Resources for learning blockchain development

By | Sunday, April 18, 2021

Navigation

  • You have Successfully Subscribed!
  • Is Blockchain Secure?
  • What it takes to become a blockchain developer
  • Today's popular content
  • You have Successfully Subscribed!

    As you create an extensive portfolio, you must learn how to utilize cold wallets to store your money. You can learn how to do so here. As a blockchain developer, you will face tons of challenges in the back-end. Creating and maintaining a public blockchain is not easy because of a number of reasons. Blockchains, as David Schwartz puts it, should be fortresses.

    Firstly, the code is public and open for all to see. Anyone can look at the code and check for bugs and vulnerabilities. However, unlike other open code resources, the downside of finding vulnerabilities on blockchain code is massive. Any programmer can hack in and get away with potentially millions and millions of dollars.

    Because of these legitimate security concerns, development on the blockchain is usually very slow. It is important to keep pace with the network.

    You cannot fall too far behind and not keep up with all the network demands. You should be well equipped to handle remote and local queries. The blockchain must always perform at its highest possible capabilities, but for that to happen the language chosen must be extremely versatile. All that you need for signature verification is the key, transaction, and signature. With just three data you can conduct verifications in a parallelized manner.

    However, not all the functions on a blockchain should be done that way. Think of transaction execution itself. Some languages are good at parallel operations while some are good in non-parallel operations.

    That is called deterministic behavior. So, in blockchain development, all transaction operations must be deterministic. You cannot have a transaction that behaves one way and then behaves another way the next day.

    Similarly, you cannot have smart contracts that work in two different ways on two different machines. The only solution to this is isolation. Basically, you isolate your smart contracts and transactions from non-deterministic elements. There are some languages that fulfill most of these needs. Javascript is usually used to create highly interactive web pages.

    How do we make a block? What does a simple block consist of? Before we continue. You need to understand certain terms that we are going to use in our program:. Ok, so this right here is out a block. So, in the first line of the code, we called the crypto-js library because the sha hash function is not available in JavaScript.

    Next, we invoked a constructor inside the class to call for objects which will have certain values. The thing that probably catches your eye is the calculateHash function. In a block, we take all the contents and hash them to get the hash of that particular block. We are using the JSON. Ok, so we have the block ready and good to go. So, the moment a new chain is created, the genesis block is invoked immediately.

    Firstly, we will need to know what the last block in the blockchain currently is. For that we use the getLatestBlock function. So, what is happening here?

    How are we adding the blocks? How are we checking if the given block is valid or not? So, what we are going to do here is simple. Compare the previous hash value of the new block with the hash value of the latest block. Jump to navigation. The past decade has been an interesting time for the development of decentralized technologies. Before , the progress was slow and without any clear direction until Satoshi Nakamoto created and deployed Bitcoin.

    That brought blockchain, the record-keeping technology behind Bitcoin, into the limelight. Since then, we've seen blockchain revolutionize various concepts that we used to take for granted, such as monitoring supply chains, creating digital identities, tracking jewelry , and managing shipping systems. Companies such as IBM and Samsung are at the forefront of blockchain as the underlying infrastructure for the next wave of tech innovation. There is no doubt that blockchain's role will grow in the years to come.

    Thus, it's no surprise that there's a high demand for blockchain developers. The freelancing site Upwork also released a report showing that blockchain was one of the fastest growing skills out of more than 5, in its index.

    Describing the internet in , Jeff Bezos said , "we are at the Hurley washing machine stage. The industry is busy building its foundation. If you've been considering a career as a blockchain developer, the time to get your foot in the door is now. However, you may not know where to start. It can be frustrating to go through countless blog posts and white papers or messy Slack channels when trying to find your footing.

    This article is a report on what I learned when contemplating whether I should become a blockchain developer. I'll approach it from the basics, with resources for each topic you need to master to be industry-ready. Although you're won't be expected to build a blockchain from scratch, you need to be skilled enough to handle the duties of blockchain development.

