The blockchain is a revolutionary technology. It has been around since 2008 when Satoshi Nakamoto created Bitcoin as an alternative form of currency that works independently from banks or governments.
But, like any other technology of this scale and complexity, many people don't fully understand it.
But here's what it is, it is a decentralized, tamper-proof digital public ledger of transactions. It is a distributed database that multiple parties can update and is virtually tamper-proof.
Blockchain technology has recently gained popularity, and most people associate it with cryptocurrencies.
However, many other applications of blockchain technology go beyond digital currencies. You can use blockchain technology in many industries, including healthcare, government, and finance.
Since it's a new way to store, process, and share information, here's how it works. It is a system that works with a continuously growing list of ordered records called blocks, and each block contains a timestamp and a link to a previous block.
Then all the linked blocks form a chain since the system adds blocks to the blockchain in a linear, chronological order. Every node gets a copy of the blockchain, which gets downloaded automatically upon joining the blockchain network.
A node is any computer connected to the blockchain network that verifies and relays transactions. Each node uses its copy of the blockchain to identify and validate transactions.
The validation process includes verifying everything within a transaction. The more secure an individual node is, the more trustworthy it is when validated data reaches it from other nodes in a network.
If you are thinking of developing a blockchain app for your business, there are many components to think about.
Ideally, you want to plan but not over-plan so much that you're stressing out about details that may never come to fruition. Therefore, it's essential to understand the blockchain app development lifecycle.
6 Steps to Build Your First Blockchain App for Business
There are several steps when it comes to developing a blockchain app. Let's take a deep dive into each crucial step below.
Step 1: Ideation and Brainstorming
Start by coming up with a vision for your blockchain app, and it's time to start brainstorming ideas on how to make this vision come alive.
Brainstorm as many ideas as possible on how to accomplish this task.
Write down all these ideas in one place so they won't get lost or forgotten about later in developing your blockchain application.
Then ask what you want to achieve with your blockchain app.
For example, What do you want it to accomplish? Who will be using it? How will it make their lives easier? Think about these questions and write down your answers to know your application's direction before you begin developing.
Afterward, spend some time discussing how you can leverage the power of blockchain technology for your specific needs and devise a solid plan for building your product.
This includes creating a solid business case, outlining an approach, and developing prototypes that demonstrate how you would build it.
Step 2: UI & UX
As you may know, the UI (User Interface) is the visual representation of an application's design, and UX (User Experience) is how users interact with the application.
The UI/UX design is integral to the entire blockchain app development process. Therefore, it's essential to have a well-designed UI/UX that meets the needs of your target audience.
While designing a blockchain app, you need to take into consideration the following points:
1. Simplify the user experience using simple language and avoiding complex terms irrelevant to your target audience. Sometimes, you may even need to use metaphors or analogies to explain complex concepts in simpler terms.
2. The interface should be easy-to-use and easy to understand so anyone can navigate it without difficulty or confusion. You should also ensure that it doesn't require any special training or prior experience of how to use it.
3. The user interface should be intuitive enough for users, so they don't have to spend time reading instructions or looking for help on how to use it.
You have to consider if your target clients can start using it immediately without assistance from others or the developer team's additional support resources.
Step 3: App Architecture
Once you've spent some time understanding your blockchain app requirements and how they fit into the blockchain ecosystem, it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty of the design process.
This step involves taking your ideas and turning them into a realistic and detailed outline of how your system will work because it will affect the performance and scalability of your solution.
The architecture of your blockchain app is crucial to its success because it determines how your developers will write your code, what kind of database you will use, and how much storage space it will require.
It's also important to consider how users will interact with your app when they log in through their smartphones or other devices.
Will they need to enter a username and password? Will they be required to confirm their identity with biometrics such as facial recognition? You can answer these questions during this phase of development.
Step 4: Development
Next, you need to create a white paper for your project. The white paper should be comprehensive enough to convince investors that they should invest in your company and help you get your product off the ground.
This document should also describe what problem your product will solve, who it's for, why it matters and how it will work.
Once you have created your white paper, you must build up your team with experienced and talented developers. These developers will work with blockchain programming languages such as Solidity or Go as well as Javascript and Python/Java.
They should also be able to create a secure platform based on Ethereum or Hyperledger Fabric.
Step 5: App Testing
This is one of the most underrated and undervalued steps. This helps to identify any bugs or issues in the application. By testing, you can fix errors before releasing the app on the market.
Developers create test cases to verify every functionality of your application.
During testing, you need to check whether your application works as expected or not. The testing process may include some different scenarios, such as:
Functional Testing: This testing involves checking whether all app features work correctly. It includes testing the front-end and back-end functionalities.
Usability Testing: It involves testing user experience. This testing helps ensure that users can easily interact with your app and get the best possible experience.
Performance Testing: Performance testing ensures that an application performs smoothly under different conditions — like high traffic or heavy usage — without glitches or issues.
You will also need to test all its others features and functionality to ensure they are working correctly. This can be done manually or using automated testing tools like Selenium or Appium.
Once you have completed your testing phase, you will be ready to launch your product in the market or make it available on Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
Step 6: Deployment
The final step in the blockchain app development lifecycle is deployment. This process involves uploading your finished product to the platform.
There are two ways to deploy a decentralized app. One is to host it on a public blockchain like Ethereum or NEO, which means anyone can access it. The other is to create a private blockchain and only allow certain people to access it.
In both cases, you must ensure that your decentralized application is securely hosted and accessible by users.
Once the application is live and people start using it, you should keep track of all your users' feedback. This will help you improve the app over time, making it more useful and appealing to a broader audience.
It's important to note that even after deployment, you can still do many things to improve your product.
Final Thoughts
Like building any other software, blockchain development requires a lot of planning and a dedicated team. While the actual programming will sometimes take more time than expected, the most crucial part is to write the proper code and protocols at each phase.
So, what's next in the blockchain app development lifecycle? Well, that's entirely up to you. We've listed all of the steps above. In other words, take this framework with a grain of salt—it should serve as a helpful guide, but it doesn't define every possible scenario.
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