If you are looking for a stable career, you need to find an industry that will boom soon, and the perfect example of such an industry is nothing but blockchain technology. Although this technology appeared as a base for the world’s famous crypto, Bitcoin, it became popular among other sectors due to its trustworthiness. Many people are coming under this umbrella while many companies seek experts to build their blockchain.
If you are keen to build your career in this industry, there is no alternative to having a deep understanding of it. In this article, we list step-by-step procedures to become a developer.
Three things to know before starting:
- There are two types of developers with no previous programming language and careers that share similarities with the technology.
- Such developers need a unique way of thinking to deal with the unique challenges of the blockchain, including a ‘hacker’ mindset.
- Before jumping into courses, those who don’t know programming languages may learn Python, JavaScript, C++, SQL, etc.
Step 1. Understand your goal
It would help if you sorted out your goal at the initial stage as different approaches are available. You can be an employee or find a job in a blockchain company as a developer, and you can also be an entrepreneur to open your company.
According to a survey by Computerworld, the average salary of such a developer is $140,000 per year in the US, which is approximately more than 40% of web developers’ payments.
One of the most significant flexibility of being a developer is that it does not require going office regularly. As all of the work are online-based, you can do it from anywhere. Therefore, there is no country barrier in this sector.
On the other hand, the blockchain is the core function of cryptocurrencies, where you can make your fortune by developing crypto tokens and raising funds through ICO. For example, Javascript creator Brandon Eich launched the Brave browser and raised approx. $36 million in only 25 seconds.
Step 2. Get familiar with the basics
When you have a decent knowledge of computer science and have already set your goal as a developer, it is time to get acquainted with the basics of blockchain.
- Blockchain
A decentralized, secure ledger of transactions that don’t allow it to be falsified, and miners verify transactions.
- Miners
Individuals or groups use massive computing power to solve complex mathematical problems to verify transactions and get rewards.
- Cryptocurrency
A digital currency that uses cryptography to ensure verifiable and secure transactions.
- Public Key
An alphanumeric string that enables receiving Bitcoin and other crypto coins.
- Private Key
An alphanumeric string to facilitate transactions on the blockchain.
- Proof of work
It is a method to reward miners with fees when they verify transactions by solving complex mathematical equations.
- Proof of stake
A method to reward miners with fees for how many coins are in possession. Many coins mean much mining power.
- dApps
Open-source applications operate anonymously, and no single person or group controls the app.
- Decentralization
You can consider it a distributed network system with no central authority to control.
Step 3. Pick and blockchain
You don’t need to learn about every blockchain when you want to become a developer. Pick any blockchain or focus on blockchain that matters to you to avoid distractions. Learn everything you can about the Bitcoin blockchain as it is the existing most stable and tested technology alongside Ethereum, EOS, etc. Then learn about the dApps that already exist on the technology.
When creating dApps, there are three components to consider:
- How the protocol works.
- How to write smart contracts.
- How to fit all the pieces together in any dApp.
When developing smart contracts and dApps, the tools you will need are Metamask, Solc, Remix, Ganache, Web3, Truffle, etc.
Step 4. Resources and community
Blockchain technology is comparatively new to the world and continuously changing. So when you want to be a developer of this system, you should keep track of all the latest developments and news to keep pace. It is critical to find trustworthy sources in this era of “fake news.” However, many sources like BTC Wires, Cointelegraph, CoinDesk, TodayOnChain, CCN, etc., publish more comparative data about this technology.
Another vital factor is the community behind any blockchain project. When you want to be a developer, it will help if you join communities and be active there.
Step 5. Implementation
Now you may gather a basic level of knowledge to be a developer in blockchain technology. Now prepare for interviews when applying for jobs as a developer. General boards that may not all focus or depend entirely on this technology also offer developers a decent number of jobs.
Suppose you choose to be a developer and an entrepreneur. Then develop your dApp or blockchain protocol structure. Then publish it, ask for feedback on your newfound developer community, and use their feedback to improve and integrate your application.
Final thought
Note that no one can be a developer in a blockchain protocol overnight. It can take 10,000 hours of practice and study to master something. There are thousands of resources available to help individuals start a career as a developer. It is a relatively young technology offering enormous opportunities.