What is The Best Crypto Coding Language?

The short answer to the query is that it depends. While this might not be the most popular answer, it’s the most accurate. The best programming language for crypto will depend on what you’re trying to build.

If you’re working on some performance-heavy blockchain projects, Rust is (most likely) your best bet, but if you’re, for example, developing smart contracts for the Ethereum blockchain, then Solidity will be the go-to choice. There’s really no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to this topic.

So the question you should rather be asking is, “What is the best crypto programming language for my specific project?”.

In this article, we’ll dive deep into the top crypto programming languages out there, and what makes them popular and why.

Let’s go!

What Is Blockchain Programming?

We won’t cover what blockchains are, but in order to fully understand why a specific programming language is ‘best’, you first need to understand how blockchain programming works.

To simplify it, it’s the process of developing/maintaining software that runs on blockchain technology. That’s really it.

If you think of a traditional system, it’s (probably) going to be running on a single server. Blockchains, on the other hand, will be decentralized, meaning that they rely on distributed networks where all the data is stored across multiple computers/servers.

So in order for programmers to effectively develop blockchain solutions on this decentralized framework, they need to learn/master how to interact with various blockchain coding languages. This is because some of the languages are usually used for smart contracts, and others for developing entire blockchain ecosystems.

So this is the first part of the answer to the main query – there is no one single ‘best’ crypto programming language; you’ll (almost certainly) need to master multiple languages. We’ll cover those languages further in the article.

One common issue with blockchain development is the lack of centralized documentation, which is why you’ll often find blockchain developers relying on community resources, forums, and open-source guides. Another one is security. Weak code can lead to potential calamities further down the road and it’s key to not only choose the best blockchain development programming language but also achieve sufficient code coverage during testing. This way blockchain developers are able to identify vulnerabilities and future-proof blockchain solutions.

There’s no point in simply writing code that works; here, you’re building systems that are robust and enduring, they are secure, and they should easily be updated if required.

Top 7 Blockchain Programming Languages for Crypto Development

For every blockchain programmer (aspiring, or otherwise) it is key to know exactly which languages to use, when, and for what. This is because not all languages are created equal. Some will be better for creating decentralized applications (dApps), while others will be better for things such as smart contracts.

Let’s break them down:

1. Solidity

Solidity is the most popular language for developing smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain and other Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible platforms and over 80% of ETH-based apps rely on Solidity for smart contract development. This high-level, contract-oriented language was specifically designed for building dApps, smart contracts, DeFi platforms, and NFTs.

Some of the most known cryptos developed using Solidity include Ethereum (ETH), Binance Smart Chain (BSC), Polygon (MATIC), and Avalanche (AVAX).

Pros:

• Widely supported
• Very strong/active community
• Extensive documentation

Cons:

• Limited to EVM-compatible
• Built-in security lacking
• Scalability limited

2. Rust

The open source programming language, Rust, is becoming more and more popular because of its ability to deliver high performance and its strong safety-oriented features, and is today considered one of the more usual programming languages for building blockchains. Blockchains that require reliability and security (which almost all do) particularly favor Rust as its go-to solution. To sum it up, the most common uses for Rust include blockchain infrastructure, performance-focused dApps, and cross-chain solutions.

Some of the most known cryptos developed using Rust include Polkadot (DOT), Solana (SOL), and Near Protocol (NEAR).

Pros:

• Memory safety
• High performance
• Zero-cost abstractions

Cons:

• Learning curve is quite steep
• Libraries are limited
• Relatively small community

3. Go (Golang)

Go is the primary language for building enterprise-level blockchain solutions, blockchain development services, permissioned networks, and backend systems. The reason why is its simplicity and efficiency, which makes it quite the popular choice among many crypto and blockchain developers.

Some of the most known cryptos, frameworks, and networks developed using Go are Cosmos (ATOM), Hyperledger Fabric (permissioned blockchain framework), and Chainlink (LINK - a cryptocurrency and a decentralized oracle network).

Pros:

• Efficient concurrency
• Performance is scalable
• Very easy deployment

Cons:

• Object-oriented programming (OOP) support limited
• Limited libraries
• Not popular for smart contracts

4. Python

Python is one of the most likely chosen blockchain programming languages by newcomers to the field. It has a massive community backed by extensive libraries, but it can be slow in execution speed when compared to languages such as Rust, and it isn’t ideal for smart contracts. This is also why you’ll often see Python used for blockchain analytics and prototypes, various research projects, and data analysis tools. Moreover, Python’s compatibility with technology like Extensible Markup Language (XML), makes it ideal for smooth data exchange within blockchain systems.

Some of the most known blockchain tools developed using Python are Ethereum Analytics Tools, and HyperLager Fabric (prototyping and building proof-of-concept apps). Because of its slower execution speed, Python isn’t used to develop cryptocurrencies or blockchain architectures, but it’s a core part of blockchain-related tools development, APIs, and analytics platforms.

