Becoming a Blockchain Developer: Essential Skills and Career Pathways
Table of Contents
- jaro education
- 20, September 2024
- 5:00 pm
In the last decade, blockchain and cryptocurrency have been the talk of the town. It is a modern and exciting technology with endless possibilities, prompting companies to invest resources in developing it further. As a result, the role and demand of a blockchain developer have also increased to support the growth of this new domain. According to a Statista report, blockchain technology will reach USD 1235 billion in 2030.Â
Now, blockchain developers are responsible for building the blockchain network. They must have essential blockchain technology, cryptocurrency, smart contracts, and data structure skills to carry on with this work. Also, they should be expert in programming languages.
So, if you are planning to become a developer and work on blockchain projects, then this blog will give you the skills you need for a successful career.
*appventurez
Essential Skill Sets to Become a Blockchain Developer
Here are the essential skills you need to become a developer of blockchain technology –
Understanding of Blockchain Architecture
A blockchain developer must understand the architecture of blockchain. There are three forms of blockchain architecture – public architecture, private architecture and consortium architecture.Â
The public blockchain architecture allows anyone who wants to access information and utilise systems, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. These systems support public blockchain architecture. People can access all the information from these systems and participate in the entry process. This is the most decentralised blockchain architecture.Â
The private blockchain systems are managed by individual organisations and they are centralised in nature. On the other hand, the consortium system is suitable for blockchain projects which include use cases associating with multi-organisational groupings.
Knowledge of Cryptography
Cryptography is another essential skill for a blockchain developer. It is a methodology that helps in designing algorithms and procedures for prohibiting foreign entities from accessing and reading the content of personal messages during a communication session. A blockchain developer must understand the following concepts in cryptocurrency –
- Encryption: It’s the technique for transforming an ordinary text into a secret code, which is a sequence of bits.
- Decryption: It’s the alternate process of encryption. That means encrypted text becomes converted into plain text with the help of decryption.
- Hash Function: It’s a process of encoding that doesn’t need any keys. It plays a significant role in connecting the blocks within a blockchain and ensuring the security of the blocks. It generates hash code from a defined length of data. Also, no one can derive the original data from this hash code.Â
- Symmetric Key Cryptography: It’s an encryption technique that uses only a single key. This key is shared between the sender and the recipient during the encryption and decryption processes.Â
- Asymmetric Key Cryptography: In this technique, there is a pair of keys – the public key and the private key. The public key is used to encrypt the messages. Anyone can use this key. The private key decrypts the messages. It can be usable only by the person who owns it.
Clarity of Data Structure
Blockchain systems are built with the data structure, and as a developer, one must have a clear knowledge of data structure. This is how the data structure in blockchain works –
First, a unit of data is collected and encoded within a block. The data can be a computerised proof of ownership, property, transaction details, or anything else. Also, the encrypted identifications of the sender and recipient are stored within the blocks. Each block is encrypted by the hash codes. These codes restrict the modification of the content within the block. In this way, the hash algorithm secures the content of the blocks. Any modification in the blocks changes the hash code. Thus, the hash function can easily detect the modification within the blocks.
*masterthecrypto
Be Aware of Smart Contracts
Smart contracts are the popular concepts that are utilised in blockchain projects related to industries like e-commerce, finance, and insurance. These help exchange the goods and services between the parties without any need for a middleman. The parties who are directly associated with the transactions, perform the smart contracts.Â
A blockchain developer builds the programming of the blockchain so that the smart contracts run and help transfer the payments between the right parties while certifying a vehicle, delivering a ticket or anything related to business. It ensures that, once the transaction is complete, it can’t be altered. Also, each transaction within the blockchain network is linked with the preceding and the next entries.
*blockgeeks
Be Aware of Smart Contracts
The capacity to view and collect data between different blockchain systems is known as interoperability. It makes the data transfer easier between the blockchains. A blockchain developer uses APIs to ensure this interoperability, and these APIs deliver data content throughout the blockchain platforms, but they don’t mandate cross-platform verification for agreement methods.Â
Extensive Knowledge of Programming Languages
There are different programming languages used in blockchain technologies. So, a blockchain developer should know versatile programming languages, like Python, Java, JavaScript and C++. Specifically, they need a strong understanding of object-oriented programming, different frameworks and libraries.Â
Also, they should be aware of DevOps practices like participation in code review, usage of source control or team configuration, writing quality and secured codes.Â
The Best Career Pathways for a Blockchain Developer
Here is an overview of the career pathways for a developer of blockchain that you can explore –
1. Blockchain Developer
Blockchain developers are in demand in the current job market. They have to pay close attention to every detail and help businesses utilise the benefits of blockchain. Blockchain developers also need a lot of experience in working with programming languages, like Python, C++ and JavaScript.Â
Aspiring blockchain developers must know about Ethereum, Ethereum development tools, transactions within blockchain networks and solidity fundamentals. It helps them find better opportunities as they progress in their career.
2. Blockchain UI/UX Designer
The User Interface (UI) of blockchain has a significant role as it’s used in several blockchain projects and use cases. Thus, the major responsibility of a blockchain UI/UX designer is to build an interface that has an excellent user experience. Along with the technical know-how, blockchain UI developers must have creative eyes to deliver a unique experience to the clients.Â
3. Blockchain Quality Engineer
Blockchain quality engineers are in charge of performing tests and maintaining the standard of the process. They help the developers every step of the way through feedback and ensure the development work is going on while maintaining the best possible quality.
Additionally, quality engineers must have a clear understanding of the fundamentals of blockchain development, Ethereum technology, AWS Blockchain, tokenization, smart contract development, solidity programming and DeFi security. Moreover, they must have an understanding of the new platforms like Hedra and Polygon.Â
4. Blockchain Consultant
The objective of a blockchain consultant is to identify the business requirements and evaluation of the blockchain. Blockchain consultants guide businesses in the development of blockchain-based systems and ensure regulatory compliance within these systems. Additionally, they must have strong communication skills and deliver customised solutions for organisations.Â
5. Blockchain Expert
Blockchain experts have mastery over everything about blockchain technology. They guide a blockchain developer and help organisations to improve their blockchain strategies. They must have in-depth knowledge of blockchain fundamentals, DeFi, relationships between blockchain and NFTs, and the metaverse.Â
Also, they should know about how blockchain helps in Bitcoin design. Additionally, they have a skill set in Ethereum technology, Polygon, CBDCs and stablecoins.Â
How to Become a Blockchain Developer?
Here is an overview of how you can shape your career to become a blockchain developer –
- First, complete a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science or IT.
- Learn the fundamentals and core principles of blockchain technology.
- Try to gain experience in working with the basic concepts of blockchain. So, review other apps from GitHub and build your blockchain projects.
- Gain an understanding of the tools and technologies related to blockchain development. Also, be aware of the latest trends. For instance, know how blockchain works with technologies like AI, ML and deep learning.   Â
- Then, join the blockchain communities and groups. Ask other developers for a blockchain developer job reference.Â
- Also, take blockchain courses from popular organisations or platforms.Â
Final Thoughts
To sum up, finding a career as a blockchain developer is not a hassle in the modern environment. Blockchain as a technology is witnessing increasing acceptance and popularity worldwide, driving the need for potent developers to deliver the best outcomes. So, work on the skills required for this job and find a successful career in blockchain development.
Furthermore, to aid in this career development process and bring blockchain and education closer to you, Jaro Education has some fantastic courses. The UG and PG courses will help you stay ahead of the industry requirements and become a successful professional.
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