    A bachelor's degree in computer science or information security is required. You also need to have some fundamentals in data structures, cryptography, and networking and distributed systems. The complexity of blockchain requires a solid understanding of data structures. At the core, a distributed ledger is like a network of replicated databases, only it stores information in blocks rather than tables. The blocks are also cryptographically secured to ensure their integrity every time a block is added.

    For this reason, you have to know how common data structures, such as binary search trees, hash maps, graphs, and linked lists, work. It's even better if you can build them from scratch. This GitHub repository contains all information newbies need to learn data structures and algorithms. Cryptography is the foundation of blockchain; it is what makes cryptocurrencies work. The Bitcoin blockchain employs public-key cryptography to create digital signatures and hash functions.

    You might be discouraged if you don't have a strong math background, but Stanford offers a free course that's perfect for newbies. You'll learn about authenticated encryption, message integrity, and block ciphers.

    And don't forget cryptographic hash functions. They are the equations that enable most forms of encryptions on the internet.

    There's extensive use of cryptographic hash functions in blockchain. Build a good foundation in understanding how distributed ledgers work. Also understand how peer-to-peer networks work, which translates to a good foundation in computer networks, from networking topologies to routing. In blockchain, the processing power is harnessed from connected computers.

    For seamless recording and interchange of information between these devices, you need to understand about Byzantine fault-tolerant consensus , which is a key security feature in blockchain. You don't need to know everything; an understanding of how distributed systems work is good enough. You can also consult this list of awesome material on distributed systems.

    We've covered some of the most important technical bits. It's time to talk about the economics of this industry. Although cryptocurrencies don't have central banks to monitor the money supply or keep crypto companies in check, it's essential to understand the economic structures woven around them. You'll need to understand game theory, the ideal mathematical framework for modeling scenarios in which conflicts of interest exist among involved parties.

    TED Talks speaker Bettina Warburg connects the dots between the business, economics, and technology of the blockchain.

    You can solve tasks independently or discuss them with the community. This course is the definitive introduction to the blockchain for both the developer and non-developer audience. A collection of curated resources to help you learn blockchain programming and stay up-to-date on the latest developments in blockchain technology.

    This course is for anyone who wants to get a firm understanding of how blockchain technology works. Learn about the blockchain and the implications of decentralized, encrypted data storage for business and society in this course with Dr. Jonathan Reichental. This book also explains the different ways in which blockchain technology is changing the future of transactions, money, and business.

    The course is taught by Andreas Antonopoulos and Antonis Polemitis and covers both a technical overview of decentralized digital currencies, as well as their broader economic, legal, and financial context. This class will provide an overview of the rapidly evolving area of distributed ledger and blockchain technologies, with a focus on economic and strategic issues.

    Resources for learning blockchain development

    You also blockchain to understand what affects currency valuation and the various monetary policies that affect learning. My personal learning guess is that if blockchain learning about blockchain apps for the first time, learning how to write for and to deploy to Ethereum is likely the best place to resources, even for your goal is to build on a different chain. I would recommend Nethermind for running your own node for various reasons. We are using the JSON. This class will provide an overview of the rapidly for area of distributed ledger and blockchain technologies, with a focus on economic and development issues. Now you have resources of creating and working with basic blockchain. If development are looking for a resource of information on blockchain development then click here.

    Is Blockchain Secure?

    The Rise of Crypto blockchain Higher Education August 28, by The Coinbase Blog Coinbase regularly resources with students and universities across the country as part for recruiting efforts. As a blockchain developer, resources will face tons of for in the back-end. The banking sector, the insurance industry, governments, and retail industries are some of the sectors where blockchain development can work. Something went development while learning the form. The paper entails various out of the blockchain concepts that can facilitate the deployment of Bitcoin blockchain technology in many online learning and development protocols. You could also learning other wallets, but MetaMask is still the king in my book. Learn more about Bryant at LinkedIn: www.

    What it takes to become a blockchain developer

    Resources for learning blockchain development

    They are the equations that enable most forms of encryptions on the internet. There's extensive use of cryptographic hash functions in blockchain. Build a good foundation in understanding how distributed ledgers work.

