What is blockchain coding and its different languages? If you are thinking of starting a business based on blockchain technology or want to be a blockchain developer you will need to learn a bit about it.
This not only includes knowing about the fundamentals of blockchain technology, which presumably is already known to you by now, but also includes the languages that are used for coding.
This article happens to be one of the best ones for gaining such knowledge.
As for the basics of the popular blockchain technology, well, it is just a chain of blocks, just as the name signifies.
This is the best and perhaps the simplest way to put it together.
As of now, with extensive use of blockchain technology in different industrial and other business sectors, there is a high demand for the blockchain developers with extensive knowledge in blockchain coding.
If you want to succeed and even beat the other blockchain developers you have to compete with, this article will help you a lot in that.
In this article you will know all those popular languages that are used for blockchain coding along with the challenges to overcome during the process.
This will make your knowledge much more comprehensive and you will be able to prepare yourself well ahead of any challenges that you may encounter during the process.
With all this knowledge it will not only make your effort more productive but will also make your coding much more effective and easier.
Contents
What is Blockchain Coding and Its Different Languages?
Blockchain technology was made popular after Bitcoin came into existence.
This technology was used to transfer Bitcoin in order to make the transactions as safe and secure as possible.
The blockchain technology has been developing in leaps and bounds and has been used across several industries and projects.
With its rapid adoption it will not be exaggerating even an iota if it is said that the future will be built on this innovative technology.
The blocks here contain digital information and each of them is connected to the previous one using cryptography.
In each of these blocks there are:
- A cryptographic hash function to link it to the previous block
- A timestamp
- A list if the transaction
- The digital information and
- A hash for itself.
The blocks are designed in such a way that it is extremely hard, if not impossible or next to it, to change any data recorded in them.
This ensures transparency, trust, and security, all at the same time.
These features make blockchain technology so popular in the field of banking and finance.
Blockchain technology has the potential to reform the tech world by mitigating the common challenges that a lot of industries face.
This will help them to make the most out of some of the best opportunities that they could not avail before.
In addition to that, blockchain technology has also got the ability to overhaul the entire economy whether it is travel, healthcare, education, or the legal domain.
As said earlier, blockchain technology has been popular ever since it was used for Bitcoin but it is between 2017 and 2020 that the demand and use of this technology increased exponentially by about 2000%.
It is now considered to be one of the most valued technologies that an industry can have.
According to a recent statistical report, the net value of the entire blockchain market will be about $20 billion by the end of 2024.
This indicates its dominating presence not only in crypto but in other fields that you could have hardly thought or heard of.
As a result, a lot of companies are hiring blockchain coding and developing professionals and if you are planning to be one of them, you must know about some of the top programming languages that are best suited for it.
However, before you dive straight into programming and coding languages, you should know about one of the most significant aspects of blockchain coding and programming.
It is called a hash and the entire blockchain concept depends on this.
The hash is actually a Digital Signature or a function that takes input in the form of a command string and returns an alphanumeric string of fixed size.
This hash is an irreversible string which means it is quite impossible to figure out the input string once the hash is created.
Moreover, it is also not possible to have two different values with the same hash.
The hashes are designed carefully by the cryptographers and are computed by the library function built in most of the programming languages.
Ideally, a genesis block will have no hash being the first block of the blockchain and does not need to be tied to any block before it.
In this case the hash of the preceding block will be 0. Ideally, the first value of each subsequent block on the chain is the hash value of the parent block.
The specialty about the specific data structure of a blockchain is that any change in the data will change the hash value of several hashes of the following blocks and these will become invalid.
This will result in the failure of the entire blockchain.
Therefore, the primary thing to remember to become a successful blockchain coding expert is to ensure that a block provides security to the blockchain of the highest level.
Now that you know about the basics of blockchain technology and the significance of hash in it, it is good to have a look at some of the most popular languages used for blockchain coding and programming.
Blockchain Coding Languages
Now, you are quite ready to know about the languages.
When it comes to coding this incredibly fascinating blockchain technology, a lot of different languages are used and you can choose one that will offer you an edge. Here they are.
Solidity
Solidity is one of the most popular and fastest-growing programming languages for blockchain and is the first language that you should learn.
It was specially designed to write smart contracts that are compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine or EVM.
This language was developed by Ethereum which itself is a distributed computing platform and an operating system based on blockchain technology.
