Programmers are challenged to keep up with the speed of the unfolding crypto market and the complexities of decentralization. Rapid prototyping is one of those steps in the developmental phase that makes building dApps both time-consuming and hard to complete. Opportunities for dApp developers, in a landscape that is just about to go mainstream, are hefty, and the way devs can get an advantage over their competitors is to capitalize on ways that save them time.
The Languages of Blockchain
Different moving parts need to be taken into consideration when designing any kind of application—be it centralized (app) or decentralized (dApp). Apart from answering the standard questions of “What should the app do?” and “Who is the audience for this application?”, there is also the question of “What kind of programming environment will support that idea?” besides thinking up a reasonable timeframe to facilitate building dApps.
In the decentralized ecosystem, knowledge of very specific programming languages, like Rust, is needed for developing dApps on blockchain, like Ethereum.
Programming languages are complex by default. With the emerging world of dApps, languages for dApps are turning even more complex, and the chances of getting a development team who is confident enough to use a language like Rust in crypto applications development are low.
For this process to be more time-efficient, the Software Development Kit (SDK) of a decentralized platform should offer a programming language that is accessible and known worldwide, without a steep learning curve. The decentralized ecosystem already has a high degree of sophistication and its overtly specialized languages make it more difficult for developers to create decentralized products and tools, and for users to use such final outcomes. SDKs could facilitate building dApps by integrating simplified tools, making it easier to implement functionalities similar to those found in centralized applications.
Using programming languages that are already utilized in different industries, with different use-cases apart from being a development tool for dApps, is a sure way to reduce the burdens of creating an app and most certainly, a project’s timeframe. Some of those languages are Java, C++, Node JS—known for their variety of uses in general app development in a centralized setting.
Transferring knowledge from the familiar processes of centralization to the yet-to-know landscape of decentralization and crypto applications development is the first step to building and developing frameworks that can ultimately help with time efficiency.
All the Help That You Can Get
The use of a toolkit that can lead developers to execute their ideas is necessary. More so in the decentralized crypto space, as it molds not only the overall creation process but it also shapes the demands of crypto users.
SDKs lead developers through a variety of steps, possibilities of integration, and tools that would be otherwise difficult to implement. They not only provide the team with the developmental help they need while building dApps, but they also give creators an estimate of what is possible or not. Fortunately, they are accessible all over the cryptosphere.
Platforms hosting an SDK encourage developers to use it to its full capacity to make the environment even more optimized. The tools included in such a package cover purposes, ranging from interactive commands, like the ones in OpenZeppelin, to a whole integration of subscription service and blockchain payment report tools, like the ones found in the Magic SDK package. The combination of tools known from both the centralized and decentralized world leads to a quicker adoption of dApps.
Enhancing the Toolbox
Mastering the use of an SDK can lead to the emergence of new developing frameworks and tools, allowing creators to build upon the knowledge of previous developers. Some of those SDKs are open source, which makes them congruent with the decentralized spirit. Open-source tools are public to anyone, who besides being able to access them, can see what kind of crypto application possibilities are hidden within.
An open-source SDK can undergo changes to add to its interoperability, as is the case with Magic SDK, where everyone using it can share new use-cases, tools, and features. These more advanced frameworks are added to the kit, expanding the knowledge base of future users.
Creating dApps itself might be the sole reason an SDK was put out to the community in the first place, but as new crypto applications are being created, they are built upon other frameworks, supported by developers from past projects. This cumulative knowledge leads to a more streamlined dApp creation process.
Those additional tools help the dApps to later develop into even more efficient and accessible decentralized programs. The last stages of the app’s development happen after the dApp is published on a platform, like a crypto app store.
The Market and Magic Square
When it comes to traditional app publishing, there are app stores like the Google Play store or the Apple App Store. However, dApps haven’t found yet a home that shares the same principles of decentralization. Given the lack of a decentralized app store for crypto apps, dApps end up listed in centralized platforms, restricted by inaccessibility and rules of centralization.
However, this is slowly changing with solutions like Magic Square, a decentralized platform that proposes a blockchain-based app store for dApps to be available in one, organized space. With the Magic Store, like with any other centralized app store, users can sort dApps with tags and access them all with a single login.
A crypto app store is a solution to the final stage of dApp development, as it facilitates the publishing and monetizing of a developer’s work. Not only is the Magic SDK implementing the use of a Java, Node JS or C++ programming language, but it also provides developers with a platform to promote their products. By whitelisting their dApps in the Magic Store, developers can test out the functionality of their applications as they undergo a verification process.
Finally, when a dApp does get verified, developers can simply launch their creations into a market that is competitive to their offerings, via the Magic Store.
This way, Magic Square provides tools to improve the time-efficiency of a development team, from concept and building dApps process, to publishing. In addition, their Bundles feature, including an AMMS + Nexus insurance in one, helps developers better cater to the needs of their desired audience.
Decentralization lacks effective ways of supporting developers from beginning to end. Magic Square is a promising project because it not only supports the creator’s work but helps them reach the right audience and monetize their creations with post-publishing functionalities.