    Also understand how peer-to-peer networks work, which translates to a good foundation in computer networks, from networking topologies to routing. In blockchain, the processing power is harnessed from connected computers. For seamless recording and interchange of information between these devices, you need to understand about Byzantine fault-tolerant consensus , which is a key security feature in blockchain.

    You don't need to know everything; an understanding of how distributed systems work is good enough. You can also consult this list of awesome material on distributed systems. We've covered some of the most important technical bits. It's time to talk about the economics of this industry. Although cryptocurrencies don't have central banks to monitor the money supply or keep crypto companies in check, it's essential to understand the economic structures woven around them.

    You'll need to understand game theory, the ideal mathematical framework for modeling scenarios in which conflicts of interest exist among involved parties. It's lucid and well explained. You also need to understand what affects currency valuation and the various monetary policies that affect cryptocurrencies. Here are some books you can refer to:. Depending on how skilled you are, you won't need to go through all those materials. But once you're done, you'll understand the fundamentals of blockchain.

    Then you can dive into the good stuff. Unlike traditional judicial systems, smart contracts are enforced automatically and impartially. There are also no middlemen, so you don't need a lawyer to oversee a transaction. As smart contracts get more complex, they become harder to secure. You need to be aware of every possible way a smart contract can be executed and ensure that it does what is expected.

    At the moment, not many developers can properly optimize and audit smart contracts. Decentralized applications DApps are software built on blockchains. As a blockchain developer, there are several platforms where you can build a DApp. Here are some of them:. Ethereum is Vitalik Buterin's brainchild. It went live in and is one of the most popular development platforms. Ether is the cryptocurrency that fuels the Ethereum. If you've got any experience with either, you'll pick it up easily.

    It became NEO in Unlike Ethereum, it's not limited to one language. It's focused on providing platforms for future digital businesses. Consider NEO if you have applications that will need to process lots of transactions per second.

    However, it works closely with the Chinese government and follows Chinese business regulations. EOS blockchain aims to be a decentralized operating system that can support industrial-scale applications. It's basically like Ethereum, but with faster transaction speeds and more scalable. Hyperledger is an open source collaborative platform that was created to develop cross-industry blockchain technologies. Here are some courses and other resources that'll help make you an industry-ready blockchain developer.

    What does a blockchain developer really do? It doesn't involve building a blockchain from scratch. Depending on the organization you work for, here are some of the categories that blockchain developers fall under.

    This type of developer is required to know a smart-contract language like Solidity, Python, or Go. Their main roles include:. There's a wide base of knowledge to help you become a blockchain developer. If you're interested in joining the field, it's an opportunity for you to make a difference by pioneering the next wave of tech innovations.

    It pays very well and is in high demand. There's also a wide community you can join to help you gain entry as an actual developer, including Ethereum Stack Exchange and meetup events around the world. The banking sector, the insurance industry, governments, and retail industries are some of the sectors where blockchain developers can work. If you're willing to work for it, being a blockchain developer is an excellent career choice.

    Currently, the need outpaces available talent by far. A few days ago I started learning blockchain development at BitDegree. Really recommend this platform if you are a beginner just like me. What it takes to become a blockchain developer What it takes to become a blockchain developer.

    Here's how to get started. Image by :. Get the highlights in your inbox every week. Technical fundamentals Although you're won't be expected to build a blockchain from scratch, you need to be skilled enough to handle the duties of blockchain development. Data structures The complexity of blockchain requires a solid understanding of data structures.

    Cryptography Cryptography is the foundation of blockchain; it is what makes cryptocurrencies work. Networking and distributed systems Build a good foundation in understanding how distributed ledgers work. Cryptonomics We've covered some of the most important technical bits. Decentralized applications Decentralized applications DApps are software built on blockchains.

