Blockchain development is by far one of the fastest-growing industries for developers to get into. Whether you’re starting from scratch or you’re a developer already and want to transition to the blockchain, you want to know how to become a blockchain developer.
Why? It might be one of the highest-paying skills in tech at the moment. It is a great way to earn Bitcoin as well.
The average salary in the United States is above USD 100,000 according to Glassdoor.
Table of Contents
Get A Blockchain Developer Job
Remote work is here to stay and blockchain developers are building blockchain architecture from remote locations while living on Bitcoin. Blockchain developers are needed for Web 3 data structures and network architecture.
Get Blockchain Developers Technical Skills
I’ve always said if I had to start my programming career from scratch today, if I lost all my skills, I would learn how to become a blockchain developer. Blockchain technology is growing fast and more blockchain developers are needed for consensus mechanisms.
Blockchain Development Needs More People
We are just getting started on Web 3. The whole internet has to be rebuilt and blockchain software developers are needed. Become a core blockchain developer, build a private blockchain or something for improved digital identity.
Being a blockchain developer and efficiently developing smart contracts is an exciting technology to work with.
Blockchain Industry Has Massive Growth Potential
Existing blockchain platforms are growing. However, there is still a shortage of quality developers. Core blockchain developers’ technical skills are needed in Web 3 information technology to handle sensitive data and other technologies.
A Global Market Demand For Blockchain Development
If a country has internet, it needs a blockchain developer. A professional blockchain developer can work remotely from any country.
Cutting Edge Technology Blockchain Technology
Today’s problems need a blockchain solution. A blockchain software developer gets to work with the trendiest tech tools being developed.
Work In A Worthwhile Career As A Blockchain Developer
Become a blockchain developer because it is a needed and rewarding endeavor. If anything, you can expand your blockchain network because it is truly a global technology.
High Demand For A Blockchain Software Developer
Software development is growing and we are still in the early stages of blockchain networks. IBM even has a blockchain learning page.
Tip #1: Learn To Code Smart Contracts First
Learn Smart Contracts Blockchain Development First
If you do not know how to code yet just jump right in and start learning smart contracts.
Avoid the common mistake of a blockchain developer to start studying many languages first. Start with a blockchain language first.
Remember when you were taking a class in University and you are thinking to yourself: why am I learning this? When will I ever use this? This is how I felt about genetics class. It felt like a total waste of time from my focus on computer science.
This is how studying a bunch of software programming is going to feel at first. Avoid this mistake and just start building a blockchain technology that is interesting to you. Become a blockchain developer by diving into blockchain architecture.
Learn Solidity
So how do you learn Solidity? Do what core blockchain developers do. You’re going to have context for what you’re learning. You have a goal and a purpose in mind that this is going to help and then every concept that you’re introduced to along the way is going to click way better.
How do you do this? Focus on the primary core blockchain developer skill first, to create smart contracts with the Solidity language. Why? Because you’re going to learn a programming language that’s pretty beginner friendly.
You can go to multiple blockchain environments like Ethereum and any EVM-compatible chain. Binance Smart Chain or Polygon doesn’t matter to becoming a blockchain developer.
Is Solidity Hard To Learn?
Yes, it is. However, Solidity is the perfect next step for developers with experience in either Python or Javascript, but it’s also relatively easy enough to learn when you are following a set training goal that even beginners can pick it up with no prior experience.
How long would it take to learn Solidity?
People with experience in programming concepts and coding languages can usually learn Solidity in 1-6 months. If you have no programming experience, it may take longer.
Beginners can take advantage of platforms like CryptoZombies or other free online courses to build a foundation for advanced classes.
Focus On Blockchain Protocols
I wouldn’t go become a full-stack developer and then get into a blockchain network. That’s point number one that I want to make. Learn basic blockchain protocols and data structures first to be a good blockchain developer.
Be Aware Of Consensus Protocols And Private Blockchain
People think for some reason that blockchain databases are just too hard and that you need other fundamentals to start. Not true. There are so many programming fundamentals that you can gain while you’re studying smart contract blockchain itself. Blockchain developers are always learning new things every day.
You do not need to master some other thing to become a blockchain developer. You can go straight for the throat and learn. That’s actually what I recommend.
Blockchain Developer Courses
You can then use that foundation to go build other computer science skills on top of it like front-end development. You learn from development to communicate smart contracts and learn with online blockchain courses by IBM.
Online Resources For Writing Smart Contracts
You do not need an expensive computer science degree to get started as a blockchain developer with many free online resources by IBM. Find any free courses that show you how to do something. Find something designed for beginner purposes to get you introduced to the concepts.
Essential Skills Will Be Learned Along The Journey
Learn developer skills first and learn those other things after that. You shouldn’t go trying to learn a bunch of other programs first. You should learn them in the context of blockchain.