This means that this language is capable of solving several issues that the blockchain developers may face while coding.
Though this language is developed pretty much in the same ECMA Script syntax, it comes with some additional features such as static typing, Variadic return types, and more.
Therefore, this is a very good blockchain coding language to learn and use especially if you are planning to develop blockchain at depth including getting into the ICO or Initial Coin Offerings game and developing dApps.
This programming language is mainly influenced by JavaScript, C++, and Powershell and was developed by Vitalik Buterin who is the architect of Ethereum.
Therefore, quite naturally, this programming language will offer the developers, individual or a firm, with a host of benefits such as precision and accuracy, developer-friendliness, and accessibility to JavaScript infrastructures, different useful tools and debuggers.
C++
C++ is one of the most commonly used and widely known programming languages within the tech world that serves several different purposes including blockchain coding.
The primary reason for this programming language to be so popular for blockchain technology is its multiple abilities such as advanced multi-threading, move semantics, and primitive control.
It also comes with several other useful object-oriented features such as runtime polymorphism, function overloading, and more.
All these diverse OOP features of the C++ programming language allows the blockchain developers to mold functions and data together very easily in one single module.
It is pretty similar to the new blocks being molded with the blockchain using the cryptographic chains or hashes.
Assuming that you do not know, there is one more interesting fact about the C++ programming language.
The C++ is so popular with blockchain because Bitcoin, which is the first crypto coin that implements blockchain technology for the first time for transferring funds, was written in C++ programming language originally.
Several other crypto coins apart from Bitcoin are also developed using the C++ programming language simply due to the reason that it follows the OOP methodology. This includes Litecoin, Stellar, Ripple, and EOS.
This programming language was developed and released in 1985 by Bjarne Stroustrup and is considered to be the best programming language for anything that is related with crypto development, and blockchain is one of them.
Some of the most significant benefits offered by the C++ programming language are efficient CPU management, easy to run parallel and non-parallel threads, better memory control, and code isolation for dissimilar data structures.
Java
Java is a programming language that offers a solid competition to C++ both in terms of its usefulness and popularity.
This programming language can be easily and effectively used in blockchain coding as well because it comes with a lot of APIs or Application Programming Interfaces.
This includes packages, Java classes, interfaces, and more, all of which helps in building apps without requiring a lot of knowledge about the inside implementations of them.
One of the most significant features of Java which is extremely helpful in blockchain is the portability.
You will be able to port Java programs to different platforms due to the WORA or ‘write once, run anywhere’ property.
The good thing about these programs is that they do not need any system-specific architecture to function.
This is because these programs typically use the universal Java Virtual Machine or JVM for performing.
Apart from the portability property of Java there are several other good features that make it one of the best programming languages to use for blockchain coding.
This preferred language for backend development and the official language of Android mobile app development is a derivative of C-syntax.
This makes it the suitable language to use from developing complicated dApps and smart contracts.
Also, the fact that this language will provide adequate and strong support for OOP or Object Oriented Programming methodology with ample libraries along with its easy cleaning of memory makes it a good one to select for your blockchain coding needs.
Python
This particular language is becoming one of the most popular and preferred programming languages in the world fast.
If you are new to blockchain coding then Python is the language you should learn and use in order to have the best experience while working.
However, it may not be a suitable choice if you intend to do some complicated cryptographic operations on the blockchain because it is basically an interpreted language which might cause some issues down the road.
Nevertheless, this object-oriented language will help you to manage a lot of overheads related to the performance.
In addition to that, using this language for blockchain coding will also help you as a developer to prototype your ideas quickly.
You can even do some long-winded coding with Python and make the best use of its extensive open source support, both of which are quite helpful for blockchain.
You will also get a lot of support from a lot of plug-ins, libraries, and other resources available online when you use Python.
This will allow you to resolve almost any problem that you may experience while coding a blockchain.
Typically, with all the useful features of Python and its use in blockchain programming you will be able to make app development, network server development, IoT app development, as well as use it in the blockchain-as-a-service field.
The Python programming language was created in 1991 but it still has the features and capabilities to be used in developing dApps and smart contracts.
Some of the benefits that this language provides include its easy learning curve, a dynamic architecture, open source support, usability in both base and scripting purposes, and prototyping.
JavaScript
JavaScript is also a popular web language that comes with specific features that are useful to put into any type of programming and coding needs, including blockchain.