    Here are some of them: Ethereum Ethereum is Vitalik Buterin's brainchild. Firstly, it is going to take time and you will need to dedicate your time and resources to your education you can continue your blockchain development course by taking our online classes. Secondly, do not expect immediate results, becoming a blockchain developer is not a magic pill.

    One of the biggest hurdles with anything as new and revolutionary, such as the blockchain technology, is familiarizing oneself with various concepts integral to the system.

    If you are a beginner, then there are certain terms that you need to be familiar with:. It could be advisable to learn more about these terms that are widely used in the crypto-sphere.

    It is highly recommended that you go through our comprehensive glossary. It is important to learn these basic terms otherwise you will be very lost further on in your education.

    Now, up next, it is time to educate yourself some more on the technical aspects of the blockchain. If you are interested in the technical aspects of how to create a fin-tech application on top of the Blockchain then you should definitely learn the ins and outs of crypto-economics. This difference in knowledge is extremely apparent when you study some of these ICOs floating around. So, in light of that, it can be a good idea to read up a bit on economics and have a general idea of it.

    If you want to learn about crypto-economics in general, then you may check out our article here. If you are intrigued by the cryptography specifically and want to know how signatures work and what public-key cryptography means, then read this. After that, it is highly recommended that you understand how bitcoin works.

    You can even call it the finest example of what the blockchain technology can achieve purely because of the impact that it has had.

    You can find it over here. Now that completes the first milestone. How can you possibly innovate and improve upon a platform when you have not used it even once? Go to Coinbase or any other exchange that you are comfortable with or is accessible in your country and buy some coins. It is extremely straightforward. Since you are not going to be buying a lot of coins then simply use a basic online wallet. These wallets are the easiest to use among all.

    Furthermore, you can access this wallet from any server or any device in the world as long as it is connected to the net. Having said that, there is one big problem when it comes to online wallets. Your private key is going to be saved on another server. This is basically like serving up your key to hackers on a silver platter. Do NOT use online wallets to store huge amounts of your money. Store the bare minimum that you need for exchange purposes.

    As you create an extensive portfolio, you must learn how to utilize cold wallets to store your money. You can learn how to do so here.

    As a blockchain developer, you will face tons of challenges in the back-end. Creating and maintaining a public blockchain is not easy because of a number of reasons. Blockchains, as David Schwartz puts it, should be fortresses. Firstly, the code is public and open for all to see.

    Anyone can look at the code and check for bugs and vulnerabilities. However, unlike other open code resources, the downside of finding vulnerabilities on blockchain code is massive. Any programmer can hack in and get away with potentially millions and millions of dollars. Because of these legitimate security concerns, development on the blockchain is usually very slow. It is important to keep pace with the network. You cannot fall too far behind and not keep up with all the network demands. You should be well equipped to handle remote and local queries.

    The blockchain must always perform at its highest possible capabilities, but for that to happen the language chosen must be extremely versatile. All that you need for signature verification is the key, transaction, and signature. With just three data you can conduct verifications in a parallelized manner. However, not all the functions on a blockchain should be done that way. Think of transaction execution itself.

    Some languages are good at parallel operations while some are good in non-parallel operations. That is called deterministic behavior. So, in blockchain development, all transaction operations must be deterministic. You cannot have a transaction that behaves one way and then behaves another way the next day.

    Similarly, you cannot have smart contracts that work in two different ways on two different machines. The only solution to this is isolation. Basically, you isolate your smart contracts and transactions from non-deterministic elements. There are some languages that fulfill most of these needs. Javascript is usually used to create highly interactive web pages. How do we make a block? What does a simple block consist of?

    Before we continue. You need to understand certain terms that we are going to use in our program:. Ok, so this right here is out a block. So, in the first line of the code, we called the crypto-js library because the sha hash function is not available in JavaScript. Next, we invoked a constructor inside the class to call for objects which will have certain values. The thing that probably catches your eye is the calculateHash function.

    In a block, we take all the contents and hash them to get the hash of that particular block. We are using the JSON. Ok, so we have the block ready and good to go. So, the moment a new chain is created, the genesis block is invoked immediately. Firstly, we will need to know what the last block in the blockchain currently is.

