Future of Rust for Blockchains

We’ve been together on this long journey of learning about blockchains and even building blockchains from scratch, and we can say that we have a great amount of information and some experience working with blockchains.

It might now be clear to you that blockchains have a great future because of all the benefits they provide – immutability, decentralization, and trust. As we know, mass adoption has even started in some industries and it’s only a matter of time before blockchains become mainstream.

In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:

• What the future looks like for Rust blockchains
• Upcoming blockchains
• Upcoming Rust Web3 projects

What the future looks like for Rust blockchains

In this section, we will go through all the popular and upcoming blockchains that are using Rust as the primary technology and learn what the future looks like for these blockchains. This will help you understand which particular blockchain you can focus your efforts on and which community would be the most beneficial for you to join. Some of the popular blockchains can be seen in the following figure:

Figure 11.1 – Popular and upcoming blockchains

Popular blockchains

Let’s first start by talking about the blockchains that are already well established and have a great number of users, dApps, and active communities.

Solana

The growth story of Solana has been nothing short of phenomenal; according to https://solanaproject.com/, there are a total of 394 projects building on the Solana blockchain with a total locked value of more than 600 million dollars. Solana is able to support more...

Upcoming Rust Web3 projects

In this section, we delve into an intriguing realm that transcends traditional blockchain architecture. While the foundation of blockchain technology remains steadfast, a new horizon of innovation has emerged: projects that are not blockchains in themselves, but rather act as dynamic enablers for development across diverse blockchain ecosystems. These projects introduce a novel paradigm, unlocking unprecedented potential and fostering a symbiotic relationship with established blockchains.

Decentralization is crucial because it extends beyond individual blockchains. The projects we explore here showcase creativity and innovation, providing a vision of the future where collaboration, interoperability, and enhanced functionality push the boundaries of blockchain solutions.

These following projects basically enable quick and easy development on blockchains.

The Graph

The Graph Protocol (https://thegraph.com/) stands as a transformative pillar within...

The Rust community

Rust solves a lot of problems that are present with other programming languages, and we have already learned about the revolutionary features of Rust. Rust is quite disruptive. Recently, Windows rewrote the entire Kernel of Windows with just 180,000 lines of Rust code – that’s much less code to power the entire Windows Kernel. This just goes to show how robust Rust is as a technology and how disruptive it will be in the software, operating system, and web worlds.

Since this book is geared towards Web3, let’s talk about what the future looks like.

Even though Rust is highly effective and loved by a lot of programmers, the traction for Rust has been a bit on the lower side; that’s because it’s not a language like JavaScript or Python. While Java and Python are easy to pick up because of the lack of complex memory management or memory borrowing, Rust, on the other hand, has a need for complex memory management with a lot of features...

Jobs in the Web3 space

If you’re reading this book, there’s a high chance you might be really interested in starting a career as a blockchain developer or engineer specializing in Rust. Since there are so many Web3 projects that leverage Rust, as we have seen, it is only logical that in the near future there will be significant demand for Rust blockchain engineers.

In this section, we will go over a few details that could be helpful to you in starting a career in Rust blockchain engineering.

Popular job roles

The most popular job roles are without a doubt related to engineering in blockchain, but there are also product managers, program managers, experience designers, and token managers or designers peripheral to engineering roles. Generally, blockchain is quite a technical field and even the marketing and community managers are also quite technical. Apart from these roles, there are other new types of roles that have played a great role in the Web3 world; one...

Going beyond this book

In closing, this journey through the realm of Rust-powered blockchain development has equipped you with a robust toolkit of skills and insights, paving the way for your continued exploration of the Web3 landscape. As you reflect on the knowledge gained within these pages, you stand at the threshold of limitless possibilities, poised to embark on an exciting voyage of building, innovating, and transforming the decentralized world.

With a solid foundation in Rust and blockchain intricacies, your potential to contribute to the evolving blockchain ecosystem is boundless. Take the lessons learned from building your own blockchain and extending your expertise to the Rust-based ecosystems of Solana, Near, Polkadot, and beyond. Seize the opportunity to craft innovative solutions, bridging the gaps and shaping the future of decentralized technologies.

To extend your journey beyond these chapters, consider the following pathways:

• Forge your own creations...

Summary

In this chapter, we explored Rust’s future in the blockchain world and the career prospects it offers to Rust engineers and blockchain develop ers. We examined Rust’s role in various blockchains and Web3 technologies, delved into the growing Rust community’s involvement in blockchain, and explored job opportunities in the Web3 space. Lastly, we discussed additional blockchain projects and how to extend your blockchain develoment journey.

With that, we come to the end of this book. As you step into the next phase of your journey, remember that the knowledge you’ve acquired here is merely the foundation. The future beckons with challenges and opportunities that await your unique imprint. Your dedication to mastering Rust and blockchain development has positioned you as an agent of change in the Web3 era. Embrace the evolution, champion innovation, and continue to explore the boundless frontiers of this decentralized world.

May your path be illuminated...