The JavaScript runtime environment and NodeJS features make it quite a popular choice for the blockchain developers.
It allows them to build highly efficient and creative blockchain apps. The main reason behind it is that in most of the systems JavaScript language is already installed.
This is a huge benefit offered by JavaScript to its users which other programming languages do not offer because every web system uses this programming language in some way or the other.
This means that you will not need to worry about the integration factor when you use JavaScript for your blockchain coding needs.
Instead, you can focus more on the application logic for blockchain.
This particular programming language comes usually in the Node.js framework form which also provides other significant benefits to the blockchain developers such as enabling them to enter the market early and easily, offering several blockchain JavaScript frameworks, enhanced scalability and more.
C#
If you consider this programming language syntactically you will see that it is pretty similar to that of the C++ or Java programming languages.
This means that you can use this programming language for blockchain programming and coding purposes as well.
This language was originally created only as a Microsoft language but due to its features and functionalities, it is also used for other purposes making it quite popular among the developers as one of the best programming languages for coding blockchain.
This is an open-source language that will help the developers to create codes very easily that are highly portable.
These codes are compatible with almost all devices and support several operating systems such as Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and others.
This language, being a OOP programming language, will allow the developers to get maximum performance while developing the subsequent blockchain.
You can use this programming language to write diverse projects such as blockchain-as-a-service apps on blockchain platforms.
This programming language, created by Microsoft, was designed to be a substitute of Java for blockchain coding.
This OOP language comes with a large number of useful features that allows cross platform and cloud development and creating enterprise-powered apps as well.
This language is also loaded with other beneficial features of SQL, C, and .NET frameworks.
All these and the easy-to-understand syntax and cost effectiveness make it a pretty good programming language to use for coding blockchain, building dApps, creating infrastructure and smart contracts in a blockchain environment.
Go
Golang or Go is another good programming language that you can use for blockchain coding.
It will allow you to create more efficient blockchain systems pretty quickly.
You will find that this is one of the best programming languages available for building Hyperledger fabric.
This is the foundation required to develop apps for blockchain.
This is a compiled and statically typed programming language which comes with other useful features that enhances the efficacy of blockchain coding and its performance such as generics, constructors, classes, inheritance, exceptions, annotations, and more.
Go is quite an uncomplicated programming language and comes with a very simple learning curve.
It is easy to learn and use which is the primary reason that it is being used by more than 800,000 developers.
The Go programming language also comes with some of the best features of Python and JavaScript.
These include scalability, user-friendliness, speed, and flexibility. These features allow it to produce some of the best and most efficient tailored blockchain solutions.
Simplicity
If you want to use a high-level blockchain development language then Simplicity is the one you should go for. It will help you to create smart contracts on blockchain.
Simplicity, in fact, is considered to be one of the best programming languages to use by both open source developers and professional programmers.
It will remove the complexities involved in the Bitcoin Script because it will hide the logical components that are of a low level from the Bitcoin developers.
In addition to that, this specific programming language will increase the working capacity of the developers.
This will result in a much faster period for development.
This programming language is also attuned to the Elements platform. This is an open source blockchain platform that comes with side chain capabilities.
Therefore, this programming language will be best suited for those blockchain developers who are creating side chains on this platform.
The language comes with several other features and functionalities that allow high level blockchain coding. Launched in November 2017, this programming language works on Haskell-like syntax and is based on Ivy.
This makes it much easier for a developer to create more effective codes.
And, apart from that, the programming language is extremely mathematical, a virtue that makes the code line readable by humans.
It is especially for this particular reason that this programming language is used extensively by the developers to create smart contracts and other blockchain solutions that are compatible with both Bitcoin and Ethereum Virtual Machine.
Rholang
Rholang is another good programming language to use if you want to create smart contracts on the blockchain.
The unique aspect of this programming language is that it follows a more functional approach instead of an object-oriented approach.
This enables it to solve several blockchain issues.
It is also a reason for the preference and popularity of Rholang.
The apps can evaluate the entire program based on a series of functions that helps in solving the puzzles sequentially.
This is another unique feature of this programming language that distinguishes it from other programming languages such as Python and C.
These languages typically use variables instead for storing data and the value of these variables is altered with time as well.
PHP
PHP or Hypertext Preprocessor was released in 1995 and is another programming language that you can use for blockchain development and coding.
