The Best Blockchain Programming Languages to Learn in 2021

Ankita Kapoor
Python in Plain English
7 min readDec 11, 2020

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The worldwide investment on the Blockchain technology is expected to cross a whopping 15.9 billion USD by 2023 as per Developers Stats. Blockchain technology is regarded as the most disruptive technology of 2020, second only to Artificial intelligence and Machine learning.

Indeed, blockchain is a disruptive technology as with passing time we are witnessing revolutionizing applications of it in diverse fields be its cross-border payments, healthcare, fashion, agriculture, etc. However, bitcoin remains the most famous example of blockchain technology.

Developed by a group of experts under the name of Satoshi Nakamoto, bitcoin is the most secure cryptocurrency using blockchain. The high security of blockchain technology may seem mysterious, but surprisingly the technology itself is compatible with trending programming languages that include C#, Java, Python, etc.

As blockchain is dominating its presence in fields unheard of, any technology enthusiast needs to learn about the top programming languages which are best suited to Blockchain development. But before we move on to it lets brush up our knowledge about the technology.

What defines Blockchain?

Blockchain technology gets best defined as a kind of distributed ledger technology that offers an optimum level of security for the stored data making it nearly implausible for anyone to cheat or hack the system. Being a form of distributed ledger technology, it has the following characteristics:

  • Each participant of the distributed network has access to the ledger.
  • Data once saved over the network can neither be modified nor reversed, which makes it immutable.
  • Each piece of data in the network gets time stamped.
  • The participants of the network are anonymous as far as the validity of records is concerned.
  • Data gets encrypted.
  • The technology is programmable.

Well, that was a concise definition of blockchain. Let us now focus on the programming languages that are effective for blockchain.

Here’s top 8 programming language that is best suited for developing blockchain programming applications

1. Python

Released in 1991, Python has ruled the world of application development and blockchain is no exception to it. Python is listed among the official languages of Google and is also compatible with AI, Machine learning, Big Data, Internet of things, etc. You can hire Python developers in India if you need any assistance for the same.

Fortunately, Python is an open-source programming language that makes it a preferred choice for reducing the overall cost of web development. The list of excellent benefits of using Python for blockchain programming applications are as follows:

  • Python is highly stable, reliable, and comes with a gentle learning curve which makes it easier for a novice to master the language in much less time.
  • It offers the developers to go for pre-compilation of the code, which proves beneficial for the project. As it is a scripted language so compiling the code isn’t a must for the developer’s team, which saves time.
  • Python developers in India can develop a simple blockchain in less than 50 lines of code.
  • The versatility and speed performance of Python makes it a compelling option for blockchain development.

2. Java

Designed by James Gosling at Oracle Corporation et al., Java appeared 25 years ago. Java is a renowned official language for android app development and is an excellent choice for backend development of blockchain applications. When planning an extensive mobile application using blockchain, Java is a preferred choice for many developers.

Prominent advantages of Java that makes it an ideal choice for blockchain application are as follows:

  • As Java is static, so it makes the maintenance of code a piece of cake for anyone.
  • Code portability and flexibility is possible by using the Java Virtual Machine.
  • Availability of a large number of Java libraries offers a pluggable architecture to the developers.
  • Java is a recommended programming language for Ethereum blockchain which involves cryptocurrencies.

3. Solidity

Solidity is a high-level, object-oriented programming language developed exclusively to facilitate smart contracts. The statically typed programming language gets influenced by JavaScript, Python, C++, and PowerShell. Solidity is a preferred programming language for private blockchain that competes with Ethereum. You can hire Ethereum developers in India if you need any assistance for the same.

Here’s why you should opt for Solidity when it comes to blockchain development.

  • It got created keeping blockchain in mind, so it proves as a developer-friendly language for blockchain development.
  • It gets considered as a reliable choice for developing a digital platform that requires self-enforcing business logic or smart contracts.
  • Developers can access Java Script infrastructure to ensure smooth development of the project.
  • It comes with static typing, which means the code doesn’t get compiled until it becomes error-free. It saves time and ensures the smooth development of the project.

4. C#

Designed and developed by Microsoft Corporation the C# programming language got released as a substitute of Java. It is an open-source, object-oriented programming language. Being similar to Java and C programming language, it gets considered as a good alternative for blockchain development. You can take help from a top offshore software development agencies in India if you need any assistance for the same.

When you choose C# programming language for app development, you are entitled to the following benefits:

  • Being an open-source language, it proves to be a cost-effective option.
  • Code portability is possible, which facilitates cross-platform development of an app.
  • High performance of the final product is likely as C# is an object-oriented programming language.
  • The language is syntactically the same as C++ and Java, which makes it easier for passionate blockchain programmers to interpret and modify it.

5. Ruby

Developed by Yukihiro Matsumoto in the mid of the 1990s, Ruby has gained the reputation of a reliable blockchain programming language. Like Python, Java, and others on the list, Ruby is also a high-level language which increases its compatibility with blockchain app development projects. Going for Ruby will bring the following added benefits to the project.

  • It comes with multiple plugins and modules that save time otherwise needed for coding.
  • It promotes test-driven development that trims the development cost of the project.
  • Ideal for a project that needs to be done in a hurry as using Ruby reduces nearly 30% of the app development time.

6. Go

Go has been designed and developed at Google by Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken Thompson. The language is highly flexible and easy to learn, which makes it compatible with Blockchain, Big Data, Machine Learning, etc.

Offering high scalability and optimum speed performance, Go is a statically typed programming language and prove its worth in the following ways:

  • It is syntactically similar to C, which means veteran Blockchain developers can easily comprehend the code.
  • It comes with memory safety which means the app will be safe from software bugs when accessing the memory.
  • Its readability, as well as usability, is similar to Python and Java, which leads to high scalability and better speed performance.

7. Rholang

Rholang is considered as a good option for developing blockchain applications related to smart contracts. Unlike most of the other programming languages that follow the object-oriented approach, Rholang follows a functional approach which proves helpful to the developers.

Here’s a list of benefits that comes with choosing Rholang for your blockchain programming.

  • The Rholang application assesses the entire program as a set of functions and then solves it sequentially.
  • A recommended option for building smart contracts software.
  • It follows a functional approach which is different from C, Python, etc.

8. JavaScript

Using Java Script gives the added advantage of asynchronous code handling, which is crucial to blockchain development. Asynchronous code handling or parallel programming allows the developed software to perform a series of tasks at the same time. You can hire Angular developers or hire react developers in India if you need any assistance for the same.

Blockchain programming projects using JavaScript will have an edge in the following ways:

  • Using NodeJS, developers find it convenient to develop advanced blockchain solutions for investing firms.
  • Like Python and Java, it also offers a significantly high amount of control over the blockchain
  • It enhances the scalability of the developed app, which is a necessary aspect of any software development.
  • The developer’s team can conveniently use frameworks for smooth and quick project development.

Over to You

That was all about the top blockchain programming languages. Some other programming languages that are worth mentioning for blockchain development includes SQL, PHP, Erlang, Rust, etc.

Your project needs and compatibility will positively influence the ultimate choice of language for the programming project. Consultation with a team of experts that offers reliable blockchain development company in India will be beneficial in finding the best for the programming project.

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Hey, I’m Ankita, a tech blogger working with ValueCoders who loves to share her extensive tech-related knowledge with like-minded people.