Blockchain technology is gradually revolutionizing the way the digital world handles data and does business.
However, blockchain technology is more than just cryptocurrency, and it is already changing the way we see everything.
Furthermore, in the past few decades, cryptocurrency and blockchains have taken the world by storm due to their immense potential, and most industries across the globe want to use them for their businesses.
Blockchain technology was initially designed to just support Bitcoin, but its high levels of versatility and security caught the attention of numerous businesses and government sectors who started using it in their day-to-day operations.
This is why it makes sense to consider becoming a blockchain developer, as it has a lot of growth potential.
Who is a Blockchain Developer?
A blockchain developer can be regarded as someone with a strong mix of skills in areas like data structures, cryptography, computer networking, and algorithms. Furthermore, a blockchain developer can have experience with a specific type of blockchain like Ethereum or Bitcoin.
A blockchain developer also helps an organization develop smart contracts and web apps needed to develop and optimize blockchain protocols and craft the architecture of blockchain systems.
Popular Blockchain Developer Skills
- Cryptography
- Smart Contracts
- Data Structures
- Blockchain Architecture
- Web Development
Cryptography
Cryptography is the study of protocols that help in preventing unwanted parties from accessing your data.
It is a method of protecting information and communications through the use of codes, so that only those for whom the information is intended can read and process it. The prefix "crypt-" means "hidden" or "vault" -- and the suffix "-graphy" stands for "writing."
There are numerous blockchain essentials for developers in cryptography that you should be familiar with because they are needed during blockchain development.
For instance, a crucial topic of blockchain is public-key cryptography, as it forms the basis for any transactions made through cryptocurrencies.
Before making cryptocurrency transactions, you will need to have a wallet and a key to the wallet.
The key is quite essential as it helps in proving the ownership of the wallet. Another important concept of cryptography for blockchain is cryptographic hashing.
Smart Contracts
Smart contracts are simply programs stored on a blockchain that run when predetermined conditions are met.
They typically are used to automate the execution of an agreement so that all participants can be immediately certain of the outcome, without any intermediary’s involvement or time loss.
They can also automate a workflow, triggering the next action when conditions are met.
Smart contracts are a popular term in the blockchain industry, and almost every blockchain solution uses smart contracts to their benefit.
They allow two parties to exchange goods or services without the need for an intermediary. A smart contract will only finish after the parties involved fulfill both of their conditions.
Smart contracts can be used in many areas of numerous industries like construction, law, etc. This shows how important it is to be familiar with smart contracts before becoming a blockchain developer.
Data Structures
Before becoming a blockchain developer, you will need to have extensive knowledge of data structures.
This is because blockchain developers will regularly work with various data structures and then need to build networks and implement them. Furthermore, the entire blockchain network comprises data structures.
Blockchain Architecture
As a blockchain developer, you need to be familiar with blockchain architecture.
Furthermore, you should know what a blockchain ledger entails in blockchain, what consensus is, and the ways smart contracts work.
There are three kinds of blockchain architecture:
- consortium architecture
- private architecture
- public architecture.
Web Development
In most cases, a blockchain developer will be developing web apps.
Therefore, by learning about web development, you will know more about all the blockchain technology aspects, which you can then use to build robust web apps that use blockchain technology.
You will also need to learn web design, development, and programming of apps, which can help you to develop better Dapps.
It is important that you know about web development as most organizations require that blockchain developers create apps that even people with minimal knowledge of blockchain can easily use.