Table of Contents:
#1. Rust
Although a bit of a spring chicken in the programming world, Rust has become one of the top contenders for programming professionals worldwide. Programming Q&A site Stack Overflow listed the language as the most popular programming language, based on feedback from programmers for six consecutive years. And that enthusiasm seems to have crossed the crypto space.
Currently, several blockchain projects implement Rust as a programming language. This includes:
- Ethereum’s rival Solana
- ZCash and Grin Privacy Networks
- Elrond Scalability Platform
- Polkadot Interoperability Platform
Other projects, while not necessarily running on Rust, allow developers to use it.
Examples are Ethereum, Cardano, Ankr, Qtum and Nervos.
So what’s the problem with Rust’s sudden popularity? Perhaps we can get a clue from Solana’s founders Anatoly Yakovenko and Raj Gokal, who, in a YouTube chat with UpOnly, explained their reasoning behind Solana’s choice over other languages. The duo’s responses boiled down to the fact that Rust was harder to learn than other languages like Solidity.
Yakovenko said that “everyone loves Rust.” He continued, “The hard part with EVM is, are you going to get smart people to think full-time like ‘how am I going to build at scale’ or are you going to have someone copy something from Solidity and slap a token on it?”
The implication here is no different, for example, from Solidity, Rust is more advanced and is more likely to attract high-level professional programmers.
In addition to being difficult to learn, another of Rust’s strengths is speed. It supports high performance and nabs bugs before they slow down the system. Because of this, Rust lends itself as an ideal programming language for cryptography.
#2. JavaScript
JavaScript is one of the most popular programming languages ever. 98% of websites distribute language in some form, according to W3Techs. It’s so ubiquitous and with such a low barrier to entry that prompted software developer and founder of Stack Overflow to note, “Any application that can be written in JavaScript will eventually be written in JavaScript.”
JavaScript is already making more and more inroads into blockchain and cryptography. Ethereum supports writing in the language and has a team dedicated to making this process simple. The Lisk Decentralized Platform SDK is a software development kit that helps programmers build JavaScript applications.
JavaScript features a cross-platform framework called NodeJS that allows you to create cryptographic applications, including your own coin. A cursory look at the web reveals countless guides for creating a cryptocurrency using NodeJS and successful trial user accounts.
Unlike Solidity, where you’ll have to master the new language, most developers already know JavaScript. Think of it as the entry point before you make your way into cryptographic coding.
JavaScript is the only programming language built into almost all web systems. This means you can start experimenting with crypto applications right away.
#3. Solidity
Unlike Rust and JavaScript, Solidity is a programming language specifically for cryptography. Robustness is almost synonymous with smart contracts, having first been implemented to write smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. The idea for Solidity was hatched by former Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood and was developed by other early Ethereum contributors, including Christian Reitwiessner.
The Bitcoin network is an excellent channel for sending money, but it is not as programmable. For its part, Ethereum is programmable because it allows developers to create and launch applications. You can also distribute and store your smart contracts on the network without anyone’s permission. Ethereum has the Ethereum virtual machine that features Ethereum bytecode, a runtime environment that interprets Solidity.
Several crypto projects use Solidity for smart contracts, including:
- Ethereum
- Ethereum Classic
- Polkadot
- Avalanche Smart Contract Platform
- Binance Chain (Binance Coin (BNB), Binance USD stablecoin (BUSD) and decentralized Pancake Swap exchange
- Tendermint blockchain protocol
- “Ethereum competitor” Tron
- DeFi projects, including UniswapCompound
- ZhCash dApp Platform
This means that Solidity is a language that anyone trying to work in cryptography should familiarize themselves with. Solidity borrows syntax from other languages such as JavaScript and C++. This means that if you’re well versed in them, you’re well on your way to learning Solidity faster than if you didn’t have coding experience.
Solidity is
the most widely used scripting language in smart contracts, and smart contracts are a key component of cryptography, so learning Solidity is an integral part of your skill set if you want to work in cryptography.
Programmers will always be in demand
Despite these challenging times for cryptocurrencies, people are expressing interest in jobs and companies are in a hiring madness, with development jobs in particular demand.
If you’re looking to take a stab at the job market as a developer, gathering Rust, JavaScript, and Solidity will put you ahead.
