholarship in blockchain and distributed ledger technology offered by top international universities. Besides, you can get some practical knowledge by resorting to reading professional literature.
How to become a successful blockchain developer?
Blockchain is no longer an uncharted territory for developers but still an evolving technology. Therefore, nowadays, being proficient in the field is synonymous with keeping up with trends as technology improves.
One example of the most recent groundbreaking tech in the field is zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) based systems that shape the foundation for faster and lower-cost development.
Therefore, the question of how to keep up with the space stands right next to understanding how to learn blockchain. It involves an ongoing process of adapting and gaining new knowledge to enhance code and make it secure and resilient.
How can GetBlock help
GetBlock is a pioneer blockchain nodes provider for 55+ leading networks, including the mentioned-above Ethereum. GetBlock’s clients do not have to spend weeks, months or, for some, even years trying to acquire as much coding and computer science skills as possible to be ready to launch their decentralized businesses on a blockchain.
GetBlock takes all the weight from its clients’ shoulders by offering two types of nodes - shared and dedicated. Nodes are geographically distributed components of computational blockchain infrastructure. Each blockchain is compatible with its own node architecture design.
N.B. Read more on crypto nodes here
Shared nodes are an excellent first-entry solution for web3 developers, which lets users try out their decentralized applications under real economic conditions provided by the blockchain they want to work with.
On the other hand, dedicated nodes are a privately designed solution for entrepreneurs looking for ways to implement the latest API-driven infrastructure into their businesses. Unlike the shared nodes option, here, users do not have to share node architecture with other peers.
GetBlock team offers unique and reliable development solutions for any customer.
Also if you want to brush up on your skills and see how you stack up against the current best practices and trends in the blockchain field you can use this guide with effective interview questions by Toptal.
