Top 10 Programming Languages To Develop Blockchain Applications
Blockchain and Cryptocurrency have been hot and trending topics for a while now. While the crashes in the crypto markets make people believe it is a fad, the stats say otherwise. Blockchain’s longevity and transparency have led businesses to believe it is time to incorporate the technology.
Despite the noise around the technology, it is yet to be adopted into mainstream processes. However, several businesses are trying to identify ways and mean to implement Blockchain.
The blockchain market increased in revenue and size in 2020. The total spending is estimated to reach $19 billion by 2024 (Statista).
By February 2021, about 620.3 million Blockchain transactions had been recorded globally (Blockchain.com).
As per the use cases, the biggest spender on Blockchain technology is the banking and finance sector, closely followed by the process manufacturing niche.
Cross-border payments happen to be the biggest use case for Blockchain. It accounts for 16% of the global Blockchain market (Statista).
These numbers indicate the right time to consider Blockchain app development for your business. Let’s look at some of the reasons why businesses can consider Blockchain.
- Blockchain encryption includes time stamps, so you cannot hack the app or tamper with the data. As a result, it offers extensive security.
- With Blockchain, you can maximize transparency and ensure better visibility into the data and application.
- The architecture is reliable and allows developers to build more efficient and high-performing applications.
- Though the technology seems complex, there are tools to make app development easy and efficient.
To make the most of Blockchain technology and enhance user experience, choose a technology that can enhance your productivity and accelerate app development.
This guide will take you through the top programming languages that help with Blockchain app development to help you plan your tech stack.
Top 10 Programming Languages for Blockchain Development
We will discuss the key features, pros, and cons of each of the ten programming languages you can use to build your Blockchain application.
#1 Solidity
This is one of the finest and most reliable programming languages that support Blockchain app development. It is majorly used in writing smart contracts. This is a high-level and contract-oriented language. The language is written using C++, Python, and JavaScript languages. The language is directed towards Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), which can help debug and encrypt the application.
You get multiple pre-built libraries, inheritances, and user-defined types to accelerate app development. It is still not completely developed; based on requirements, features are added to the programming language, which improves the framework’s capability.
The Key Features
- It offers a syntax, which is similar to JavaScript.
- You can create user-defined state variables for development. Using modifiers, you can modify the function’s ability.
- The compiler is maintained by the Ethereum Foundation, which offers both a command-line tool and a web-based compiler. This makes debugging easy and efficient.
The Pros
- It offers a reliable, flexible coding environment that dictates smart contract development.
- The language is easy-to-use and accessible.
- The medium is accurate for development, which is essential for smart contract development.
- It comes with ABI (Application Binary interface), which allows you to incorporate multiple type-safe functions for your Blockchain application.
The Cons
- You cannot alter the contracts once created with this programming language.
- There is no centralized documentation in this programming language.
#2 Python
Python is a fresher’s best friend. You can hire Blockchain app developers with Python proficiency for interactive development. If you are starting Blockchain app development, you can choose this language for your tech stack. The in-built codes, plethora of libraries, and extensive plug-ins make development smooth and efficient for the developer.
Several Machine Language and Artificial Intelligence libraries with finite frameworks and tools are available for Python. You can easily implement the current technologies in your Blockchain app.
You can use Graphical UI frameworks/tools such as PyQt5 to make the front-end accessible and interactive for your Blockchain app.
The Key Features
- The programming language offers an easy-to-use syntax that makes coding fast and efficient.
- Python is an expressive language, meaning you can write complex codes and create various constructs.
- The programming language doesn’t require the developers to remember the system architecture to create components.
- You don’t need to compile the Python program, as its source code is translated to bytecode. You can directly run the program.
Pros
- A low learning curve that makes it easy to complete Blockchain app development.
- The focus is on coding rather than on syntax formation, giving developers the flexibility to build exact logic.
- A huge in-built library that can cater to your coding requirements.
- Short coding makes the language efficient and improves developer productivity.
Cons
- It consumes a lot of memory and storage space during execution.
- It doesn’t get the needed code coverage most time.
- There isn’t enough documentation available to check through vulnerabilities and improve security.
#3 Java
Java is predominantly used for blockchain app development. It is the language used to create IOTA, NEO, and Ethereum. This is the only programming language that supports class-based OOPs that grants numerous features such as portability and API integration requisite for Blockchain development.
The numerous components and integrations make it the developer’s favorite when it comes to choosing the tech stack for Blockchain. Most developers use it to program apps because it is comfortable, simple, and convenient.
The Key Features
- The programming language uses Object-oriented programming, which means every structure is created using data and objects. It looks structured and organized.
- Java allows you to write the code once and implement it everywhere, as it is not dependent on any compiler.
- Java extends security features that can remove vulnerabilities from your application.
- It comes with a neutral architecture.
Pros
- Platform-agnostic programming language, which allows you to develop cross-platform solutions.
- It is a flexible and scalable language.
- It is a robust and secure platform.
- It is easy to clean memory with this language.
Cons
- It can consume a lot of memory and hamper the application’s performance.
- No backup options make it an issue for developers.
- Verbose programming language means you need to write a lot of code to build an app.
#4 Vyper
This is one of the most preferred Blockchain programming languages that is built using Python 3. The syntax is similar to Python; however, it doesn’t come with all the features of python. The programming language uses Ethereum Virtual Machine, akin to Solidity. It has been extensively developed for Blockchain development.
The control structures are more secure and hackproof. It doesn’t cater to OOPs features. It is mostly used for smart contracts and other secure development.
The Key Features
- It supports signed integers and decimal fixed-point numbers that can improve logic.
- It can implement compiler code that can be easily interpreted.
- It includes bounds and overflow checking.
