Get Paid (Handsomely) to Solve the Industry-Wide Bottlenecks Threatening to Derail Sector Growth with Blockchain

Author: Moe Levin

Private investment in blockchain-based projects topped $5 billion over the past 12 months. Over $3 billion of that was via ICO — initial coin offerings — which represents an increase of 3000 percent over 2016.

And the trend shows no signs of slowing. “We see even bigger achievements on the horizon for 2018, with blockchain becoming a more widely adopted mainstream technology not only in the financial sector but also beyond including retail, logistics and healthcare,” writes senior economist Carlo R.W. De Meijer in FinExtra. “The adoption of blockchain is expected to continue at an even faster pace in 2018.”

And you know what that means: a huge demand for blockchain engineers.

Just as the 1990s were the heyday of the web developer, the next few years belong to the crypto architect. Now is the time to parlay your experience with Go, Python and Solidity into a six-figure paycheck.

Yeah, that’s right — freelance blockchain engineers command upwards of $150 an hour, while their salaried counterparts are seeing paychecks in the $250,000 to $300,000 range1.5 times the median salary of a “regular” developer.

“Blockchain expertise… comes dear. The online distributed ledger technology best known for powering Bitcoin digital currency, is an emerging specialty,” writes Kim S. Nash in the Wall Street Journal. And while some leading universities such as Stanford and MIT are beginning to offer courses in crypto and bitcoin, “people with deep experience in the subject are scarce.” That scarcity means high rewards for those who can understand and leverage the technology — or those who are willing to learn how.

Why You Should Consider Blockchain

But the ability to write your own paycheck is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits you can achieve in the blockchain ecosystem. Here are five other reasons why now is the time to dip your toe in the crypto job pool:

  1. You get paid well. We hit this one pretty hard already. If you can develop a blockchain application, you’re golden — almost literally. Everyone from IBM to AirBnB will want to hire you, and if you’ve got the talent, you can pretty much write your ticket.

2. You get great side benefits. If you joined a tech startup pre-IPO, you’d be looking to cash in on the deal when the company went public. The same thing holds true for a pre-ICO startup. As part of your compensation package you could negotiate for tokens that can become hugely valuable after the ICO. Of course, there’s no guarantee. But if you wanted a guarantee, you’d just go work for Big Blue and be done with it, right?

3. You get to choose the interesting projects. Forget boring and mundane; think life-changing and the edge of awesome. This is your chance to work on rockstar projects, however you define that. Here’s just a short list of industries you could choose from:

- big banks and tech giants.
- academics
- healthcare
- government
- agriculture
- retail
- real estate
- consumer electronics
- media

Virtually every industry is exploring the implications of blockchain. “Dozens of startups are using the technology for everything from global payments to music sharing, from tracking diamond sales to the legal marijuana industry,” writes Rob Marvin in PC Magazine.

4. You can save the world. No, really. Blockchain has already been leveraged to create some pretty amazing projects and global initiatives. If you’re the type who’s driven by passion, you’ve got your pick of incredible projects that can let you sleep well at night. Here are just a few blockchain applications that will fulfill the desires of even the most ardent do-gooder:

- FoodCoin, a global blockchain ecosystem for food and agriculture businesses, which will enable everything from digital ID services to product origin authentication.

- Blockchain for Humanity, a partnership between the United Nations and the World identity Network to help combat child trafficking through an immutable identification ledger.

- HydroMiner, an alternative eco-friendly energy source for the energy-intensive cryptocurrency mining business.

- ClearPoll, the first blockchain opinion poll system that promises 100% secure and tamper-proof results.

- BitIndia, a blockchain wallet and crypto exchange for the streets of India which promises “a democratic digital currency platform that gives freedom and power in the hands of the masses.”

There have also been initiatives around eradication of hunger, food chain safety, and the environment. Whatever flag you want to wave, blockchain can help you wave it high and proud.

5. You get job security. In a tight job market, the last thing a company wants to do is to lose talented workers. That means once you’re on board, they’re going to do what they can to keep you happy. And if your project does get killed, you’ll likely find a home inside the organization quickly — or you can hop over to greener pastures elsewhere.

How Do You Get Trained?

Now that you’re convinced that blockchain is worth a go, your next step is to get the training you need to land the job of your dreams at a salary that will make your mouth water.

And here’s the challenge: if it were easy to get up to speed on blockchain, there wouldn’t be a developer shortage.

The good news: If you’re a software engineer now, the skills are likely well within your grasp. “You’ll be surprised at how little of this technology is magic (read: none of it), despite the severe case of buzzword-itis the ecosystem has,” writes blockchain technologist Matt Condon on Medium. “If you make a living as a professional software engineer you have the ability to understand all of these projects and technologies at a deep level.”

It’s not the technical aspect so much as access to a standardized curriculum that will be recognized by potential hiring managers. And that’s a little tough with an emerging technology that seems to evolve daily.

Sure, you could turn to a weekend coding bootcamp which will take your $1000 and give you a pretty certificate on Sunday afternoon. But most companies and recruiters take claims of such “training” with a huge dose of skepticism. Mark Dinan, a Bay Area tech recruiter, told Bloomberg that many of his clients automatically disqualify coding school grads. “These tech bootcamps are a freaking joke,” he said.

The solution? Turn to a reputable, accredited university. Traditional institutions like Stanford, the University of Edinburgh, and MIT are starting to offer courses in cryptotechnology and blockchain, but their movement in this direction is slow. To truly “learn” blockchain to the depth you’ll need to create the cutting-edge projects companies dream of, the choices are few.

In fact, there’s just one accredited institution in the world that offers certification in blockchain, and that’s Kingsland University — School of Blockchain.

Kingsland University — School of Blockchain is the world’s first and only accredited blockchain training program. The award-winning Kingsland University uses its decade of experience in innovative educational programs to equip professionals who want to take part in building the future on top of the blockchain. Through Kingsland, you’ll learn the practical skills you need to succeed in your career. And then with Kingsland’s HR advisory, you’ll get help locating the position of your dreams as well.

For current developers who are eager to step up and claim their spot in the blockchain ecosystem, Kingsland is your best option for a bright, blockchain enabled future.

Moe Levin is responsible for the first global bitcoin conference in Amsterdam and is the founder of the North American Bitcoin Conference as the CEO of Keynote — a global events company. Levin serves as an advisor and board member for a number of blockchain companies including Unsung and RSK Labs. He is also a Co-Founder of Kingsland University — School of Blockchain, the world’s first accredited blockchain training program. To find out more about how the Kingsland University — School of Blockchain. Find out more about Kingsland’s leading-edge education at KingslandUniversity.com

Kingsland University

School of Blockchain

Kingsland - School of Blockchain

Written by

The world's first accredited school for blockchain development - Learn more at www.kingslanduniversity.com

Kingsland University

School of Blockchain

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade