Blockchain development is broadly categorized into application-layer development and core infrastructure development. This guide provides a structured approach to mastering blockchain's foundational technologies, optimized for both technical depth and SEO performance.
Core Modules of Blockchain Infrastructure
1. Identity System Module (Cryptography)
- Symmetric Encryption (AES, DES)
- Asymmetric Encryption (RSA, ECC)
- Homomorphic Encryption (privacy-preserving computations)
2. Network Module
- P2P Protocols (Gossip, Flooding)
- RPC Interfaces (JSON-RPC, gRPC)
- Network Models (Libp2p, Devp2p)
3. Storage Module
- Key-Value Databases (RocksDB, LevelDB)
- Decentralized Storage (IPFS, Filecoin)
- Performance Optimization (Caching, Indexing)
4. Consensus Module
Algorithm Types:
- PoW (Bitcoin)
- PoS/DPoS (Ethereum 2.0, EOS)
- BFT (Tendermint)
- Data Structures: List, Merkle Tree, DAG
Learning Path for Blockchain Core Development
Phase 1: Foundational Knowledge
Bitcoin Ecosystem
- Whitepaper: Study the original Bitcoin Whitepaper and its Chinese translation.
- Codebase: Explore Bitcoin's GitHub repository.
- Book: Mastering Bitcoin (English | Chinese).
Ethereum Ecosystem
- Documentation: Ethereum Wiki (Whitepaper/Yellowpaper).
- Frameworks: Truffle Suite.
- Best Practices: Smart Contract Security.
👉 Discover advanced Ethereum tools
Phase 2: Advanced Topics
Consensus Algorithms
- Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT, SBFT)
- Zero-Knowledge Proofs (zk-SNARKs, Bulletproofs)
P2P Networking
- DHT Implementation (Kademlia)
- Transport Protocols (QUIC, WebRTC)
Storage Solutions
- In-Memory DBs (Redis)
- Persistent Storage (BadgerDB)
Cryptography
- Elliptic Curve Cryptography (Secp256k1)
- Hash Functions (SHA-3, Blake2)
Project Structure (Rust Implementation Example)
| Directory | Purpose |
|---|---|
consensus/ | Consensus algorithms |
network/ | P2P and RPC layers |
storage/ | Database and caching logic |
crypto/ | Cryptographic operations |
primitives/ | Core data types and parameters |
👉 Explore blockchain frameworks
FAQs
Q: What programming languages are best for blockchain core development?
A: Rust (performance/safety), Go (simplicity), and C++ (legacy systems) are dominant. Solidity is for smart contracts only.
Q: How do I start contributing to open-source blockchain projects?
A: Begin with documentation fixes, then tackle "good first issue" labels on GitHub repositories like Bitcoin Core.
Q: What’s the difference between PoW and PoS?
A: PoW relies on computational work (mining), while PoS validates blocks based on staked cryptocurrency holdings.
Key Takeaways
- Master cryptography and distributed systems fundamentals.
- Contribute to real-world projects for hands-on experience.
- Stay updated with research papers and protocol upgrades.