Digital transformation has taken the entire world into another space where blockchain-based platforms, non-fungible tokens, and decentralized applications have become the leading players. Currently, most organizations and enterprises widely implement smart contracts and blockchain technology to automate their business operations and provide a safe environment for their users. And as the use of smart contracts helps to facilitate trustless environments where multiple parties involved in a financial transaction can trust automated smart contract code, the need for expert smart contract developers hits the current talent market. 

The decentralized digital landscape is full of companies with a high demand for smart contract developers with professional technical skills and proven expertise in working with the Solidity programming language and its stack development. But why Solidity? The answer is simple: Solidity is the primary programming language nowadays, covering almost all prominent blockchains from Ethereum to Polygon, Binance Smart Chain, and Avalanche. 

Ultimately, the number of people willing to become smart contract developers and pursue careers in one of the best smart contract auditing companies increases rapidly. That’s why we prepared this guide to help you understand the main directions and roadmap leading to the world of blockchain development and smart contract programming. So, without further ado, let’s get into this.

Certified Smart Contract Developer: Requirements and Responsibilities

A certified smart contract developer is a highly skilled security professional who fully understands the architecture of smart contracts and blockchain fundamentals and knows how to develop them for any blockchain platform and decentralized application efficiently. 

Depending on what point of the learning process you are currently standing in terms of your technical skills and abilities, the roadmap and paths to becoming a qualified smart contract developer can slightly differ.

So here, let’s look through the most fundamental responsibilities of Solidity developers all reputable security companies list on their job descriptions.

• Interpreting the clients’ requirements and goals for the blockchain solutions architect;
• Developing new enhancements and functionalities with efficiency, stability, and improving testing;
• Monitoring and participating in various smart contract development projects;
• Evaluating the technical reviews of solutions and services;
• Implementing consensus algorithm:
• Using decentralized oracle networks to execute on-chain agreements:
• Working on Solidity code integration on different client platforms;
• Maintaining blockchain integration with current applications;
• Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and project managers to uncover new concepts and tools for smart contract development.

Smart Contract Development Skills

As we have already learned the basic requirements you need for becoming a Solidity developer, now it’s time to see what skills and abilities are vital for writing and developing smart contracts and decentralized apps. Without the relevant knowledge and skills, you can barely grasp the surface of the responsibilities mandatory for Solidity programmers. That’s why you must fulfill all the prerequisites for the Solidity developer job before diving deep into training and learning processes.

Coding Languages

The first step in getting into the smart contract development field is mastering the fundamentals of programming languages required for creating smart contracts, including Ethereum smart contracts and Solidity smart contracts.

Here are the core programming languages popular among developers.

• Solidity: The core smart contract programming language is Solidity which Gavin Wood proposed to fix the problems of the Ethereum blockchain. Now it’s the default language of all EVM compatible chains (Ethereum Virtual Machine), which means you can create apps and write smart contracts across multiple platforms without the ins and outs. Furthermore, unlike other interpreted programming languages such as Python, Solidity language is statically typed and compiled. Instead, Solidity has many similarities with Javascript. Therefore, they can be considered object-oriented languages focused primarily on smart contract development. 
• And as it is one of the highly demanded languages of our days, every smart contract developer needs to learn Solidity.
• Rust: This programming language is relatively new in this field. However, its functionality and use-cases have long proved Rust’s importance and demand in writing contract codes and developing various apps and projects. However, Rust doesn’t work or support EVM blockchains; instead, you will be able to deploy to Terra, Solana, and also construct Polkadot blockchains.
• Vyper: Vyper is another prominent programming language compatible with Ethereum Virtual Machine that most DeFi projects utilize. It is a Python-based programming language and is preferred by developers who like to work with Python.

Technical Capabilities

Apart from learning Solidity and grasping the essentials of well-known programming languages, there are other vital abilities you need to master. For example, whether you are a web developer, smart contract developer, backend developer, or Ethereum developer, knowledge of C++ or any other backend language is a must. It’s because backend languages are the entry points developers need to move further in Solidity programming. 

Another crucial skill a professional developer should pay attention to is security. Smart contracts handle vast amounts of financial transactions with a value of billions of dollars, so it’s of utmost importance to ensure that the contract code is risk-free and secure.

Where To Get Started? Resources and Tools 

The Internet is an infinite learning pool, where you can get information and materials on any topic you want with just one click on the mouse. From blogs to hackathons to YouTube tutorial channels to open databases and Discord Servers, you have a wide variety of choices to start learning and mastering smart contract development basics.

Below we gathered the best web resources that offer quality materials to beginners and entry-level Solidity developers looking for more enhanced courses and training programs. 

• Chainlink Network
• OpenZeppelin Contract Library
• CryptoZombies 
• Chainlink Discord
• Consensys Bootcamp
• Solidity, Blockchain, and Smart Contract Course
• Ethereum.org

Hackathons 

Hackathons are a great way to speed up your learning process and accelerate your Solidity developer journey. Try your skills and challenge your limits while writing and creating new apps and smart contracts under the guidance of industry leaders.

It will also help you participate in real-world project development, particularly for sharpening your skillset and abilities. For example, you can start with the Chainlink Hackathon, which has a vast collection of resources, network opportunities, workshops, and prizes. 

YouTube Channels 

If you prefer video tutorials and courses over other types of web content, then YouTube is the best option. Whether you are looking for an introductory course, a detailed tutorial for beginners, or more professional and technical materials, you can find them on YouTube resources.

Furthermore, here you follow some leaders and influencers to stay up-to-date on smart contract development techniques, tools, languages, and blockchain project methodologies.

Community

Networking and community participation are crucial in the blockchain and smart contract space. While communicating and sharing ideas with other members, professionals, and industry leaders, you will gain a lot of experience and get real-time guidance. 

FAQ Section