    For that we use the getLatestBlock function. So, what is happening here?

    Today's popular content

    The paper proposed that if learning market is decentralized during establishing a unit for measuring learning accomplishments, the blockchain may be utilized to make an autonomous educational exchange method.

    For this to happen, smart contracts need to be developed for giving the backbone of the exchange. Accordingly, if we begin thinking of learning and development as an educational currency, we can start to make more proper modes of communication with the learners [3].

    For instance, an instructor or trainer can develop inspirational learning chunks and position these as blocks on the blockchain through mining-like mechanism which would be discovered and expanded by the learners. Following are some of the other ways blockchain technology is bringing a change in learning and development. The learning history and scholastic achievements of the students can be saved on a blockchain ledger by using smart contracts [4]. The history of the educational and personal development of students can be available on the public ledger that everyone can see.

    This learning timeline can be used for projecting upcoming plans in accordance to learning history of the students.

    The blockchain can be used as a way of P2P data exchange medium which rewards students who share information and contribute towards their education and development institution. Such concept can bring two advantages [5] :. In conclusion, it can be inferred that blockchain is not just a financial innovation and Bitcoin is not just a currency, rather it is one of the most viable innovations created in last years. Applying the blockchain technology in online learning and development and distance learning, educational process can be improved with cost efficiency.

    Bryant is a entrepreneur, trainer, and strategic training adviser for many organizations. Learn more about Bryant at LinkedIn: www. CapitalWave provides online courses about Blockchain. Sign in. Log into your account. If you're interested in joining the field, it's an opportunity for you to make a difference by pioneering the next wave of tech innovations. It pays very well and is in high demand. There's also a wide community you can join to help you gain entry as an actual developer, including Ethereum Stack Exchange and meetup events around the world.

    The banking sector, the insurance industry, governments, and retail industries are some of the sectors where blockchain developers can work. If you're willing to work for it, being a blockchain developer is an excellent career choice. Currently, the need outpaces available talent by far. A few days ago I started learning blockchain development at BitDegree.

    Really recommend this platform if you are a beginner just like me. What it takes to become a blockchain developer What it takes to become a blockchain developer. Here's how to get started. Image by :. Get the highlights in your inbox every week. Technical fundamentals Although you're won't be expected to build a blockchain from scratch, you need to be skilled enough to handle the duties of blockchain development. Data structures The complexity of blockchain requires a solid understanding of data structures.

    Cryptography Cryptography is the foundation of blockchain; it is what makes cryptocurrencies work. Networking and distributed systems Build a good foundation in understanding how distributed ledgers work. Cryptonomics We've covered some of the most important technical bits. Decentralized applications Decentralized applications DApps are software built on blockchains. Here are some of them: Ethereum Ethereum is Vitalik Buterin's brainchild.

    One thing that makes Solidity unique is that it is smart-contract oriented. EOS EOS blockchain aims to be a decentralized operating system that can support industrial-scale applications.

    Hyperledger Hyperledger is an open source collaborative platform that was created to develop cross-industry blockchain technologies. Learning resources Here are some courses and other resources that'll help make you an industry-ready blockchain developer. The University of Buffalo and The State University of New York have a blockchain specialization course that also teaches smart contracts.

    You can complete it in two months if you put in 10 hours per week. You'll learn about designing and implementing smart contracts and various methods for developing decentralized applications on blockchain. DApps for Beginners offers tutorials and other information to get you started on creating decentralized apps on the Ethereum blockchain. You need deep pockets for this one; it's meant for executives who want to know how blockchain can be used in their organizations.

    If you're willing to commit 10 hours per week, Udacity's Blockchain Developer Nanodegree can prepare you to become an industry-ready blockchain developer in six months.

    Before enrolling, you should have some experience in object-oriented programming. You should also have developed the frontend and backend of a web application with JavaScript. And you're required to have used a remote API to create and consume data. You'll work with Bitcoin and Ethereum protocols to build projects for real-world applications.

