Start a Career in Blockchain App Development

Blockchain technology has taken the leading position amongst software development companies in terms of the demand for programmers. Talented blockchain engineers are currently the most required in the field and gain, on average, more than $150, 000 per year in the United States.

However, many growing talents in software engineering still have a lot of questions related to blockchain development and concerns about the security of the app architecture. Referring to the word “blockchain,” it can be described as an online system that is duplicated on thousands of computers and distributes the information amongst them. These machines are called “nodes” and they help build the blockchain. This distribution and the specifics of the blockchain architecture allow keeping the Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies data safe from hacker attacks.

Check out the information below on how blockchain is secured.

Key Points on Blockchain Security

1. Decentralized Transactions

Blockchain technology is based on the distributed registers of all transactions. Generally, data storages are the most vulnerable part of the application. In the case of the centralized ledger, if a hacker gains access to the main registry of the records, they can steal an unlimited sum of the money or acquire personal information if they just look through the list of the transactions. At the same time, the blockchain architecture is the complete opposite. It implies that a single computer or a system cannot get control over the whole central point. It is hard to attack thousands of the devices at the same moment. Moreover, the nodes are synced with each other and, in case of attack, the others will discard any changes being produced by the hacker. So, the more partitioned the network, the more reliable and secured it is.

2. Cryptography and Complexity

To implement safe transactions across the Internet, blockchain technology uses the unsymmetric cryptography that operates via keys: one is the public, the second is a private one. This combination creates the digital signature of the person, exchanging cryptocurrency.

Also, blockchain uses the compound math algorithms that validate transactions and reject the transaction if the nodes cannot approve that the initiator of it can be proven based on the virtual currency they possesses for this operation.

Blockchain Development Languages

In order to start development of the blockchain software, the next more prevalent languages can be used and are currently the most demanded in the niche:

• C++: this language is the predecessor of several modern scripting languages. Developed as an alternative to the C- language, C++ has a memory controller, which is suitable for the complex simultaneous operations that take control over the nodes memory usage and CPU. C++ is used for the building of the complex apps, avoiding high load on the CPU and performance issues, which are the two most crucial aspects of the blockchain technology. Moreover, C++ allows multithreading calculations required for the cryptographic algorithms. It is worth mentioning that Satoshi Nakamoto implemented Bitcoin using C++.
• JavaScript (JS): despite the fact that JavaScript can more easily process communication between the nodes, this syntax is not as powerful as C++ in terms of crypto-calculations and the processing powers on the nodes.
• Solidity: the syntax of this language is based on the JS. Solidity was created by the Ethereum decentralized platform formers and it allows implementing the high-level code, compiling it into the simple machine code. Moreover, Solidity is used for the implementation of the smart contracts, so its knowledge is also required to be a professional in the area.
• Java is the ancestor of the C++ and is one of the most widely-used languages for software development. Nevertheless, it perfectly matches when creating the immutable blockchains, which use hashes, that are then added to each block, and provide protection against changes in the nodes. It is actually the perfect match for network operations. Moreover, different devices in the blockchain network can remain autonomous with simultaneous access to the network if programmed using this language.
• Ruby is one of the perfect languages for multi-purpose blockchain development, particularly because of its simplicity and customization to particular requirements.
• Python is classified among the minimalistic languages and has several advantages; first, it is easy to learn and apply, and secondly, it is the right multi-purpose choice for building the architecture of the nodes and implementing the smart contracts or algorithms used mainly for enterprise deals.
• Go language is a popular coding syntax. When developing your own blockchain with Go, it will take approximately 200 lines of the code, which is quite little for such a complex, secured system.

Moreover, knowing the principles of the HTTP architecture is mandatory for blockchain engineer, as well, since the requests to the blockchain are done via these requests.

Theoretically, blockchain platforms can be implemented using any scripting language, but in practice, C, C++, Python, Java, and Go lang have quite a reliable reputation in the field.

How to Become a Blockchain Developer?

As the blockchain architecture and technologies are expanding rapidly, it is obvious that engineers who want to enter this industry should be ready to take on the constant self-educating and dedication required for this line of work.

What Engineering Skills, Background, and Experience Are Required to Become a Blockchain Developer?

Here is the list of qualifications that will help you to become a skilled blockchain engineer:

• Obtain the blockchain technology concepts. The best way to learn the principles of the blockchain is to read fundamental books, such as “Digital Gold” by Nathaniel Popper or “Unlocking Digital Cryptocurrencies” by Andreas M. Antonopoulos. These will provide you with a deep understanding of the basics terms, such as blockchain, decentralization, consensus mechanism, Ethereum, and smart contracts.
• Learn more about the blockchain architecture including the block structure itself, Merkle trees, lock-time transactions, and different forks (hard or soft).
• Study the famous Bitcoin whitepaper by Satoshi Nakamoto, who is the developer of the Bitcoin cryptocurrency protocol and the first implementation of the application using that protocol.
• Also, it is worth studying the official Ethereum white paper to know the principles of this platform and the basics of the decentralization.
• Polish off your programming skills, including one of the following languages: C or C++, Java or C#, Python and Scala, Erlang, and Haskell.
• Learn the Hyperledger Fabric, because currently, it is the top-rated blockchain framework. Knowing its principles allows building a blockchain network. The Hyperledger Fabric contains the technical approaches that provide the protection of blockchain confidential transactions.
• Implement educational projects using open-source examples on the Internet and try to create a smart contract.
• Pass the internship in the company that deals with the blockchain.
• Pass online courses related to blockchain technology engineering on any web-based platforms such as Coursera, EDX, Udacity, and many others.
• Pass any professional financial course. You need to obtain knowledge in cryptocurrencies, investments, and finances if you want to run a startup or hire the financial manager who is the specialist in the blockchain area as well.

In addition to that, being a regular programmer is not enough for changing into an excellent blockchain developer. Hence, the blockchain engineer should know mathematics, the principles of cryptography, and blockchain algorithms like the back of his hand. So, a computer science degree is highly recommended for these purposes. Moreover, back-end development experience, ideally with several programming languages, is crucial and preferred by recruiters.

Taking into account all of the above, entering the world of the blockchain development is not that difficult if you have the proper background and motivation for continuous learning of the expeditiously growing technology. Give it a try!