In the recent decade, the field of Blockchain technology has advanced dramatically. Thanks to Bitcoin, a lot of people and businesses learned about Blockchain Technology and saw the demand for it develop. It is a technique for keeping the safest, most secure, and fastest records possible, all without the need for a central controlling authority. It has radically changed the way businesses operate and maintain track of transactions and information.
Blockchain technology has piqued the curiosity of many businesses and startups due to its numerous advantages. As a result, the market’s demand for blockchain developers has skyrocketed. According to a LinkedIn research, blockchain is at the top of the list of rising jobs. It is one of the most in-demand skills among multinational corporations.
1. Fundamental skill and Knowledge in Technical Field
To become a blockchain engineer, you’ll need to learn a few abilities. A person’s knowledge of information technology, information security, and computer science should be extensive. An ambitious blockchain developer should have a solid understanding of distributed systems, networking, cryptography, and data structures.
Distributed systems and Networking
Blockchain is a network-based distributed ledger, and an individual should understand how the network and distributed system work. A thorough understanding of peer-to-peer networks is required. It aids in the establishment of a solid foundation in a computer network, which might include everything from routing to network topologies.
In the Blockchain, all of the connected computers are used to process data. Byzantine fault-tolerant consensus is a critical element of Blockchain security that everyone should be aware of. A newbie will be able to get started with just a basic comprehension of how things function and the basic notion.
Cryptography
Cryptography is at the heart of Blockchain, which is also where the cryptocurrency’s name comes from. The Bitcoin blockchain employs public-key cryptography to build hash functions and digital signatures. A developer’s experience in mathematics can also be beneficial in the realm of Blockchain. Block Ciphers, Message Integrity, and Authenticated Encryption are just a few ideas to be familiar with. Hash Function is used to secure payments on e-commerce sites.
Cryptography is at the heart of Blockchain, which is also where the cryptocurrency’s name comes from. The Bitcoin blockchain employs public-key cryptography to build hash functions and digital signatures. A developer’s experience in mathematics can also be beneficial in the realm of Blockchain. Block Ciphers, Message Integrity, and Authenticated Encryption are just a few ideas to be familiar with. Hash Function is used to secure payments on e-commerce sites.
Data Structures
- To learn about the intricate nature of Blockchain, one must first comprehend the data structure. The data in the Blockchain is stored in the form of blocks rather than tables. The term “distributed ledger” refers to the replication of databases over the entire network. Cryptography is used to ensure the integrity of the data in the blocks.Data Structures such as linked lists, graphs, hash maps, search trees, and others should be familiar to a blockchain engineer. The ability to create a data structure from scratch is also required of a blockchain developer. C++, C-Sharp, C, Scala, Java, and Python are all needed programming languages. A person can learn everything they need to know about algorithms and data structures from the GitHub repository.
Cryptonomicon Understanding
A good blockchain developer should be well-versed in the principles of the technology. Cryptonomic is a term that combines the terms cryptography and economics. The value of cryptocurrencies is influenced by currency valuation and a variety of monetary policies. You can also learn about game theory to gain a better understanding of how cryptocurrencies works in the market and how it is valued.
It will explain how cryptocurrencies are maintained in check without the intervention of a central bank. An individual should understand how the cryptocurrency’s economic system works.
2. Smart Contracts
Smart contracts are computer programmes that aid in the automation of transactions. It aids in the expansion of Blockchain’s capabilities without the use of middlemen or attorneys to complete the transaction. Smarts contracts are created under specified criteria or in certain circumstances.
When certain specific scenarios or requirements are met, the transaction will be completed automatically when it is needed. Many developers are now unable to audit and optimise smart contracts. A smart contract developer should be well-versed in all possible execution scenarios. He should be able to guarantee that smart contracts are only performed when they are supposed to be.
3. Decentralized Applications
There are some decentralized applications (DApp) that are built on blockchains. There are various platforms for a blockchain developer to build a DApp. Here are some of the popular Decentralized Applications:
Hyperledger
The main goal of Hyperledger is to develop technologies in the cross-industry Blockchain using an open-source collaborative platform.
EOS
The main goal of the EOS blockchain is to support industrial-scale applications. It is a decentralized operating system that has more scalability and higher transaction speed such as Ethereum.
NEO
Da Hongfei and Erik Zhang founded Antshares in 2014, which was renamed NEO in 2017. NEO is not limited to one language, unlike Ethereum. A beginner can use Various programming languages such as Java and C# can be used to build DApps on NEO. It will work as a platform for digital businesses in the future.
Ethereum
In 2015, Vitalik Buterin created Ethereum, which is currently the most popular platform for development. The Ethereum is fueled by the cryptocurrency called Ether. The language used in the Ethereum is called Solidity. Solidity is a smart-contract oriented language. Robustness is similar to a programming language like JavaScript and C++.
4. Learn to Simplify
The design thinking process should be able to help a blockchain developer innovate. Blockchain is utilised to streamline business operations, allowing organizations to achieve better results.
5. Understand Blockchain Security
Security expertise such as elliptic curve digital signatures, Merkle proofs, cryptographic hashing, private key and public-key cryptography, and many others are required of a Blockchain developer. Security frameworks are evolving to meet regulatory, legal, and compliance requirements.
6. Know the Platforms
In Blockchain, there are numerous frameworks, and knowing them all can be confusing. It’s important to understand how to pick the best blockchain platform for a certain situation. R3 Corda, Ripple, Ethereum, and Hyperledger Fabric are just a few of the amazing blockchain technologies that a newbie may get started learning about.
7. Distributed ledger expertise
To construct distributed ledger technology, a developer must be an expert. It will contribute to the faster development of smart contracts.
8. Interoperability Master
Because there is a risk of deployment on diverse technology platforms of interconnecting ledgers, blockchain developers should have an open-source mindset. Integrating with an enterprise’s systems allows for business outcomes to be driven and latency to be reduced.
9. Embracing Blockchain Expertise as a Service
During the formation of the consortium, skills of negotiation and collaboration are critical. Blockchain as a Service is a new latest thing in the market that a blockchain developer should be able to take benefits from.
10. Learning to Drive Business Outcomes
A developer needs to understand the result expected by a business. One should build direct connections and explore data flow between customers, suppliers and trading partners across the ecosystem.
Conclusion
As we can see how the Blockchain has grown so much in just a few years, no one can deny that the Blockchain is the best technology that many industries will be based on in the future. The skills required to become a blockchain developer ranges from understanding technical knowledge to study fundamentals of working of cryptocurrency and blockchain structures.
Many large companies have already started using the applications of Blockchain in their businesses and reaping its benefits. After almost a decade later, many products and services will be based on blockchain technology only, and it is the right time for anyone to begin their career as a blockchain developer.