11 Best Tools for Blockchain Development

With the rise in popularity of blockchain, we have witnessed a drastic increase in blockchain development.

No doubt that almost every company wants to take advantage of decentralized ledger technology.

And this is where you come in.

As a blockchain developer, you are highly valuable in the current market. If you want to stay relevant, then you need to make the most out of the blockchain development tools out there.

Hdhameliya, a blockchain developer from the United States, also speaks about the importance of tools and how choosing the right tool can radically improve efficiency and productivity. He is super selective in his tools and always advises to try out tools before incorporating them in the workflow.

10 Best Tools for Blockchain Development

Solidity

Solidity is one of the most popular programming languages used in blockchain development.

It supports the object-oriented paradigm and is used to write smart contracts. Ethereum dApps can also be coded with Solidity. Solidity is designed to target the Ethereum Virtual Machine(EVM).

So, what makes Solidity so special? First of all, it is used in one of the most popular blockchain solutions, i.e., Ethereum.

Secondly, it can be used to smart contracts which open up a variety of use-cases, especially when it comes to crowdfunding, voting, and multi-signature wallets.

As a blockchain developer, you can get started by going through Solidity documentation.

Cakeshop

Cakeshop lets you manage a local blockchain node.

It comes with APIs and tools which you can use to set up the cluster node, work with contracts, and explore the chain.

Geth

Geth is Ethereum node implementation. It is created using the Go programming language. Geth is used in a variety of tasks on the Ethereum blockchain.

It can be used to transfer tokens, mine ether tokens, and even create smart contracts. Furthermore, it can also be used to explore block history.

Geth is available in the three interfaces including:

• JSON-RPC server
• Command-line
• Interactive console

As a blockchain developer, you can use Geth on all three major operating systems, i.e., Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Once you install Geth, you need to either connect to an existing blockchain or create your own. To simplify things, Geth automatically connects to Ethereum mainnet.

Warning: Geth downloads whole Ethereum blockchain before you can start using it. Depending on your internet speed connection, it can take a while! We also recommend using an external hard disk to store Ethereum blockchain.

Blockchain Testnet

As a blockchain developer, you will always need a blockchain testnet.

It is an essential tool as it lets you test your dApps before making them live.

Each blockchain solution has its testnet, and we recommend that you use the respective testnet.

Testnets are especially useful as it lets you test without spending real resources. Ethereum, for example, uses gas as the fuel for carrying out different actions. It is not possible for developers to spend gas every time they do a test run. This means spending thousands of dollars to test. It is not feasible.

A testnet lets blockchain developer iron out bugs without spending tons of cash. The choice of testnet depends on your dApp. You can use public test, private test, or GanachiCLI - a customizable blockchain emulator.

Blockchain-as-a-Service(BaaS)

Implementing a full end-to-end blockchain solution is not practical for any business out there. This gave rise to Blockchain-as-a-Service(BaaS).

With BaaS, businesses can create and host their dApp solution on cloud infrastructure. They have to pay for using BaaS. Moreover, they also need to hire blockchain developers to take care of all the implementation process.

As a blockchain developer, you should know how to work with BaaS. it can help you gain more trust and reputation. It is similar to Software as a Service(SaaS) model.

Few examples of BaaS solutions that you should know include Azure, Microsoft, and SAP.

Truffle

Truffle is Ethereum blockchain framework. It offers asset pipeline and development environment for Ethereum development.

With Truffle, you can develop complex Ethereum dApps and smart contracts. It has a vast library that let you tackle challenging requirements.

The key features offered by Truffle include the following:

• Automate contract testing using Chai and Mocha
• Do full smart contract development including linking, compilation, and deployment
• Do custom build procedures with the configurable build pipeline

And much more!

Ether.js

Ether.js is a handy tool when it comes to developing client-side JavaScript wallets. It lets you interact with Ethereum blockchain.

Initially, it was only used to work with ethers.io, but now it is a full-fledged general-purpose library.

The key feature of Ether.js includes the following:

• Keep private keys safe in client
• Connect easily to Ethereum nodes using MetaMask, Etherscan, and other tools.
• Small in size, 88kb compressed.
• Offers great documentation
• Open-source (comes with MIT License)

Remix IDE

Remix IDE is a popular IDE that runs from the browser. It lets you develop Solidity contracts from the browser.

It is developed using JavaScript which means that you can use any modern browser. You can also use it locally. It comes with module support that brings more functionality to the IDE.

For example, you can use a file explorer module to save or load files from your computer. Other useful modules include plugin manager, solidity editor, terminal and settings.

They also have excellent documentation.

Hyperledger Caliper

Hyperledger Caliper lets you check the blockchain performance.

It can determine blockchain performance using different parameters including latency, success rate, resource consumption, and throughput.

Solc

If you have used Solidity, you already know its syntax is similar to ECMAScript as it is a loosely-typed language. But, Ethereum Virtual Machine uses a slightly different format which makes Solc a must-have tool for Ethereum related projects.

Solc is a Solidity compiler that covers solidity script into a more readable format. Its popularity can also be gauged from the fact that it comes natively with most of the Ethereum nodes.

Solc can also be used for offline compiling.

dAppBoard

If you want to ease your Ethereum development, then check out dAppBoard. It is an analytical platform used for Ethereum smart contracts. Moreover, it also comes with Ethereum blockchain explorer.

dAppBoard is web-based and let you monitor smart contracts running on Ethereum networks. It can give you information such as a total number of users for a particular dApp or get an overview of the whole Ethereum network.

Conclusion

This leads us to the end of our best tools for blockchain development. As a developer, you should always be on the outlook for new tools. The best way to do so is to watch other developers develop interesting things. This way, you can learn which tool can work for you.

Are you excited to try out new tools? Let us know in the comment section below.

Also, published on Dzone