Blockchain is no more a buzzword, but a booming industry that is growing at an astonishing pace, all across the world. By the time 2022 ends, the global blockchain industry is expected to cross the $10 billion mark, as more and more businesses are now deploying blockchain to solve their customers’ problems, and to provide long-term, consistent and accurate solutions.
Between the period 2022 to 2029, the global blockchain industry is expected to grow at a stunning pace of 56%, thereby surpassing the growth rate of digital payments, eCommerce, and other tech-centric industries.
What is Blockchain?
Basically, a blockchain is an ever-expanding list of records, called blocks, that are interconnected via cryptography. These inter-connections are secured via timestamps. This way, a blockchain is a distributed database, which is shared among different nodes of computers.
While a normal database structures information in tables, a blockchain structures the information in blocks, and every block has certain storage capabilities. Once the storage capacity of a block is filled, they are closed and then linked with the previous block of information, thereby forming a chain of databases, which is the blockchain.
Blockchain forms the foundation of cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoins, wherein blockchain is used to maintain and secure a decentralized record of transactions.
Blockchains are mainly used in those areas, where the users need data security, data consistency, and transparency. Since the data stored in the blockchain is permanent, the information stored cannot be edited or modified.
But if any data needs to be edited or added, then the system creates a fork of modified/added data, and then it’s added as a new block, thereby making the distributed database more robust, and more consistent.
How to create Blockchain applications?
Here is the step by step process to create a blockchain application for Android/iOS platforms:
Step 1: Finalizing The Purpose
Just like the development of any mobile app or a digital platform, we will first need to finalize the idea and then start the process from that.
What is the need and requirement of that blockchain app you wish to develop?
Here are some of the most popular domains where blockchain apps are used:
Major applications of blockchain can be found in:
- Transfer of money
- Forex exchange
- Lending industry
- Insurance industry
- Real estate industry
- Securing and sharing personal information
- Govt contracts
- Distribution of Govt benefits
- Sharing and storing health data
- Royalties of artists
- Logistics and supply chain
- Data security
For example, if your business needs seamless, and transparent records and contracts, then a blockchain app can be used to develop a smart contract that is updated with real-time information and shared with all the parties involved in real-time.
Similarly, for voting activities, a blockchain app can induce full transparency, and data security so that all the parties involved are on the same page, without any ambiguity.
Step 2: Determining the platform
Once the idea and the purpose of the blockchain app are determined, we move to the next step, wherein the platform is determined for developing the app.
Ethereum is right now one of the most popular and widely used platforms for blockchain app development, wherein the Solidity programming language is used to design the app, and develop a solid ecosystem around it.
Before finalizing the platform, always be aware of the three most important requirements of a good platform: decentralization, transparency, and security.
Other popular platforms include:
- TRON (popular for financial blockchain apps)
- Hyperledger (based on Linux, and widely used for corporate blockchain apps)
- IOTA (Open Source Internet of Things, widely used for consumer-centric transactions)
- R3 Corda (popular among banking domains)
- EOS (popular for smart contracts)
Step 3: Creating the application framework
When we start building a house, then before laying the foundation, we need the architectural plan for figuring out which type of house will be built and the materials which are needed.
In terms of blockchain app development, determining the application framework is the same activity: The framework for the application needs to be created, which will have information such as the program's core structure, appearance, design, user journey, application screens, their connections with one another and more.
A mind-mapping tool can be used to create the framework, wherein different blocks can be used to showcase the core components of the app and the user journeys.
Step 4: Designing the interface
Once the framework has been established, and the platform determined, then the design of the
app starts, the foundation of which is the user interface.
While designing the interface, the blockchain app developer and the designed need to take care of the following aspects:
- Style Definition: You can use various mood boards to try out different app screens with different colors, fonts, buttons, and illustrations to finalize the final style your blockchain app will have.
- Design Concept: We can use a high-precision framework to finalize the design concept. Typically, 1-3 major application screens are used to develop a semi-prototype for this activity.
- Creating All The Screens: Once the design concept is finalized, we can design and finalize all the screens, that will be eventually used in the app.
- Interface Animation: To visualize the working of the app, and to find out what the design will look like, we can create an interface animation, and then make the necessary edits. Once the final interface is developed, the UI Kit is shared with the app developers.
In this blog, we provided a brief overview of the steps needed for developing a blockchain app for Android and iOS platforms.
If you are looking for an expert Blockchain app development company, who have years of experience in conceptualizing, designing, and developing blockchain apps, then our team at TechAhead can help you right away.
Book a no-obligation assessment of your business and blockchain app concept, and take the 1st step towards launching your own blockchain app.