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Each hardware and software product’s production and development process needs to be divided into smaller steps. This method helps the production team process the different steps to get the best output and result. This is a bit more complicated in the blockchain world. The blockchain development cycle is a blockchain developer’s process to create it. In the following, we will explain its steps in more detail.

What is blockchain development?

Blockchain development is fundamentally different from normal software development in several ways. A significant portion of the blockchain development planning phase is devoted to various issues, such as choosing the most consistent incentive scheme, the degree of transparency desired by developers, licensing to specific groups, and so on.

The main blockchain developer is responsible for the entire blockchain development cycle. This cycle includes researching the structure and determining the uses for blockchain applications. Blockchain developers are also optimizing the blockchain database to diversify systems and applications.

How to develop blockchain?

Databases developed with blockchain technology are highly resistant to hacking or tampering, making them a great space for storing sensitive data. Developing blockchain software requires a thorough understanding of how blockchain works. To learn how to develop blockchain, developers must be familiar with interdisciplinary concepts such as cryptography and a blockchain programming language such as Solidity.

A large part of the blockchain development cycle focuses on the information structure. This section includes how to structure the database and distribute the data, as well as evaluations with different levels of permissions—for example, determining whether the system should be developed based on the distributed general ledger.

Decisions on this issue will affect everything: for example, what group has access to what information, how this information is shared with different groups, whether voting changes the information or not, and so on.

How to become a blockchain developer?

Demand for blockchain development skills is currently extremely high. If your goal is to work for a blockchain development company, then taking a comprehensive blockchain development course is the first thing anyone interested in developing blockchain should do.

After learning the fundamental differences between blockchains and traditional system infrastructures, blockchain development can begin. These differences include full transparency, voting for governance, specific incentive schemes, etc.

It is important to consider the blockchain development cycle before starting a project. It is very useful to break down the process of applying blockchain technology into smaller steps. These steps involve the process of blockchain development, also called the blockchain life cycle.

Blockchain development process

This process has been determined and tested by developers active in the blockchain industry. Organizing the development process will bring the most effective and ideal outputs. The blockchain development process consists of eight steps, which we will discuss below.

Determine the problem that needs to be solved with blockchain

The first step in this process is to identify a problem that a blockchain can successfully solve. If there is no need to use blockchain, it can be extremely expensive and unnecessary. Therefore, determining a real-world problem that blockchain can solve is crucial.

Selecting the most appropriate collective agreement mechanism

Each blockchain has its collective agreement mechanism. The most common mechanisms are proof of work (PoW) and proof of stock (PoS). Other types of collective bargaining mechanisms, such as Byzantine practice proof, burn-proof, proof of activity, and capacity, are used only when they are more appropriate for the project.

Decide to choose a programming language and blockchain

At this point, you need to focus on the design of the application interface. Selecting a blockchain to develop an application will affect the required programming language, ultimately affecting how the user interacts with the blockchain. In addition, interactivity is another issue to consider when choosing a language. But the question is, what language is used for blockchain technologies?

Some of the most popular blockchain development languages ​​for developers are:

HTML/CSS ، Javascript ،PHP ،C# ،Python ،Solidity ،Ruby ،Golang ،Java و NodeJS.

After selecting the programming language, a blockchain developer must select a database. MongoDB and MySQL are two popular options for developers.

Choosing a blockchain development platform

At this point, developers must choose their blockchain platform. This allows the development process to start without wasting time and without developing a blockchain from scratch. Selecting a blockchain platform depends on the general agreement mechanism required. Here you have to pay attention to the problems that each mechanism solves.

Blockchain development usually differs from popular platforms designed to facilitate the development process. Blockchain development companies and independent developers use these platforms. Some of the most common open-source blockchain development platforms are:

Ethereum ،Ripple ،Hyperledger ،Hyperledger Fabric ،NEO ،IBM Blockchain ،Multichain و Counterparty.

Developers must choose a platform that has a compatible and similar programming language. All of the platforms mentioned above simplify the blockchain development cycle.

Create strategies for the rest of the development process

At this stage of the blockchain development process, you should evaluate your steps so far. Build a plan and then create a strategy for broader plans. This strategy should be based on the characteristics of the chosen platform.

Design of blockchain structure

Determine whether the blockchain has given permissions to a specific group of users or whether it is an unlicensed network. Next, determine if your blockchain application needs to use a public or private blockchain network structure.

Also, consider using a dual system or a publicly licensed blockchain structure. A contributor can only add information to the network with a publicly licensed blockchain if other reputable contributors have authorized it.

Blockchain application development

Examine the key aspects of blockchain. Ensure that permission, block signatures, address formats, and key management items are specified. These items will not be subject to change as soon as they are determined, So it is better to think about them before starting.

At this point, start working on the application programming interface or API of the blockchain application. APIs are used for the auditing process, key generation, and storage and retrieval of basic information. The choice of blockchain API depends on the main purpose of the application. It is the APIs that generate the most value for users.

A blockchain developer must also create middleware. The middleware is the software that connects the external systems to the blockchain to allow the blockchain components to communicate with the applications located in it. Some of the APIs that are required in almost all blockchains are:

• Key management
• Manage the smart asset cycle
• Smart contract management
• Generate keys and addresses

APIs are also required for digitally signing and generating hash numbers to authenticate information. The blockchain developer can use a built-in API or develop a custom API for itself. Relying on pre-built APIs speeds up the blockchain development process, but developing custom APIs brings more flexibility.

Test and release the alpha version of the application

At this stage, all the efforts of the previous stages are successful, and a preliminary version of the project is prepared for testing. At this stage of the blockchain development cycle, focus on the core functions. Developers must fix any bugs at this stage.

It is better to start the evaluation work with the minimum. A minimum available product (MVP) is all that is needed to prove the validity of your blockchain model. As soon as the application performs consistently at this stage, the blockchain developer can try more sophisticated features.

Concluding remarks

The increasing acceptance of blockchain technology and the expansion of its applications in everyday life has led to a significant increase in demand for blockchain development skills and familiarity with the blockchain development cycle. In addition, companies are expected to increase their need for blockchain developers in the coming years. Therefore, learning how to develop a blockchain and gaining skills in it can become a lucrative and important job.