The lack of developers understanding the blockchain.
I come from the world of software engineers. Three months into dabbling into Ethereum's blockchain and smart contracts, testing an App being developed on top of Ethereum's blockchain, I find it very difficult to find developers involved in the future of Apps (Dapps).
I am very surprised that software developers are not aware of the blockchain nor its benefits.
You mention Bitcoin, they think ransomware. Nobody knew that you can utilize Bitcoin's blockchain (though it's easier via Ethereum), but you get the idea.
So what I've done is, promoted the idea and concept of a decentralized world, in forums and #Slack channels I belong to.
It is a scary thought for developers who have been developing on the Cloud (Amazon/Google/etc;) for the past 8 years.
To the amazement and multitude of questions coming out of the developer community, hesitation and inquiry is just now pondering on their minds.
However, if you talk to investors, everyone knows about the blockchain.
There is a real time lapse, where the cart is before the horse.
Have we reached a phase where the true innovators (the developers) and the supporters (investors) can come together to take this new phase of decentralized blockchain as the backbone to the next level, aka maturity?
Good article
Hey @keyrodeo,
I think of it like this: investors have had years to learn about blockchain thanks to Bitcoin and the other (let’s call them “dumb”) altcoins. With these dumb altcoins, the only reason a software developer would be interested is if he or she was already also interested in investing.
However, Ethereum adds the ability to apply smart contracts to transactions for the blockchain. This is specifically targeting the developer’s skills and therefore widening the audience beyond the simple investor. We’re entering a gap period where developers have to catch up on learning about investing in order for programming smart contracts to be a regular thing.
Then there’s also the uncertainty of if Ethereum even takes off like we are hoping/expecting. Many developers tend to be conservative with their technology choices. Despite what you’ll hear on Reddit or HN about the latest and greatest technology that startups are using, the majority of developers are still happily using proven technology which may be over 10 years old.
Interesting. I have a rudimentary, high level understanding of the blockchain. I know it's important, but I haven't properly understood its implications as a platform for applications.