- Auditability is a feature that allows the developer to create simple and efficient codes.
Pros
- It comes with extensive community support.
- The syntax is easy to use and developer-friendly.
- Supports low-level coding that makes it easier for new developers to get started with Blockchain development.
Cons
- There is no extensive documentation available for the language.
- A restricted number of strings and arrays.
#5 Rholang
Rholang is a new-on-the-block programming language for Blockchain development. It is relatively simple and can be extensively used to create smart contracts. It takes the functional approach instead of the OOPs route. With the programming language, you would observe each code or programming logic as functions that must be solved sequentially.
This is also one of the reasons why it doesn’t undergo memory load like the other programming languages. The easy-to-comprehend syntax makes it a developer-friendly language. If you hire Blockchain app developers with Rholang expertise, you can enhance app experiences.
The Key Features
- It is a functional programming language.
- The programming language uses message sending to perform the calculations.
- The language is asynchronous, which means actions are taken only after reading the message.
- In this case, you will use programs as a sequence of mathematical functions.
Pros
- It is a reliable programming language.
- The syntax is usable and user-friendly.
- The programming language is designed to improve application development speed.
Cons
- The programming language is still new with fewer developers.
- The learning curve is slightly steep.
- Slightly challenging to use undeveloped programming in your application.
#6 Simplicity
This is one of the Blockchain-specific programming languages that can be used to create smart contracts. It is an open-source language, so you can easily manipulate and customize the source code.
This programming language is majorly used to reduce the complexities associated with Bitcoin script. It can increase the efficiency of the developers and accelerate development. It also offers sidechain capabilities.
The Key Features
- It is devised using the Ivy script.
- Uses Haskell-like syntax that makes coding easy and efficient.
- It can work with both Bitcoin and Ethereum virtual machines.
- Extends formal semantics and native mineralized scripting for app development.
Pros
- It is a reliable and secure programming language that helps remove application vulnerabilities.
- This programming language has overcome the restrictions or limitations of other Blockchain-specific languages.
Cons
- The code optimizers may be compromised.
- The developers must merge the functional and formal correctness to create a fully verified smart contract.
#7 Go
Golang, one of the prominent programming languages used for Blockchain development, is a statically typed tech. It is a developer-friendly and flexible language that appeals to both freshers and experienced developers. The language uses modern syntax from Python and JavaScript. It is designed to be more secure and reliable.
The Key Features
- It offers extensive and accessible testing capabilities that make app testing easy and efficient.
- The standard library services such as Gofmt, Gorun, Goget, and Godoc helped improve developers’ efficiency.
- You can easily incorporate and track concurrency options for app development.
Pros
- It comprises a rich and extensive library that can help with Blockchain development.
- You can easily avoid syntax issues when developing with Golang as it is a statically typed language.
- It accelerates compilations, thus improving developer efficiency.
Cons
- It comes with a steep learning curve.
- The syntax can be slightly complicated, overwhelming the developer.
#8 Ruby
This programming language is considered best for Blockchain development. It was released in the 90s as a high-level and general-purpose programming language. This language lets you easily translate your Blockchain app vision into a fully-developed solution. It is great for MVP and end-to-end development. As it is open-source, you can customize the source code to meet unique requirements.
It comes with extensive APIs and plugins that allow you to create feature-rich applications. As it extends the multi-paradigm feature, you can easily create cross-platform solutions.
The Key Features
- It is a flexible language, which means developers can easily modify it.
- It is a dynamic programming language, so you don’t need to compile it. The class, module, and method are built during the runtime.
Pros
- Easy to create cross-platform apps with this language.
- Excellent frameworks are available for Ruby that make app development easy and efficient.
- Huge support from the developer community.
Cons
- The debugging of the application takes time and a lot of effort.
- It is not very flexible, so developers don’t prefer using a language.
- It offers a low processing speed.
#9 PHP
PHP is one of the most prominent and popular programming languages. It is extensively used for Blockchain development as it is open-source and platform-agnostic. This allows developers to create impressive apps for multiple platforms. The in-built libraries are another reason why a lot of developers prefer PHP. This reduces the developers’ burden and enhances app development speed.
It can deliver app solutions for simple to complex app ideas.
The Key Features
- It is an object-oriented programming language that allows you to create reusable components and pages.
- An interpreted language, means you don’t need to compile or execute the source code.
- It is a platform-agnostic language that can help deliver cross-platform apps.
Pros
- It is easy to install and use for Blockchain development.
- It is compatible with all platforms and browsers.
- Low learning curve and a simple programming language.
- In-built libraries make development fast and easy.
Cons
- Majorly used for content-based websites. So, it may not be your first choice for Blockchain development.
- You may experience runtime errors with this programming language.
#10 Rust
It is a dependable programming language to create reliable, immutable, innovative solutions. It is an open-source language that is specifically devised for Blockchain application development. You can easily manage the mutable states with this language. It offers code optimization and excellent memory allocation methods.
The Key Features
- The programming language allows developers to add abstractions without impacting the runtime performance.
- The type inference helps developers be more productive by determining the expression automatically.
- Two threads can never have the same variable with the write access.
Pros
- It is a highly secure programming language.
- The frameworks used for this language are efficient and effective.
Cons
- It has a slightly steep learning curve.
- It doesn’t have sound community support as it is still new.
Conclusion
Blockchain app development is gaining momentum as more businesses seek secure and reliable app solutions. The apt tech stack with the most suitable programming language can help enhance the app experience. It will help developers be more efficient and result in robust applications.
You should hire an expert Blockchain app development company to support your vision. New York Mobile Tech is a mobile app development company with Blockchain proficiency. Hire our Blockchain developers to gain an edge over the competition. Connect with us with your idea to build reliable and secure applications.
