How to hire blockchain developers
From cryptocurrencies to initial coin offerings (ICOs) to smart contracts and supply chains, the blockchain promises to bring better security, transparency, and accountability to the business world. If you’re looking for a freelancer who can help you implement a blockchain of your own, a blockchain developer can help. So how do you hire blockchain developers? What follows are some tips for finding top blockchain developers on Upwork.
What is a blockchain?
A blockchain is simply an immutable, distributed ledger. It’s the core technology behind Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. New information is added to the ledger in blocks. New blocks can only be accepted by consensus of all the machines participating on the blockchain network. Cryptographic hash functions are used to prevent fraud. Here’s a quick overview of the skills you should look for in blockchain freelancers:
- Programming languages such as Solidity (for Ethereum), C++, Java, JavaScript, etc.
- Popular blockchains development platforms such as Ethereum, Hyperledger, etc.
- Database languages such as SQL
- Application specific blockchain knowledge (e.g. cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, ICOs, etc.)
How to shortlist blockchain freelancers
As you’re browsing available blockchain consultants, it can be helpful to develop a shortlist of the freelancers you may want to interview. You can screen profiles on criteria such as:
- Blockchain protocol. Picking Ethereum, Hyperledger Fabric, or another protocol will determine which technologies and languages your developer will need to use.
- Workflow. You want a blockchain developer who can slide right into your developer workflow (e.g. Slack, Jira, etc.).
- Feedback. Check reviews from past clients for glowing testimonials or red flags that can tell you what it’s like to work with a particular blockchain developer.
Why do you want to hire blockchain developers?
The trick to finding top blockchain developers is to identify your needs. Do you need someone with Solidity coding experience to work on your Ethereum powered dApp (decentralized app)? Or do you prefer a developer with experience working with IBM’s enterprise blockchain solutions and services? The cost of your project will depend largely on your scope of work, and the specific skills needed to bring your project to life.
How to write an effective blockchain development job post
With a clear picture of your ideal blockchain developer in mind, it’s time to write that job post. Although you don’t need a full job description as you would with employment, aim to provide enough detail for a freelancer to know if they’re the right fit for the project. An effective blockchain development job post should include:
- Scope of work: From smart contracts to supply chains, list all the deliverables you’ll need.
- Project length: Your job post should indicate whether this is a smaller or larger project.
- Background: If you prefer experience working with productivity tools, blockchain protocols, or other technologies mention this here.
- Budget: Set a budget and note your preference for hourly rates vs. fixed-price contracts.
Ready to harness the power of the blockchain to build your own dApp? Log in and post your blockchain development job on Upwork today.
How blockchain could change the world
For many people, if the term “blockchain” means anything at all, it’s probably associated with the digital currency bitcoin. While bitcoin has gotten lots of press for its mysterious founder(s) and wild swings in valuation, it’s the blockchain infrastructure behind it that’s poised to be a truly transformative innovation. In fact, blockchain has the potential to reshape some of the foundational structures of our economy and society.
Why blockchain matters
First, what is blockchain? In short, blockchain is a distributed database designed to facilitate transactions and keep track of assets. This may seem like a relatively straightforward goal, but historically these have been major problems for consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments.
Taken together, these inefficiencies can significantly slow down the pace of business, potentially leading to lost revenue for individual businesses and lower growth for the economy as a whole. Blockchain has the potential to solve or alleviate many of these fundamental problems.
Building a blockchain
So what exactly is a blockchain? By itself, a blockchain is just a file, similar to a database file. You’ll be unsurprised to find out that the two key components of blockchain are blocks and the chain. Blocks store transaction data and are identified with a unique string called a hash, which is determined algorithmically by the contents of the block. (Note: The transactions are timestamped and given their own hashes as well, but ignore that for the moment.) Those blocks are strung together chronologically to form the chain, which grows as more transactions are added.
The blockchain itself is hosted across a number of computer “nodes,” which are simply computers that have a distributed copy of the blockchain. These nodes validate and pass on new transactions, which are then added to the chain as a new block once they’ve been validated by enough nodes. By distributing the validation process across many different nodes, blockchains make it extremely hard for any individual bad actor to get a fraudulent transaction into the chain.
Blockchain and Bitcoin
To get a sense of what makes blockchain special, it’s helpful to know a little about bitcoin and how it works. As you may know, the idea behind bitcoin was to create a digital currency that’s not controlled by any central authority. That means there’s no Central Bank of Bitcoin dictating the supply of bitcoins and no need for banks to store them. Instead, bitcoin is enabled by a massive peer-to-peer network. At the center of that network is the blockchain, which serves as the distributed public ledger that records and verifies every bitcoin transaction. A distributed ledger has a number of advantages over traditional systems of recording and processing transactions:
- It’s frictionless, since there are no intermediaries like banks or credit card companies.
- It’s authoritative, since there’s only one authoritative, publicly accessible ledger.
- It’s secure against errors and fraud, since every alteration to the ledger is recorded.
Because they were developed simultaneously, blockchain and bitcoin are closely related. That doesn’t mean they’re the same thing, however. In the same way that Wikipedia is the most prominent example of the wiki framework, bitcoin is currently the most widely known application of blockchain. In the next section, we’ll look at some other ways blockchain is being implemented, as well as potential future applications.
Blockchain beyond bitcoin
Many of the same features that allow blockchain to record and guarantee transactions without a central authority also make it an attractive solution for many businesses and industries. From a business standpoint, blockchain’s two major advantages are its efficiency and reliability compared to traditional accounting methods.
Should you build your own blockchain?
Keep in mind that it’s still very early days for blockchain, and we’re still figuring out new use cases. As of now, blockchain is really just a concept that can be implemented in any number of ways–there aren’t yet universal standards or best practices in many cases. If you’re interested in starting your own blockchain, it’s important to clearly define your use case. Does a blockchain solve a real problem for your organization? Do you have the in-house development and IT resources to invest in it, or will you need to bring in freelance experts?
