There are dozens of high-quality blockchain services that you can try, but we want to narrow down the options and focus on the most relevant solutions only. Here we’re presenting nine key tools and techs to develop and test blockchain apps.
Blockchain technology is on the rise and getting increasingly popular among developers. According to the report, blockchain industry revenues should reach $2.2 billion in 2019, but the figure is expected to grow by a staggering 1000% in the next five years.
Grabbing only a small portion of the market share could give a big boost to your business, but the competition is harsh and you will need to use state of the art tactics and programs to find your place in the blockchain sun.
The Best Blockchain Development Tools
As a developer, you probably understand the practical value of blockchain. The new form of technology has a plethora of real-life applications, from accounting and supply management all the way to online security and P2P transactions. But it takes a reliable tool to get you going in this field, so let’s take a look at the best blockchain development platforms.
Ganache CLI
The first item on our list is Ganache CLI, a flexible and dynamic blockchain emulator. It is designed with the purpose to enable Ethereum coding on a personal computer, thus eliminating the need for blockchain development on the node itself.
What we like about Ganache CLI is the fact that it doesn’t charge any fees. At the same time, the platform enables super-efficient transaction mining and guarantees instant modification based on the real-time requirements of your project.
Remix
If you are interested in smart contracts, then Remix may as well be the way to go for you. The tool is perfect for Solidity-related programming because it simplifies almost every feature out there and allows you to code on a plain dashboard.
The left side of the dashboard is for code-writing, while the right part of the screen ensures the deployment and integrates the code into the blockchain. The sheer simplicity of Remix makes it ideal for the development, testing, and implementation of smart contracts.
Metamask
Metamask is a user-friendly plugin that you can install and use in Google Chrome or Firefox. It basically turns your wallet into the browser-powered tool. This browser extension helps users to conduct operations in Ether and all other ERC20-related formats. Besides that, you can use it to for Ethereum Dapps as well.
Geth
Geth is yet another valuable platform based on Go as its core programming language. In other words, Geth enables the deployment and testing in the Ethereum blockchain realm. It is built primarily for token mining and transferring, but you can use it to form smart contracts, too.
The only thing we don’t like about Geth is its complete focus on Ethereum – if you don’t customize parameters manually, Geth will instantly begin downloading the Ethereum blockchain. If this is your goal, keep in mind that the whole process might take up to a few days to complete.
Truffle
Truffle is an all-encompassing platform built specifically for Ethereum programming. It administers a vast library of resources needed for contract coding, testing, and development. With Truffle, you receive a smart console which enables communication between contracts and allows you to make real-time changes all the way through the development process.
Ether Scripter
Ether Scripter is a highly professional blockchain development platform. The interface is very clear and you can choose to work in a single or split-pane mode. Its toolbox can go from full to minimal based on your coding preferences. In general, Ether Scripter can be considered a puzzle-like platform that adds some fun to blockchain coding.
But as much as Ether Scripter represents an intuitive coding dashboard, it still doesn’t mean that anyone can use it. On the contrary, it may be somewhat difficult for first-time clients to get used to the tool, so we strongly recommend you to be patient with Ether Scripter in the beginning.
Mist
Ethereum is the official owner and developer of Mist, a platform that allows you to hold tokens and administer smart contracts. As the native platform of Ethereum, this wallet is actually the best tool to use for all Ether-related coding activities. However, Mist also requires a fair share of patience and storage capacity because it forces users to download Ethereum blockchain in its entirety.
Solc
Solc is another useful tool that integrates with Solidity. The purpose of Solc is to convert scripts into the more readable format and allow Ethereum Virtual Machine to recognize and understand the script without misinterpretations.
As a Solidity complier, Solc comes in two different formats. The first one is powered by the C++ programming language, while the second variant is Solc-js and so it runs of JavaScript. Both options fulfill more or less the same purpose, but the former is a little faster.
Tierion
The last tool on our list focuses on the Bitcoin blockchain. Tierion essentially represents a set of tools and features that allow developers to form a credible database and add information to the public ledger. However, the ultimate goal of the Tierion team is to create a universal system that can be equally used in all branches, from eCommerce and finance to inventory management.
Conclusion
Blockchain applications are the latest trend in the digital universe and that has the potential to revolutionize traditional businesses. But in order to ride the wave of their popularity, you must know which tools to use to create a perfect product. We showed you nine key tools and technologies to develop and test blockchain applications, so make sure to check them out as soon as possible.
