What a blockchain developer needs to know and take into account, how to create unique chains and applications using smart contracts, what programming languages might be needed – advice is given by a member of the CryptoExperts contest jury, member of the Russian Crypto Industry and Blockchain Association (RAKIB) Alexander Edemsky.
Vacancies on request Blockchain Developer
You can choose to work remotely, work for a foreign company, or relocate abroad. The level of pay varies not only depending on practical experience, but also on the use of a particular programming language. Approximate forks of salary offers:
Position
Level of pay, RUB
Senior Developer
From 250,000 to 800,000
Backend Developer
100,000 to 200,000
Frontend Developer
150,000 to 250,000
Full Stack Developer
200,000 to 300,000
It is important to understand the specifics of the profession. The developers’ work is divided into three main areas:
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Development of existing networks. You need to learn the programming language and specific source code. It’s also important to assess which area needs refinement.
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Writing a unique blockchain. It takes a deep understanding of the main circuits in operation and their shortcomings. As a rule, it requires a lot of experience in the crypto field.
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Creating smart contracts. Implementation of protocols, applications, software code auditing. This industry is often where novice blockchain developers head.
However, it’s impossible to get into the Web3 space from scratch.. To begin with, it is necessary to prepare the base. Due to the young age of the industry and the uncertain legal status of cryptocurrencies in Russia, the educational environment does not have specialized educational institutions. However, it is possible to acquire the necessary knowledge and gain practical experience.
The fundamentals
At the initial stage, you will need to learn the basics of layout and styling – HTML and CSS. This unit is available from public and free online sources. Takes up to one month. After that you can get down to the full-fledged programming language – JavaScript. The process is long and time-consuming, so it is recommended to take it systematically in a special course – for example, on the basis of additional training from universities or schools to improve skills.
The Python language is also suitable for Web3 developers. However, the bulk of the documentation in the repositories is still written in JavaScript.
You will also need to try out libraries and add-ons in this language. Then you need to learn the Node.js environment at an introductory level – installing packages and running nodes. It is important to pay attention to the features of TypeScript, which is also JS.
The final step is to learn the following frameworks. In total, it takes six months to a year to master the base.
Information is also provided within institutions of higher education in the specializations of the Department of Programming. This amount of fundamental knowledge without practical experience is enough to work as a junior-developer in the IT-industry. You can also start learning the basics of Web3 at this stage.
What blockchain developers do
First, you need to choose a direction-be it developing existing networks, creating new blockchains, or implementing applications via smart contracts. This affects the next block of required knowledge.
Creating a blockchain
Working with existing networks, especially when implementing a unique idea, requires specific knowledge of classical cryptography. It is difficult to find training materials on this subject in the public domain, but it is still possible.
They are also taught in subspecialties such as Cryptographer, Cryptosecurity Engineer, and Encryption Theory.
In addition, you need to learn the classical programming language. For example, Bitcoin and Tezos will require C++. But for Stellar, you need a special language created by the developers of this particular blockchain. There are also Rust, Go, derivatives thereof, and others. It’s just as important to keep up with industry trends, peer work, and innovative solutions.
Creating smart contracts
In some ways, learning in this area is easier and takes a little time – less than a month. Ethereum is considered to be the most widespread network. Popularity has led to the fact that in repositories you can find projects of varying complexity and try to create your own on their basis. Or just repeat it.
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Ethereum smart contracts are written in a custom Solidity language. It was developed by Gavin Wood, who then split from the core team to launch PolkaDot.
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All you need to build common Web3 apps is a basic knowledge and Solidity, which is considered a very simple language, similar to JS and Python, according to the developers.
There is another specific need in developing decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols: an understanding of the fundamentals of financial and exchange transactions. This is necessary to transfer them from traditional trading platforms to the blockchain environment using scripts in a programming language. However, the popularity of Etherium has led to the fact that most of the available options have already been adapted into the chain.
Scheme of how a smart contract works.
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So one way out is that you can study the theory of trading very deeply. Alternatively, choose a less popular or derivative blockchain with smart contracts, such as Polygon, Arbitrum, or others.
In some cases, this may require learning a new programming language. All Web3 beginners in protocol or application expertise need to learn more resources:
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Web3 library with an orientation to the learned programming language;
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Tools – geth, Remix, Truffle, MetaMask;
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OpenZeppelin is a resource with a collection of ready-made smart contracts.
Retrieved from
Experts joke that creating a DeFi protocol on a smart contract is easier than any frontend website development with integrated animation. Nevertheless, it will take up to one year to complete the fundamental phase. The same amount of time will be spent developing tools for Web3.