Blockchain technology has taken the world by storm. There are no indications in the current era for blockchain to slow down. This technology has made many things possible that would seem impossible a decade ago. With the help of blockchain, it is now possible to retrieve lost data, avoid high transaction fees, prevent internet fraud, and many others.
With blockchain at its tipping point, the World Wide Web (WWW) has come up with Web 3, which is a better and more stable infrastructure on which it runs. Decentralization is at the heart of Web 3. Unlike previous versions, Web 3 applications run on a blockchain, decentralized networks of multiple servers. Such applications are referred to as dapps (decentralized applications).
To develop such dapps, a variety of programming languages are out there called blockchain programming languages. So, it is pretty challenging to choose the one among all to get started with developing decentralized applications and blockchain protocols.
Nothing to worry about. In this article, we have curated a list of some top blockchain programming languages for Web3 to build decentralized applications.
Top 10 Blockchain Programming Languages for Web3
Here are the top 10 blockchain programming languages for developing applications to run on Web 3.
1. Solidity
Solidity is an object-oriented programming language for creating smart contracts on various blockchain platforms, such as Ethereum. Several Ethereum core contributors, along with Christian Reitwiessner and Alex Beregszaszi, designed Solidity. All the programs you develop in Solidity run on Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). This language is highly inspired by JavaScript, C++, and Python.
Features
- Object-oriented
- Statically-typed
- High-level
- Supports user-defined programming, libraries, and inheritance
- Java
Java is another popularly used programming language for creating dapps. Many well-known blockchain networks, such as Hyperledger Fabric, NEO, NEM, and IOTA, leverage Java as their primary programming language. In addition, it is an object-oriented programming language and the official language for Android development.
Using Java’s object-oriented features, memory cleaning, and a wide range of libraries, developers are able to build smart contracts.
Features
- Platform-independent
- Multithreaded
- Portable
- Architecture-neutral
- Class-based
- Dynamic
3. JavaScript
JavaScript is one of the three core technologies of the World Wide Web (WWW). It is a widespread language for creating single-page applications and dynamic websites. Thanks to all the JavaScript libraries and frameworks available out there.
This language powers most of the websites available on the internet today. Also, it is a very popular blockchain language that helps developers create decentralized blockchain networks. However, it requires you to leverage Node.js, the runtime environment for JavaScript.
Features
- Platform-independent
- Object-oriented
- Lightweight scripting language
- Dynamic typing
- Interpreted and prototype-based
4. C++
C++ is a very popular programming language in the IT industry, and now, it has become one of the best blockchain programming languages. Its ability to combine data and functions into a single module, i.e., object-oriented, makes it most preferred among Web 3 developers for creating decentralized applications.
More interestingly, C++ was the language used to write the first implementation of “bitcoin-qt”, a Bitcoin client. Also, many blockchain networks, including Litecoin, Ripple, QTUM, and Stellar, are developed in C++.
Features
- Object-oriented
- Structured
- Mid-level
- Compiler-based
- Dynamic memory allocation
- Syntax-based
5. HTML
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is another core technology of the World Wide Web (WWW), alongside JavaScript and CSS. It is the language used to create the structure of websites. It provides elements that serve as building blocks of websites and web applications.
In short, HTML is the standard language for making documents visible on the web. As it creates the structure or foundation of websites, Web 3 developers leverage it extensively for creating the structure of decentralized applications. Hence, it has emerged as one of the widely used blockchain languages.
Features
- Platform-independent
- Markup language
- Used to add text, videos, images, and hyperlinks to web pages
6. Python
Python is a general-purpose programming language having its applications in website development, task automation, software development, data analysis, and data visualization. As Python is a popular language for data science, so is it for creating blockchain networks and decentralized applications.
With a plethora of standard libraries and plugins, Python has emerged as one of the most prominent Web 3 programming languages. More importantly, it is an easy-to-learn language due to its simple syntax.
Features
- Interpreted
- Robust standard library
- Portable
- Object-oriented and procedure-oriented
- Extensible
- Dynamically-typed
7. Rust
Rust is yet another popular programming language used for blockchain development. It is a multi-paradigm statically-typed programming language that is memory efficient. With this language, developers can build reliable applications with minimal effort.
Salona, one of the fastest-growing blockchain networks, has made Rust one of the essential tools. Also, Rust lets developers create smart contracts with minimal effort.
Features
- Statically-typed
- Safe memory space allocation
- Zero cost abstraction
- Type interface
- Pattern matching
- Memory Safety
8. Golang
Golang is a pretty new programming language whose syntax is analogous to C and is gaining traction in blockchain development. This language was designed with the goal of improving programming productivity. It significantly reduces the development time by offering a wide range of features. Many renowned companies, including Netflix, Google, Uber, and PayPal.
Features
- Statically-typed
- Compiled language
- Garbage collection
- Memory safety
- Concurrency support
9. Ruby
Ruby is a multi-paradigm scripting language designed with the aim to make the development process simple and efficient. The syntax of Ruby is very elegant and easy to understand and learn. Moreover, this language powers a lot of websites, including Airbnb, Hulu, GitHub, and Kickstarter.
Features
- Object-oriented
- Interpreted
- Server-side scripting language
- Dynamic typing and duck typing
- Exception handling
- Garbage collection
- Mixins
10. Vyper
Vyper is an alternative to Solidity and is completely inspired by the Python language. All programs written in vyper are run on Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), like Solidity. The primary goal of designing this language was to significantly reduce the security flaws that come with Solidity. It is an ideal language for creating Ethereum smart contracts.
Features
- Simple syntax
- Overflow checking
- Contract-oriented
- Strong typing
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of the list of the top blockchain programming languages for Web 3. Solidity and Vyper are the top choices for creating smart contracts on Ethereum. On the flip side, all other programming languages, except HTML, are general-purpose languages, along with their applications in blockchain development. HTML is simply a markup language for creating simple web pages.