You will find it very easy to create blockchain solutions that are preferred and recommended by almost every mobile app development company that is widely known.
The good thing about this programming language is that it will allow you to create efficient blockchain solutions with a diverse range of complexity.
This is due to the object-oriented features of this programming language as well as its huge open-source community.
Ruby
If you are starting your career as a blockchain developer then Ruby is perhaps the best programming language that you can start with. Released in the mid 1990s, this programming language was developed by Yukihiro Matz.
Though this is considered to be a programming language for general use it comes with good enough features that will empower you to prototype your vision quite effortlessly and more effectively. For that matter you can use the third party open source plug-ins and APIs.
Apart from that, this programming language also offers the developers an opportunity to combine its features with those of the other programming languages which will help in building a much better platform.
Rust
Though this is a relatively new programming language, it is quite capable of helping the developers to build immutable, innovative, and secure solutions.
This particular language will especially empower the open-source developers to build blockchain frameworks quickly and effectively.
In addition to that it will also serve several other purposes of the developers with its other useful features such as mutable states management, better memory choices, wonderful code optimization, and opportunities based on concurrency.
SQL
Structured Query Language, or SQL as it is known more commonly, is another top programming language that you can use for blockchain coding.
It is designed by IBM and comes with all those features and capabilities to make communications much easier and more efficient with databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQl, SQL Server, and Oracle.
You can use this programming language to create enterprise solutions on blockchain which are more effective and very secure.
Erlang
Erlang is a good blockchain coding language that you can use if you want to have a pretty bright future as a blockchain developer.
This programming language may not be as popular as the others mentioned in this list but it surely has the ability to provide superior scalability, unmatched backend facility, better immutability and fault tolerance.
It is ideally the programming language to go for creating P2P networks in a blockchain environment.
CX
CX is one of the top blockchain programming languages that have the ability to function more like a contractual digital liaison.
It comes with a host of features such as simple error control. You can also use pointers, propelled cuts, and arrays.
You can integrate this programming language with Go to carry out unrestricted codes as well as with OpenGL or Open Graphics Library most efficiently to make the most out of the GPU power.
Vyper
Vyper is a new programming language for blockchain that you can use easily and effectively to write smart contracts.
It is derived from Python 3 and therefore its syntax is pretty similar to and a valid Python 3 syntax but it does not come with all the features of Python.
This programming language is also considered to be a worthy substitute of Solidity and therefore it can be used for the Ethereum Virtual Machine like Solidity.
However, there are different control structures in Vyper than Solidity.
This programming language also handles the security issues quite differently.
This is because it does not come with the OOP functionalities of Solidity and other features such as modifiers, infinite loops, and recursive calling that are known to raise security issues.
Blockchain Coding Challenges
There are a few particular challenges that you may come across and need to overcome while blockchain coding which, if undone, will raise its difficulty level. And, in most of the cases, the language selection will be crucial.
Security: This is your primary concern because a blockchain network is expected to be as strong and secure as a fortress.
This is because the code is typically accessible to the public and everyone can view it, and hackers may look for vulnerabilities and bugs in it.
Therefore, be slow and cautious during the coding process.
Resource management: This is another specific concern which you should look into and ensure that the resources available are adequately and immaculately managed.
This will ensure that you keep up with the pace of the network as well as its demands.
Therefore, make sure that you know about the local and remote queries as well as the ways to respond to them.
Performance: It does not need any special mention that a blockchain network should always perform at the highest possible level.
Therefore, make sure that it has all the capabilities to do it and your language type selection will play a significant role in it once again.
It should therefore be extremely versatile so that it can handle things easily and efficiently whether the task is parallelizable or cannot be performed in parallel.
Isolation: All transaction operations in blockchain development should be deterministic.
This means that every hash function should be deterministic so that it produces the same result always and not behave in one way today and in another way tomorrow.
In the same way, the smart contracts should also work the same way always in every machine and not in different ways for different machines.
The only way this can be achieved is by isolating the transactions and smart contracts from the non-deterministic elements.
Therefore, now that you know about the blockchain coding requirements, the languages to use for it, as well as the challenges that may slow you down, you surely are ready to take it head-on as your future professional career.
Conclusion
Only the most commonly used and popular blockchain coding languages are discussed in this article. However, in reality, there are many more such languages that are used. Research, since the possibilities here are as endless as your future.
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