What Does a Blockchain Developer Do?

The wise yet short answer to this is: a Blockchain developer develops Blockchains! Well, that was easy!

Now that we got that out of our system let’s take a serious look at what a Blockchain developer does. To best answer this question, we first need to establish that there are two different types of Blockchain developers; there’s the Core Blockchain Developer and the Blockchain Software Developer. Call them sub-divisions of Blockchain development.

A Core Blockchain Developer designs the security and the architecture of the proposed Blockchain system. In essence, the Core Blockchain Developer creates the foundation upon which others will then build upon.

What “others” are we referring to? That would be the Blockchain Software Developers, of course, who use the core web architecture built by the Developer to create apps, specifically the decentralized (dapps) and web varieties.

Perhaps there may be situations where the same person fulfills both roles, most likely in cases where the business is small, and people traditionally wear more than one hat. Whatever the case, the everyday responsibilities and roles of the Blockchain developer are:

• Design the Blockchain protocols
• Design the network architecture that can be used for the centralizing or decentralizing the data
• Backend development according to the Blockchain protocols
• Developing front-end designs according to client requirements
• Developing and monitoring any smart contracts

The Blockchain developer’s responsibility is to develop innovative solutions to challenging problems, including solutions for command and control, and high integrity. The developer also performs complex analysis, design, development, testing, and computer software debugging, specifically for distinct product hardware or for technical service lines of businesses. Develops perform software design, operating architecture integration, and computer system selection. Finally, they operate on multiple systems and apply knowledge of one or more platforms and programming languages.

Of course, obstacles are awaiting the Blockchain developer. For instance, the developer has to work with legacy infrastructure and its limitations, while still meeting the expectations inherent in a Blockchain development project. Also, there are the challenges of understanding the technical practicality of implementing decentralized cryptosystems, processes that fall outside of the traditional IT development skill-set, which means a Blockchain developer needs specialized skills.