How to Become a Blockchain Developer From Scratch

By Archer Charles 14-Apr-2023
How to Become a Blockchain Developer From Scratch

In a world where new technologies and trends change rapidly, blockchain has been one of the most innovative and exciting technologies to emerge and leave a mark. Networks in the blockchain such as Ethereum help in creating smart contracts which are self-executing contracts. This technology is poised to revolutionise almost every industry from medicine to finance to logistics. With more organisations exploring and adopting blockchain technology for their existing infrastructure, the demand for blockchain developers has gone up significantly in the past few years.

Before learning how to become a blockchain developer, you should know about everything this role entails and how the industry works. There is already a high demand for skilled developers, which is expected to grow as the applications and networks of blockchain technology expand further. Building a career in the blockchain or cryptocurrency industry is a way to future-proof your skills and career.

What Does a Blockchain Developer Do?

Blockchain developers help create smart contracts and dApps or decentralised applications with blockchain technology as a foundation. They must also understand the protocols and architecture of blockchain technology as it exists today as well as any updates made to the technology, smart contracts or dApps in general. A blockchain developer creates 3D designs, 3D models and content similar to things you see in video games. 

There are various types of blockchain developers who can be classified into two broad categories or sub-divisions:

  • Core Blockchain Developer
  • Blockchain Software Developer

Core Blockchain Developers help in designing the architecture and security of proposed Blockchain systems. In other words, this professional helps organisations to lay a strong foundation on which to build other applications and networks.

Blockchain Software Developers use the core architecture of the web that a developer has made to build apps of the dApp and web categories. 

There are also situations, mostly in small or new organisations, where one person dons multiple hats and single-handedly plays both these roles. The key responsibilities of a Blockchain Developer are as follows:

  • Designing blockchain protocols
  • Designing network architecture needed to centralise or decentralise existing data
  • Developing the backend in line with Blockchain protocols
  • Monitoring and developing smart contracts to meet enterprise requirements
  • Developing all front-end design requirements according to the brief and client needs

The main responsibility of a Blockchain Developer is developing innovative solutions in response to existing challenges and problems in the industry and the organisation. This includes solutions for control, high integrity and control. They also perform complex designing, analysis, testing, development and debugging of software, particularly for product hardware or technical service lines. Blockchain Developers generally perform integration of operating architecture, software design and selection of computer systems. Additionally, they operate on several systems while demonstrating knowledge of multiple programming languages and platforms. 

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Benefits and Routes to Become a Certified Blockchain Developer

There are several benefits and routes you can take to become a certified blockchain developer. 

1. Understand the fundamentals of blockchain technology:

You can either teach yourself or enrol in an organisation or learning platform either online or offline. The fundamentals of blockchain technology include consensus mechanisms, decentralisation, hashing functions, security, cryptocurrencies and mining, along with several development tools and their uses. There are also several components of Blockchain like block hash, block index, blocks, timestamps and block time.

2. Get hands-on learning and interact with systems:

Download and implement existing blockchain wallets or decentralised apps and understand how they function. Generate or create and use private keys and wallet addresses, transfer crypto and other value tokens between two blockchains or more, learn about transactions and data recording, interact with and understand smart contract platforms and engage with developers by joining developer forums. 

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3. Learn to code and earn a professional certification:

You have the option of joining a course or institution for coding or teaching yourself online. The latter will mean learning through free resources online which may or may not follow any structure. Meanwhile, joining an online institution will mean you get a structured learning system, expert mentors and a recognised certification upon completing the course. 

Choosing coding or programming languages that provide a wide range of job opportunities in the market and have applications in blockchain as a domain. It helps to choose a language that blockchain requires for resource management. You should also learn about the deterministic nature of blockchain transactions and explore how this can be achieved in code while coding every aspect of the blockchain.

4. Become a blockchain engineer: 

There are several ways to do this. You can either join a competition, a hackathon or a blockchain training company. Upon completing a project or winning a competition, you earn a certification that validates your capabilities as a blockchain engineer. Some of the tasks you must complete are 

  • Develop a genesis block
  • Add other blocks to it
  • Validate the blockchain
  • Demonstrate usage of the blockchain

5. Learn how to develop smart contracts:

Start developing smart contracts, earn a professional certification and use it to land a high-paying job.

6. Look for jobs in the right place:

Once you have gained the necessary skills and earned the qualifications needed to become a Blockchain Developer, you can start applying for jobs in the market. There is a growing demand for certified and trained Blockchain Developers in the market, so you will find opportunities quite freely available. If you enrol in an online institution like Koenig to train for Blockchain development, you will get expert assistance and placements in leading organisations, as well as assistance while you apply. 

Technical Skills You Will Need as a Blockchain Developer:

1. Understanding of Blockchain architecture:

Make sure you know what blockchain is, how it works, advanced security protocols in Blockchain, Blockchain integration, application and its advantages and drawbacks. As a blockchain developer, you should understand hash functions, blockchain consensus and how distributed ledgers work. You can also choose to specialise in a blockchain network such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Polygon or Hyperledger.

2. Understanding of databases and data structures:

You should understand blockchain network configuration according to the relevant requirements and best data structures and database options for your targeted network.

3. Smart contract development:

Every blockchain developer must understand smart contracts, the platforms they work on and their applications. As a blockchain developer, you should know the various smart contract types and learn to develop them. 

4. Decentralisation:

You should know the applications of decentralisation for blockchain and dApps. Decentralised apps can be made on various blockchain platforms using several procedures and protocols. 

5. Cryptography:

Digital ledgers and cryptography make up the foundational pillars of blockchain. Developers must understand how to define cryptography, the algorithms applicable for cryptography and which algorithms are best suited for each blockchain network. 

Also Read: What is a Blockchain Wallet and How Does It Work?

6. Cryptonomics:

Cryptonomics refers to the economic ideas related to monetisation and their coding onto the blockchain. blockchain developer course s provide insight into mathematical frameworks for cryptonomic modelling, game theory and the conflicts in modelling. you should also learn about the factors affecting cryptonomics and the monetary policies related to it.

7. Computer coding:

Computer programming is one of the most essential skills for development, especially for an effective and advanced decentralised app. However, some beginner-level roles or projects might not require this skill at all.

Several online platforms can help you become a blockchain developer from scratch through comprehensive training courses. These platforms include Coursera, Skillshare, Edx.org, Circuit Stream and others where you can learn programming languages like Javascript, Java, Swift and Python from the ground up. These languages also find applications in blockchain development and programming. 

Enrolling in a training course on Koenig not only teaches you how to become a blockchain developer but also gives you expert mentorship, flexible learning timelines and guidance for placements. Give your career the boost it deserves and enrol in a Blockchain development course on Koenig today. 

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Archer Charles

Archer Charles has top education industry knowledge with 4 years of experience. Being a passionate blogger also does blogging on the technology niche.