Blockchain technology is one of the fastest-growing technologies in the world of IT. Blockchain technology which is also known as Distributed ledger technology is a recent development in the IT sector. It was first brought into use by a single person or a group who call themselves Satoshi Nakamoto in the year 2008. The Blockchain technology was first used for transactions of cryptocurrency. This technology is revolutionizing the way in which the information is shared, transactions are made and data is protected. The main reason for this is its principle of decentralizing power over information on transactions and critical information. While the power is decentralized the data is protected through crypto hashing. In recent years, there has been a rising demand for blockchain developers as it is believed to be the technology of the next generation.
What is Blockchain technology?
As mentioned earlier Blockchain technology is based on the principles of decentralization and protection of information through hashing. Rather than giving you a technical answer here’s a simple example that easily explains how Blockchain works. Imagine that you have ordered something from an e-commerce website. The moment you confirm your order a block is generated which consists of all the information about you and your order. This block will be given a hash of fixed length. When the order is placed to the distributor another block is created with all the information of the previous block and another hash number then the two blocks are chained together. Then it goes to the shipping facility then a local shipping station and finally, you get the product.
During all this process a block is created with the involvement of each new source and it is chained with previous blocks along with a hash number. It not only contains order details and personal information but also the timestamps. This helps each person involved in the transaction to know where the product is currently at, providing complete transparency in the transaction.
What are the skills required to be a blockchain developer?
There are many roles in the Blockchain technology for which a company hires its employees. Some jobs can be related to the creation and distribution of ledgers where some crypto jobs are paid in cryptocurrency. So the applicants must have some expertise in the development of software technology. In addition to that, they also need solid knowledge about the core principles of blockchain and its wide range of applications. Not only software development but experts in data security and networking can also be an essential part of the blockchain technology. This is because the protection and integrity of data also play a major role in blockchain development.
Who is hiring blockchain developers?
Currently, almost every industry that uses online presence and the internet to run its businesses are looking for blockchain developers. This is because they want to be able to share a single piece of data among themselves rather than having copies of it with each of them. To name a few some of these industries are as follows.
Tech giants
Some of the largest and well-reputed companies like Microsoft and IBM are hiring employees to work for their blockchain projects. They are trying to develop blockchain products by using their cloud platforms that have built-in blockchain-as-a-service tools.
Banking industry
As you may have already witnessed in the past few years there emerged a lot of online payment options. The online payment through credit card and debit card have been around for quite some time. But there are new applications that allow you to do online transactions with even less difficulty. All of these applications use blockchain technology to keep track of each and every transaction made by the customers. Not only transactions but these companies must ensure the safety of the payments as the customers may lose money and confidential information. So these jobs need a lot of expertise in Blockchain development.
Understand basic requirements
Excel in anything one has to perfect when it comes to the basics of it. The same goes for Blockchain more so because it is a new technology compared to others. This leaves a lot of scope in developing new ways and methods to execute Blockchain. It is better if you understand how critical this is at the beginning of your career. The more knowledge you have on DAaps, smart contracts and decentralization the better the chances of your growth in the area of Blockchain development. This is very important because these are the most essential features of Blockchain development. You will definitely need a degree or some background in software development to land a job. If you want to have some formal education on Blockchain it is better to join a reputed online course rather than joining professional courses.
Learning cryptography
The protection of assets has become more important than ever before as the assets in the current world are not just physical. The confidential information of companies and their customers are the most important assets of businesses these days. Blockchain technology plays a major role in the protection of these assets during transactions and distribution of information. This is where cryptography comes into play. All of the blocks created in the Blockchain are to be encrypted so that no third person accesses the information being shared. So if you have high-level expertise in cryptography then you will have a prominent role in Blockchain development.
Study different use cases of distributed ledger technology
It is very essential for a beginner to understand that Blockchain is a fairly new technology. Which means there is a lot to be learned and discovered in this area. There are many solutions that Blockchain offers to various organizations. That means there are many use cases for the technology which you may not have studied or come across. So you can study the use cases of various organizations of different industries to see how they applied the technology. By doing this you will have an idea of different ways in which you can offer solutions to your customers.
Manifest your ideas into reality
Just studying the various use cases is not enough if you want to see growth in your career. One must learn to apply what they have learned into their work. While learning new ways of applications you might come across some methods which are easy but effective. Similarly, you may also find some methods which are complex but not so effective. Find out what has been done right and what has gone wrong in those scenarios. See if you can add something new to those techniques to make them better. Think of new ways to make the technology more effective. Try new things and test them to see if they work.
Conclusion
Blockchain development is one of those technologies that is currently in boom. With the rising need for Blockchain requirements in all sectors, there is an increase in job opportunities for Blockchain developers. The main principles of Blockchain are decentralization and the protection of critical information. This technology shares the information and executes transactions in a completely transparent manner. One needs some level of expertise in software development, data protection or networking along with the understanding of basic Blockchain development to get a job in this area. It is a new technology that still has a lot of scope to be developed further. Cryptography is a key factor as you have to protect the data from third parties. Study and apply different types of techniques that you come across to have a rapid career growth.
