If you are considering a career as a block chain developer, there is no better time to start than now. The block chain is still in its infancy, and there is a shortage of skilled developers who can work with block chain technology. As the technology matures, the demand for block chain developers will continue to grow.
If you are interested in becoming a block chain developer, here are some tips on how to get started:
1. Learn the Basics of Block Chain Technology
Block chain technology is based on a simple idea: that digital information can be stored in a distributed database. The most common form of distributed database is called a “blockchain.” A blockchain is like a giant spreadsheet that tracks every transaction that occurs in the system. It is not stored on any single server, but rather spread across many different computers around the world. This makes it virtually impossible to hack or alter the data stored on it, which makes it very secure.
There are plenty of resources out there on the internet, where you can learn about how blockchains work and the fundamentals of blockchain development. Here are just a few:
Mastering Bitcoin by Andreas Antonopoulos is a fantastic book which explains the basic concepts of Bitcoin and blockchain technology, without going too much into detail. It was published in 2017, so it is quite up to date as well.
The Ethereum White Paper by Vitalik Buterin explains the fundamental concepts of Ethereum in great detail.
Introduction to Blockchain by IBM Developer contains several articles that explain basic concepts such as blockchains, smart contracts and cryptocurrency mining.
Learn About Smart Contracts and Other Applications of Block Chain Technology
Smart contracts are computer programs that execute automatically when certain conditions are met — for example, if someone buys something from an online retailer using their credit card and the retailer sends them a receipt via email, then the receipt will automatically trigger the purchase order from the supplier.
Learn JavaScript
If you are intending to get Python jobs in the the market and don’t know JavaScript, or at least another popular dynamically-typed language like Python or Ruby, you should learn JavaScript. While other languages have their place in blockchain development, most if not all of the tools and libraries that developers use to interact with blockchains are written in JavaScript. This means that if you want to work with those tools (and you probably do), you need to be able to read and write JavaScript.
If you don’t know any programming languages at all, learning Python is recommended. It is arguably easier than JavaScript and it will give you a better foundation for when you go on to learn JavaScript later.
Whether you are truly interested in becoming a developer, or if you want to learn more about space and how this technology could impact your life, the above-mentioned guidelines are for you. Make sure that you remember these tips for all times to come.