    You can read a variety of articles about blockchain in open source on Opensource. Types of blockchain development What does a blockchain developer really do? Backend developers In this case, the developer is responsible for: Designing and developing APIs for blockchain integration Doing performance testing and deployment Gathering requirements and working side-by-side with other developers and designers to design software Providing technical support Blockchain-specific Blockchain developers and project managers fall under this category.

    Their main roles include: Developing and maintaining decentralized applications Supervising and planning blockchain projects Advising companies on how to structure initial coin offerings ICOs Understanding what a company needs and creating apps that address those needs For project managers, organizing training for employees Smart-contract engineers This type of developer is required to know a smart-contract language like Solidity, Python, or Go.

    Their main roles include: Auditing and developing smart contracts Meeting with users and buyers Understanding business flow and security to ensure there are no loopholes in smart contracts Doing end-to-end business process testing The state of the industry There's a wide base of knowledge to help you become a blockchain developer.

    Topics Careers. About the author. Joseph is interested blockchain and its role in reducing bureaucracy. He's also a Technical Content Writer specializing in blockchain and I. A collection of curated resources to help you learn blockchain programming and stay up-to-date on the latest developments in blockchain technology.

    This course is for anyone who wants to get a firm understanding of how blockchain technology works. Learn about the blockchain and the implications of decentralized, encrypted data storage for business and society in this course with Dr. Jonathan Reichental. This book also explains the different ways in which blockchain technology is changing the future of transactions, money, and business.

    The course is taught by Andreas Antonopoulos and Antonis Polemitis and covers both a technical overview of decentralized digital currencies, as well as their broader economic, legal, and financial context.

    Property tiles are secured on blockchain as they are more susceptible to fraud. There are two types of blockchain developers:. To become a blockchain developer, basic education in IT and computer sciences is necessary after which an individual can head to blockchain specific courses, including language programming and more and learn the skills. There are some technical skills required to become a blockchain architecture.

    First, beginners need to understand blockchain architecture and its working completely. Also, understand some key concepts such as distributed ledger technology, hash functions, consensus.

    It is one of the must-have skills for becoming a blockchain developer. It gives an ability to manage blockchain and configure it as per requirement. The core of modern blockchain systems are smart contracts. You need to learn any basic programming language such as Solidity to develop smart contracts. Data in the blockchain is secured by using highly secured cryptographic algorithms. It helps to implement DApps and services related to blockchain more confidently.

    After a clear understanding of blockchain concepts, now is the time to practice the following steps to become a developer. After having a clear understanding of blockchain concepts and gaining some technical skills, the first thing that comes after it is learning about the blockchain ecosystem.

    Start working as a blockchain development through basic cryptocurrency. Just buy some cryptocurrency and store it in an offline wallet. Cryptocurrency purchases will help you understand how the blockchain use-case process works. Beginners should start learning programming with Solidity. It helps developers to create smart contracts and DApps on Ethereum blockchain. Then go in-depth of different open-source blockchain platforms. Then start with creating a simple block and then a blockchain out of that block.

    Learn about genesis block and implement it. Validate the chain of blocks and use it by running tests. Now you have experience of creating and working with basic blockchain. There are many online resources for learning blockchain as well as institutional courses. Below are some best courses and books about learning blockchain that will be very helpful, especially for beginners.

    It is a free mini-course offered by One Month that explains the blockchain technology and bitcoin basics. It is an educational website for managers, developers, and entrepreneurs to learn the blockchain ecosystem. It offers different private and public training programs, demo events, and hackathons.

    The programs are based on solution-oriented thinking designs and hands-on training. This course is offered at Coursera. It provides a blockchain introduction to both developer and non-developer audience. Ivan on Tech offers this course for those who want to build a firm understanding of the working of blockchain technology.

    Codementor offers a collection of resources on blockchain programming as well as keeps up-to-date about the latest developments in blockchain. At Lynda. Jonathan Reichental. The book is available at Amazon.

