Indeed, the perception around blockchain is quite fascinating until you actually venture into creating something from it. Certainly, the power of technology is real.
However, it is not something that can be entrusted to any kind of developer and expected to turn out well since a lot of expertise is required. By now, if you are looking for ways on how to hire blockchain app developers in your workforce, you must be aware that securing the right talent is a war half won.
So why does it matter so much? Why can’t a good general developer just learn on the job? The short answer is that the stakes are too high. In blockchain projects, bugs don’t just cause downtime, they can lead to irreversible financial losses, exposed smart contract vulnerabilities and reputational harm that is close to impossible to recover from.
Ever wondered what makes expertise so important in blockchain building and what you need to establish before hiring new staff for your project? Find your answers in this blog.
Blockchain is Not Just Another Tech Stack
There’s a lot of business owners who think that blockchain development is simply developing a web application, just that you sprinkle some crypto on top. Blockchain contains a plethora of concepts that are entirely unfamiliar in mainstream software development; things like consensus mechanisms, distributed ledger architecture, cryptographic hashing, gas optimization, and on-chain vs. off-chain logic aren’t just buzzwords.
They impact how your application functions, how much it costs users to interact with it (either in fees or tokens), and sometimes whether it even works at all.
An expert blockchain developer has spent serious time understanding how different blockchain platforms like Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Hyperledger work. They know the trade-offs involved in choosing one over another. A professional developer will assist you in understanding these concepts in a timely manner.
Smart Contracts: Where Mistakes Get Expensive
Smart contracts are perhaps the most important component of the majority of blockchain applications. These self-executing programs operate on the blockchain and can cover everything from payments, governance and token distribution.
Once they have been deployed, they are immutable, so you can’t just patch them if something goes wrong. Previous incidents have shown us time and again the implications of writing code with vulnerabilities.
In 2016, the infamous DAO hack saw millions drained through a reentrancy exploit. Unfortunately, these incidents have continued in various manifestations within the DeFi sector as well as NFT platforms and token bridges in recent years; they have been far from isolated occurrences.
An experienced blockchain developer knows how to write contracts that work and how to protect them against known attack patterns. Reentrancy guards, integer overflow protection, implementing access control, testing your contract thoroughly before deploying it. None of this is knowledge you can gain on a weekend as it requires years of experience.
Project Architecture Decisions That Haunt You Later
In a Blockchain project, the initial design decisions are much more important than in classical software projects. If you do make a decision on a specific blockchain, token standard or data storing method, it will be difficult and costly to change your mind.
Expert developers raise appropriate questions at the beginning. Is it best to store the data on-chain or off-chain? Do you want to use a public blockchain or a private blockchain? For your use case, which token standard does it make sense to use: ERC-20, ERC-721, ERC-1155 or any other? Do you have to build on top of an existing protocol, or create a new one?
There is not a universal answer to these questions. These depend on your project’s goals, user base, transaction volumes and budget. Before your expert team from a trusted blockchain app development company starts building, they’ll assess your requirements and provide required recommendations.
Security Isn’t Optional, It’s the Foundation
Security is foundational in blockchain development as opposed to traditional web development. Protecting and ensuring the safety of user information from unauthorized access is no simple task, but it also means safeguarding assets with actual monetary value and transactions which can’t be undone.
Expert blockchain developers are proactive about security. This involves comprehensive code audits, formal verification if applicable, security-first design and keeping up with the changing threat landscape. They also know and appreciate the significance of third party audits and when to suggest them.
For less experienced developers, security is usually an after thought, and not something that they have considered in every design decision. That attitude is a burden in blockchain.
User Experience Still Matters A Lot
People tend to think that blockchain applications are just for the tech-savvy and those willing to sacrifice a nice UI. This used to be somewhat the case a few years back, but not anymore.
As of today, blockchain apps be it DeFi platforms, NFT marketplaces, supply chain tools, or enterprise-level solutions must be as user-friendly as any other app. This includes making wallet integration seamless, making gas fee explanations easily digestible, and making transaction confirmations comprehensible to users.
Professional blockchain developers are aware of the particular UX challenges involved in the technology, and know how to overcome them in a considered way. They are a connection between the intricacies of on-chain functionality and the user experience that common people can easily understand.
The Cost of Getting It Wrong
One of the most frequent and expensive mistakes in blockchain projects is to hire inexperienced developers to save on the initial investment. This usually results in:
- If the architecture is required to be redesigned during the project, there will be significant rework costs.
- Security weaknesses that are exploited after the product has been deployed, causing monetary losses.
- Timing delays due to debugging problems that an experienced developer would have never had.
- When the app is not optimized to work with gas, it will be costly to use and turn off customers.
- Regulatory compliance concerns in different sectors requiring blockchain solutions to adhere to regulatory requirements.
The problem is the non-experienced blockchain developers, who are less experts, almost always run up more costs.
What to Look For When You Hire Blockchain App Developers?
Well, what sets a real blockchain developer apart from the one who merely knows the basic things? Here are some things to consider:
- Not just one ecosystem, hands-on experience with multiple chains and frameworks.
- A collection of audited, deployed and production smart contracts.
- Experience working with or auditing, and knowledge of security best practices.
- Understands the technical decisions in an understandable way, a good developer will not use jargon to confuse the user.
- Complete knowledge from smart contracts to front-end integration to testing infrastructure.
Working With a Specialized Team vs. Individual Freelancers
A decision you will need to make early on is whether you should hire individual developers or a team. Both can be good, but for most serious blockchain projects it probably makes more sense to work with a team.
A specialized team with complementary skill sets of smart contract developers, front-end engineers, security reviewers, and project managers all with an understanding of blockchain. They have probably had some experience collaborating with each other and hence fewer communication gaps and quicker problem-solving when issues arise.
Individual freelancers can be good for certain, defined projects, such as auditing an existing contract, or creating a specific integration, for instance. However, when it comes to a complete product creation, the coordination aspect of having several freelancers can cause more problems than solutions.
Final Thoughts
Blockchain is one of these technologies, in which the quality of the development can mean the difference between good and great. There is little room for error, no room for mistakes, and it requires true expertise.
From developing DeFi protocols to supply chain solutions, NFT platforms, and enterprise blockchain applications, the individuals you attract to your project can either make it or break it.
The time it takes to secure and connect with the right developers is not an option; it’s a necessity. You should work with a proven blockchain app development company. It’s an investment in the viability of your project.
Do it right from the start. The blockchain space is evolving rapidly, but the ones that stick around are the ones that are founded on strong technical bases, and begin with the people that are building them.