State of Blockchain Development Report Ranks 15 Platforms (Non-Cryptocurrency) — Virtualization Review

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State of Blockchain Development Report ranks 15 platforms (non-cryptocurrency)

The cryptocurrency market may be struggling right now, but a new report on the state of non-cryptocurrency blockchain development shows how developers and learners are interacting with a whopping 15 different platforms.

“The State of Blockchain Development” is actually just part of the 23rd edition of SlashData’s “State of the Developer Nation” report, an ambitious series that reports on the latest trends from more than 26,000 developers. The new report is based on data collected in a Q3 2022 survey by Developer Nation, described as “a global community that engages thousands of developers of all shapes and sizes worldwide and enables them to measure themselves against the Developer Nation .” SlashData, which describes itself as “the analyst of the developer economy,” helps firms understand the software developer audience and measure the ROI of their developer strategies.

The report finds that about a quarter of Q3 respondents (24,489) are currently working with or learning about blockchain applications, excluding cryptocurrencies.

As the graphic above shows, SlashData collected data on three blockchain technologies: cryptocurrencies, non-cryptocurrency apps, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Although SlashData notes that cryptocurrencies are most prominent for developers, with 26 percent of respondents either learning about or working on such projects, SlashData said non-cryptocurrency blockchain technologies are not far behind, with 25 percent of developers equally involved . The blockchain chapter of the report focuses only on blockchain applications other than cryptocurrencies because SlashData believes they have the widest range of use cases and thus have the most potential to shape the world.

The report shows that in North America (identified as a hotbed of blockchain development along with East Asia), almost as many developers are currently working on blockchain projects as they are learning about them.

It further indicates that developers most likely to work on blockchain projects have six to 10 years of experience.

“It is likely that these developers have reached the point in their careers where their technical skills are sufficiently advanced to enable them to work on such demanding projects,” SlashData said. “On the other hand, we see that the least and most experienced developers are most likely to be disinterested in such projects. Those with less than a year behind them have not yet built up their knowledge, while the most experienced developers may be looking to maintain some stability in their careers and are reluctant to change tack.”

SlashData observed that many of the least experienced developers are actively learning about blockchain technologies, thus forming a strong pipeline of future contributors.

“Developers with 11-15 years of experience under their belts show the most passive interest in blockchain applications – while they are not learning about or working on such projects, 32 percent are interested in some way,” SlashData further commented. “These developers are at the top of their careers, and while they are some of the least likely to learn about the technology, they are also some of the most likely to be currently working on it. These developers are likely keeping an eye on developments in the space — if they spot an opportunity, they will be able to use their considerable experience to become effective contributors to the space.”

The report also found that Ethereum was the most dominant platform, while being the only one more popular with students than developers. SlashData said that meant the Ethereum ecosystem is in good shape, is large and enjoys a healthy pipeline of new contributors.

“Despite the hype, blockchain technologies are still somewhat in their infancy,” SlashData concluded. “Blockchain, much like cloud computing fifteen or so years ago, has the potential to underpin and enable many other technologies and experiences, but as we saw earlier, only 9 percent of developers are currently working on such projects. Instead of influencing an immediate technological transformation, blockchain technologies have the potential to become a foundational technology upon which our digital experience is built, much like TCP-IP – the building blocks of the internet – and developers will be key players in shaping this particular vision of the future.”