Once you have a blockchain developer solid base and a solid foundation now actually would be a good time to start focusing on the long tail part of those languages that you ultimately need to develop long-term value in the workplace.
Distributed Ledger Technology
When you learn to create smart contracts as a blockchain developer you learned how blockchains work and you learn a language for blockchain and then the second programming software you learned is going to come so much faster.
Tip #2: Learn By Project-Based Learning
Develop Smart Contracts First
The next thing I want to say is you want to focus on learning by doing. I did this by teaching myself how to code Polkadot before I got into blockchain. I did it as I transitioned into blockchain and every single technical skill that I’ve ever learned throughout my entire career.
When you’re learning blockchain, that first step is what you want to do because it is you will be learning blockchain in the context of building projects. You shouldn’t go learn a bunch of other programs before you learn blockchain.
Data Structures
A small percentage of programming accounts for most of the day-to-day use cases which is what you want to get and what you want to master as a beginner.
Same thing with written language. You want to focus on the conversational parts of that language that come the most and master that stuff before you just try to take a dictionary and like read through the entire thing.
Learn Blockchain
So you’re going to learn about how to use an Ethereum command line because you have to learn to use a command line to accomplish that purpose and whenever you finish that you might not be a command line expert but you’ve learned enough to accomplish that task. Then you can use that as fundamentals that you can learn other things
Learn Blockchain Features
So then when you go create a project you need to learn how the Ethereum framework works. You need to understand that to create a token, you need to create a smart contract in Solidity and then what aspects of the programming languages you use inside that when you’re creating something.
Required Tech Skills
You’re going to learn the most important parts of programming because just like a human language there are all these aspects of programming but only a small percentage of them get used over and over again.
Decentralized Applications
Learning Solidity while building projects and you’re getting introduced to concepts along the way.
Learn how blockchain works by free resource management online and ask other developers about business logic, genesis block, data structures, and even bitcoin. What you are doing is chatting with people working in the industry about advanced blockchain integration concepts.
Tip #3: Get Real On Real-World Projects
Blockchain Applications
So my third major tip on this is a step-by-step plan to put all this together to start with a blockchain project.
Different Blockchain Platforms
Let’s say you build a cryptocurrency exchange for example and with that cryptocurrency exchange you want to support a bunch of new cryptocurrencies or you want to have a new user interface.
You want to figure out how to make this happen with code and then you write the code to do it without somebody showing you what the answer is. That’s how you develop a functional skill and when you go through that process you are going to run into walls.
You’re not going to know how to do something but you’re going to be on the same path that all developers are on.
Implement Smart Contracts – Surround Yourself With Smarter Developers
The next thing that I would teach you or what I would do is to go build more of a professional-level project in a guided way.
Join a blockchain Bootcamp and move from like tutorials that are more or less like tutorial projects towards like real projects that would be the same complexity level that you might be asked to build at a job.
Working In The Real Digital World
Now I’ll tell you the truth. It’s almost impossible to synthesize what it’s like to work in the real world but you have to try and you have to get close. So the best way to do that is to gain experience on your own.
Trying to solve problems with code where you don’t have somebody holding your hand on how to do that. The easiest way to do this is to talk to a professional about a project that you like.
You know this guided process and then actually talk about here’s what you need to do to build the next step or think of something that you want to add to it.
Gain Expertise By Starting Simple
As a beginner blockchain developer, basically start with a blockchain development project. Write a tutorial that’s kind of lightweight blockchain technology that just gets your feet wet. It introduces you to all the concepts of programming languages.
A really simple website on how to write tests and how to write scripts and how to do really basic stuff just on your computer.
Smart Contracts Based
Then learning by doing like doing project-based learning on blockchain development that’s precisely what I would do.
You could accomplish your goals whether it’s to get a high-paying job or become a freelancer or build your blockchain technology project.
Now truth be told it’s hard to replicate exactly what you would be doing in a job situation because everybody’s situation is different but this would be pretty close.
Google Blockchain Node Engine
The path of self-learning to be a blockchain developer is where you learn how to be resourceful. You learn how to get on Google Blockchain Node Engine and look up the answer.
You can build on the Google comment to help Web3 developers build and deploy new products on blockchain-based platforms
You look and how you stack overflow you know how to get into Github. You know how to find people on Telegram and Discord groups in blockchain development.
Whatever it is to find answers to your problems you have to learn to be resourceful to become a blockchain developer.
If you learn that skill and blockchain development now you’re gonna be way more valuable in the workplace and you are going to be doing what other blockchain developers already do.
Now once you’ve done this, you’re ready to basically take that finished product and then use learned programming languages for a portfolio to start applying for jobs.
The Bottom Line
Focus on project-based learning. Avoid the mistake of learning many languages at once without knowing why.
Learn Solidity first and work on something simple. Join online resource groups to help find answers.