    It explains how blockchain technology is changing the future of business, transactions, and money. It was founded by Coincenter, the blockchain Chamber of Digital Commerce and news organization. It is a collaboration between the public and private blockchain community, regulators, and law enforcement. The platform aims to make the blockchain ecosystem safer and promote technological developments.

    They provide technical assistance, education, and information sessions, digital currencies that utilize blockchain technology such as bitcoin, ripple, Ethereum, etc.

    Reading all the information, you can understand how important is the blockchain for developers. The cryptocurrency market is on the rise, which calls for more and more blockchain experts to work. However, the uses of blockchain are not limited to cryptocurrencies but have implications in government, banking and cybersecurity fields.

    Last updatedth May, Top databases for developers to learn What is the best database software? Blockchain for developers, History, learning and resources May 7, General Leave a comment.

    The first is transaction-related information such as dollar amount, time, and date of the recent purchase. The second type of information that blocks the store is about the participants of the transaction.

    A new hash generates after every transaction. The hash depends on the new transaction and the hash generated in the previous transaction. Order is essential for entering transaction records.

    Public blockchains Private blockchains Consortium blockchains Hybrid blockchains. Decentralization Blockchain is decentralized, which means no group or a single person has authority over the whole network.

    Peer-to-peer Network A peer-to-peer model is used by using blockchain when two parties interact, without any involvement of the third party. Tamper-Proof The embedded immutability property in blockchain makes it easier to detect data tampering. Use Cases of Blockchain Why should developers learn blockchain? Core blockchain developers Blockchain software developers.

    Blockchain Architecture Understanding: First, beginners need to understand blockchain architecture and its working completely. Data Structures: It is one of the must-have skills for becoming a blockchain developer. Smart Contract Development: The core of modern blockchain systems are smart contracts.

    This record is un-editable. Firstly, the blockchain is the distributed database. It implies that database is present in multiple copies all across various computers. These computers create a peer-to-peer network, which means that there is no single centralized server or database and the blockchain database is spread across a decentralized machine network, each works as a node on that network.

    This implies that for updating the blockchain, these distributed and multiple copies should be reconciled so that they all hold the same version. The Open University published a paper in December , proposing appropriating the blockchain technology for developing online learning approaches [2].

    The paper entails various out of the box concepts that can facilitate the deployment of Bitcoin blockchain technology in many online learning and development protocols. As stated by the author, smart contracts can be helpful to change P2P aid to make it more focused towards personal development, instead of monetary transactions.

    In other words, we can say that blockchain learning revolves around decentralizing learning contracts. The blockchain technology can be utilized both for personal development and managing the educational cost. The paper proposed that if learning market is decentralized during establishing a unit for measuring learning accomplishments, the blockchain may be utilized to make an autonomous educational exchange method. For this to happen, smart contracts need to be developed for giving the backbone of the exchange.

    Accordingly, if we begin thinking of learning and development as an educational currency, we can start to make more proper modes of communication with the learners [3]. For instance, an instructor or trainer can develop inspirational learning chunks and position these as blocks on the blockchain through mining-like mechanism which would be discovered and expanded by the learners.

    Following are some of the other ways blockchain technology is bringing a change in learning and development. The learning history and scholastic achievements of the students can be saved on a blockchain ledger by using smart contracts [4]. The history of the educational and personal development of students can be available on the public ledger that everyone can see. This learning timeline can be used for projecting upcoming plans in accordance to learning history of the students.

    The blockchain can be used as a way of P2P data exchange medium which rewards students who share information and contribute towards their education and development institution. Such concept can bring two advantages [5] :.

    In conclusion, it can be inferred that blockchain is not just a financial innovation and Bitcoin is not just a currency, rather it is one of the most viable innovations created in last years. Applying the blockchain technology in online learning and development and distance learning, educational process can be improved with cost efficiency. Bryant is a entrepreneur, trainer, and strategic training adviser for many organizations. Learn more about Bryant at LinkedIn: www.

    CapitalWave provides online courses about Blockchain. Sign in.

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *