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Proposed in 2014 by Gavin Wood and developed by Christian Reitwiessner, Alex Beregszaszi and other Ethereum developers, Solidity is an object-oriented programming language implemented on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), a compiler used for the creation and execution of smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). With the growing adoption of blockchain technology and the emergence of the Web3, Solidity is now a fundamental hard skill needed to keep pace with the digital transformation.
Solidity roots
Solidity takes cues and inspiration from other programming languages, such as Serpent, Python, C++, Javascript, Ruby and Rust; this makes Solidity a universally understandable language since it involves syntaxes that can be grasped by most programmers with a basic knowledge in other coding languages. For those who have Javascript foundations, there will be no issue at all to understand Solidity: the languages are so much similar that Solidity is hilariously labeled as a “Javascript slang”.
Why is it so popular?
With the success of the Ethereum ecosystem and its programmable functionality, other blockchains have found a significant advantage in using the EVM, allowing developers to code in Solidity instead of making a new programming language from scratch. EVM soon became the hub and heart of the Ethereum network, in a way that 80% of the top ten blockchains today are EVM-compatible and non-EVM chains are developing compatible solutions as well: the most significant examples are NEAR Protocol’s Aurora, Neon, which allows developers to write dApps on Solana, and Moonbeam, a parachain based on the Polkadot blockchain. The Ethereum Virtual Machine has effectively created an ecosystem dominated by Solidity.
What is the demand for blockchain developers and how much is their salaries?
The blockchain developer is among the most in-demand jobs in the crypto space. Every day new projects and new blockchains pop up, whose intent is to revolutionize the digital world through Web3. As reported by web3.career, the market offers more than 23,000 job positions in more than 3,000 projects around the globe. At the top of this particular ranking is America, although cryptocurrency is always a controversial topic; America is then followed by Asia, the Arab Emirates and Europe. A Solidity developer could take care of front-end, back-end or full-stack development. Given the high demand and scarcity of skilled profiles, wages are always above average and well paid. A Web3 developer who has knowledge of Agile procedures, Javascript/Typescript programming, in addition to relational and non-relational database foundations, can reach an astronomical salary: as reported in a recent CNBC study, considering a software developer’s average salary, which ranges between $15,000 and $40,000 per year, a Web3 developer’s wage might range between $150,000 and $175,000 per year. A genuine passione for blockchain technology is always appreciated and, if you are also into crypto, why don’t you make a job out of it?
Why you should learn blockchain?
DeFi, Agrifood, IoT, Sharing Economy, Insurance, Art, Gaming, Law. Blockchain’s use cases are endless, and understanding the way to make this technology even more efficient is just the beginning. One of the most relevant field of application is the industrial sector, where countless jobs of the future could theoretically be replaced by smart contracts, oracles and AI.
Blockchain’s skills are increasingly in demand. It is not too late to start your career now: blockchain is just becoming everyday life. However, the learning curve is still steep: many companies still cannot fully understand the difference between an usual database and a blockchain, so when they turn to business advisors, their use cases are often not suitable for the technology they want to use.
Here’s what it takes:
By checking different job vacancies, this is a list of the most relevant skills and requirements:
- Understanding of algorithms, data security, decentralized technologies and data structures.
- A solid background in coding skills, with at least one of the following programming languages: Python, JavaScript, Solidity, JAVA, C, C++.
- General understanding of ledgers, blockchains and cryptocurrencies.
- Expertise in performance management and anomaly detection.
- At least basic experience in building blockchain frameworks and business applications.
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Sources:
https://docs.soliditylang.org/en/latest/
https://cryptonomist.ch/2018/10/22/stipendi-blockchain-developer/
https://cryptonomist.ch/2018/10/31/truffle-app-developer-blockchain/
https://web3.career/web3-salaries/solidity-developer