With all the furore surrounding crypto assets and NFTs in recent weeks and months, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the blockchain was on the back foot.
The reality is that this tech is becoming increasingly relevant in a range of programming contexts, and 2023 promises to be a big year as wider adoption takes place.
Let’s discuss the state of play today, and talk about how the blockchain programming scene will change and evolve in the coming 12 months.
Smart contracts are leading the charge for mainstream relevance
The growing number of use cases for smart contracts represents the most pertinent application for the blockchain, at least from the viewpoint of businesses and individuals that are not interested in the crypto craze.
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Smart contracts can fulfill the same purposes as traditional contracts, while eliminating their shortcomings thanks to the security, automation and transparency of blockchain tech.
From real estate to finance and beyond, more industries are adopting smart contracts as the gold standard for handling complex transactions and keeping all parties on the same page.
If you’re looking to get into creating your own smart contracts, there are various programming languages that will help you out, but Solidity is one of the easiest to learn.
Even if you’re not the one concocting smart contracts, it’s still beneficial to learn the basics about them, since you’ll encounter them more frequently in 2023.
Data ownership and access control will empower more people
Shifting data over from traditional storage solutions to the blockchain is a positive step for average consumers, because it means that they can own personal information outright, and have a say over how it is used and who is able to access it.
This is already taking place in healthcare, with patient records being well suited to this change. Programmers are now seeking to implement this more comprehensively in a social media context. For instance, using NFTs as profile pictures on platforms like Twitter will be more meaningful once full blockchain integration has taken place.
Marketing should also be shaped by the reshuffling of how data is owned, controlled and shared. It should make ads less invasive and more fitting for audiences, while allowing consumers to feel like they have a handle on the destiny of their private info.
Widespread use of the blockchain for cybersecurity will become justifiable
Much is made of the security afforded to users of blockchain ecosystems and crypto assets. However, it has been tricky to make the case for using this more generally for cybersecurity purposes because of the costs and complexity involved.
Advances in blockchain programming, as well as a move to proof of stake rather than proof of work for verifying transactions, should flip the script on this in 2023.
Fighting cyber threats by storing data on blockchain infrastructures, as well as creating tools to protect off-chain IT resources, will no longer just be a concept for dreamers, but a reality for more individuals and organizations looking to improve their cybersecurity strategy.
Disruption will lead to innovation
Blockchain programming is just one of the emerging technologies that is disrupting various incumbent industry practices at the moment.
Most significantly, it is in these scenarios where innovation is able to flourish, because businesses are forced to mix things up and revise their tactics if they want to stay ahead of the curve.
Final thoughts
Now is the time to build a working knowledge of blockchain programming if you want to join this movement in 2023. Many of the skills and principles are transferable, so it won’t be a wasted effort, no matter your ambitions.