INTRODUCTION
Many new professional opportunities have arisen as a result of the complex and fast evolving world of blockchain technology. Technical careers in blockchain programming, quality assurance, and system architecture are among them, as are business-side careers in product management, project management, and legal consultancy.
Blockchain, like any other sector, employs people in dozens, if not hundreds, of different fields. This article will focus on the most well-known.
POPULAR BLOCKCHAIN CAREERS
- Blockchain Developer
Blockchain developers create both blockchain platforms and the apps that run on them. These developers are divided into two groups:
- Blockchain core engineers create the software that powers blockchain networks like Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL). Their job is to write, maintain, and update the source code that makes the blockchain work.
- Blockchain app developers are primarily responsible for creating apps that run on blockchain networks.
C++, Java, and Python are among the programming languages used by blockchain core developers. Blockchain app developers may also employ blockchain-specific languages popular for smart contract development in addition to these languages. The most popular is Solidity, which has become the de facto language of choice for Ethereum smart contract development.
Developers must be conversant with the fundamentals of cryptography and the architecture of decentralized ledger systems in addition to knowledge of a programming language utilized on blockchains.
- Blockchain Architect
The complete infrastructure of blockchain networks or apps is conceptualized and designed by blockchain architects. Because of the decentralized nature of blockchain, good blockchain architecture is critical. As a result, blockchain architects should have a thorough understanding of the overall blockchain technology as well as how its many components interact.
While architects are not expected to be blockchain code experts, they must have a solid understanding of blockchain cryptography, transaction verification methods, cross-chain interoperability, tokenization, and other essential areas required for a functioning blockchain network or app.
- Blockchain Project Manager
During the development stage, project managers guide and coordinate blockchain projects. They’re frequently the point of contact for non-technical project stakeholders including product managers, UX designers, and business consultants.
Project management necessitates a variety of abilities, including:
- Coordinating work among several departments within the firm.
- Resolving conflicts among various stakeholders.
- Effectively communicating project progress to the management team and other stakeholders.
This work necessitates technical knowledge of popular project management software. Because the project management software industry is so fragmented, each project may prefer a particular tool or leave the decision to the project manager.
The major project management software companies are presently Slack, Atlassian, and Monday.com. Experience with these vendors’ project management solutions can help you land a project management position.
- Blockchain UX Designer
To facilitate their operation, most blockchain apps feature a user interface. UX designers are in charge of making these apps’ user interfaces effective and simple to use.
User research via feedback collection, wireframing, and prototyping are common abilities required in this field. It’s also critical to be able to communicate the completed thoughts to all project stakeholders. Additionally, UX designers should have a basic understanding of CSS and HTML.
- Blockchain Quality Engineer
It is the responsibility of a quality engineer to verify that the blockchain platform and all of its components are error-free. Before releasing the finalized version, quality engineers thoroughly test the platform on the testnet, the trial environment where the project sits.
Testing the platform using use cases, which are test scenarios that imitate end-user behaviors to detect any missing functionality, is one of the most significant components of this work.
Engineers with a good blend of technical and business knowledge are in high demand. When examining the code, they use their technical skills to uncover functionality issues, while their grasp of the project’s commercial aims helps them spot faults in the platform’s business logic.
- Blockchain Legal Adviser
Legal advisers provide legal advice to important project stakeholders such as founders, managers, and business advisers in order to keep the project on solid legal footing. This could include concerns such as company structure, ICOs, tokenomics, smart contracts, and more.
Legal counsel must be well-versed on cryptocurrency regulations worldwide, particularly in the project’s incorporation jurisdiction. They must also be well-versed in blockchain and cryptocurrency concepts, as well as general legal issues such as corporate architecture and taxation.
- Blockchain Product Manager
Product managers are in charge of a blockchain product’s overall success, development, and functionality. The product could be the whole app or only a portion of it. Many decentralized finance (DeFi) systems, for example, provide a wide range of products and services to their consumers. A product manager’s role on such a platform would be to lead a specific product stream, such as a lending function.
Blockchain product managers, like product managers in other industries, are assessed based on their product’s key performance metrics. These measures could include income, profit, TVL, and the number of wallets signing up.
- Blockchain Security Manager
Blockchains are not immune to hacker attacks, despite their excellent security based on cryptography and trustless decentralized verification.
Security managers are in charge of discovering and safeguarding blockchain platforms from security threats. In this field, strong cybersecurity abilities are essential.
The most critical security issue for most blockchain ventures is the theft of crypto assets from platform users’ wallets. Blockchain cyber hackers stole $500 million in 2020 alone. With such losses, the demand for blockchain security managers is only going to increase.
KEY INDUSTRIES FOR BLOCKCHAIN CAREERS
- Financial Services
Financial services apps, both decentralized and centralized, make up a substantial component of the blockchain ecosystem.
The apps’ most popular financial services are digital payments, lending and borrowing, crypto investment optimization, and crypto asset swaps. The demand for blockchain expertise on both the development and commercial sides is growing as these apps become more popular.
- Insurance
The insurance industry is investing heavily in blockchain technology in order to build more efficient claims processing solutions. The typical claims procedure in the sector is time-consuming and inefficient, requiring multiple parties to verify and process claims.
The insurance industry is seeing blockchain technology, notably smart contract–based solutions, as a wonderful way to streamline and lower the cost of claims processing. As blockchain transforms insurance claims processing, the number of blockchain-related jobs in the business is rapidly increasing.
- Government
Governments all over the world are funding blockchain-based projects to develop transparent electoral voting systems, improve interoperability across government departments, and expedite citizen services. These are usually large-scale undertakings involving a variety of government departments and institutions. As a result, a wide number of government-related employment, both technical and business-focused, have opened up for blockchain workers.
- Healthcare
Healthcare providers employ blockchain technology to keep track of and exchange medical records, process claims, and improve patient care. Smart contracts can also be used to enable multiple providers communicate and streamline the documentation flow.
The healthcare industry’s huge size and growing interest in blockchain are presenting major prospects for blockchain professionals working in this field.
WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR BLOCKCHAIN CAREERS?
Over the last several years, demand for blockchain professionals has increased dramatically, and this trend is projected to continue in the near future. A big number of firms and organizations are investing in private blockchain solutions in addition to developing apps on Ethereum and other public blockchains. This segment of the blockchain industry is also a significant employer.
The remarkable growth rate of the business can be seen in the total cryptocurrency market cap data. Since the beginning of 2021, the global cryptocurrency market cap has climbed by about 200 percent (from $750 million to $2.2 billion), indicating a growing interest in blockchain-based cryptocurrency solutions. While bitcoin is only a small component of the blockchain sector, these data show widespread interest in the technology.
The increasing usage of blockchain technology across numerous industries, as well as the rise of the cryptocurrency industry, indicate to a bright future for blockchain professions.
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Photo by Saulo Mohana