Pros:

• Very easy to learn
• Sizable amount of libraries
• Massive community

Cons:

• Slow execution speed compared to other languages on this list
• Scalability is limited
• Isn’t ideal for smart contracts

5. C++

If you’re a programmer, then it’s highly likely that you know (or at least know of) C++. And that’s for good reason – it’s one of the oldest programming languages, and because it’s also so reliable, it’s often used in cryptocurrency developments. Because it’s an object-oriented language, it’s perfect for building highly complex systems. You’ll commonly see crypto devs use C++ for developing new cryptocurrencies, it’s one of the best programming languages for blockchain building (especially the core systems), and it’s ideal for various high-performance solutions.

Bitcoin (BTC), the most popular and first cryptocurrency, was built using C++. For crypto devs diving into blockchain programming, a solid Bitcoin education can provide invaluable insight into how C++ was used to create the digital gold today known as Bitcoin. Other notables are Litecoin (LTC), Dogecoin (DOGE), Ripple (XRP), and Monero (XMR).

Pros:

• Very high performance
• Multi-threading support
• Massive and mature libraries

Cons:

• Very complex syntax
• Challenging memory management
• Not the best choice for beginners

6. JavaScript (JS)/TypeScript (TS)

In blockchain development, JS is used for creating dApps. It’s the go-to choice for frontend development, Web3 interfaces, and for interacting with smart contracts.

TS, a superset of JS, offers statistic typing and better scalability in more complex large-scale blockchain projects because of its typing system that helps detect errors before runtime.

Some of the most known blockchain-related tools and frameworks developed using JS/TS include Ethereum dApps (via Web3.js, Ethers.js), and Binance Smart Chain (frontend dApp interactions).

Pros:

• Highly versatile
• Ease-of-use for dApp development
• Very large dev community

Cons:

• Not ideal for blockchain infrastructure
• Limited performance for backend systems
• Slower Execution speed compared to C++/Rust/Go

7. Java

Java (not to be mistaken with JavaScript) is likely one of the most recognizable and reliable programming languages in the world. Java is an object oriented programming language that’s commonly used to build blockchain-based enterprise solutions and backend systems, alongside smart contracts.

Some popular blockchain-related solutions and cryptocurrencies developed using Java include Ethereum JVM-based solutions and NEM (XEM).

Pros:

• Platform-independent
• Strong/robust security features and OOP support
• Compatible with EVM (via Java-specific frameworks)

Cons:

• Slower execution speed compared to C++
• High memory usage
• verbose/complex syntax compared to Python or JS

So as you can see, it’s hard to put just one specific blockchain programming language as the ‘best for crypto’. You could straight up go for Solidity, but once you get into it and recognize its drawbacks, you’ll immediately think of another language to compensate; but that other language will follow a similar pattern.

It all depends on what exactly you’re trying to do. Sure, you want to build a cryptocurrency, so it might seem like a no-brainer, but building a cryptocurrency is more than just picking one of the popular blockchain programming languages.

You need to:

• Pick a programming language to build a cryptocurrency
• Decide whether you want to build your own blockchain (e.g., BTC, ETH) or you want to build the cryptocurrency on an existing blockchain (e.g., ERC-20 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain).
• If you’re building your own blockchain from scratch, you’ll need a consensus mechanism (e.g., Proof of Work (PoW), Proof of Stake (PoS), Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS), Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT), etc.), transaction validation rules, block structure and data storage, and a peer-to-peer architecture.
• If you’re building on an existing blockchain, you’ll (most likely) work with smart contracts and tokens.
• If you’re building tokens/dApps, you’ll need a framework.
• Integrate wallets, plus if you’re creating your own blockchain you’ll also need to build nodes.
• Implement security protocols.
• If your cryptocurrency involves programmable features (e.g., DeFi platforms, NFTs, etc.), you’ll need to write/deploy smart contracts.
• And ultimately, deploy the blockchain network (or token smart contract) and have an effective system to continuously monitor/update/improve the network.

In all these steps you’ll have to pick a specific language that will be used for that particular step. Sure, one language might cover several of these steps, but you’ll need more than one programming language for crypto coding.

How to Choose the Best Crypto programming language for blockchain developers?

Now you know the most commonly used languages in crypto development, and you know everything that encompasses the creation of a cryptocurrency.

But how do you now choose the best one for your project?

Follow the list (below) of your needs and project requirements that’ll help you pick the top blockchain programming languages for your tasks:

As you can see, by using Solidity, Rust, and some Python you’ll be more than capable of creating a new cryptocurrency. But then again, perhaps you’re more proficient in another blockchain coding language, and sometimes it’s better/simpler to stick to what you know instead of learning something completely different.

FAQ

1. What’s the most popular programming language for blockchain development?

Because of its compatibility with the EVM and the extensive dev community support, Solidity is the most popular blockchain programming language, and it’s specifically used for building smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain.

2. What programming language is best to create cryptocurrency?

C++ is commonly used. Rust and Go (Golang) are also preferred choices depending on performance/security/ease-of-use requirements.

3. What makes a good crypto programming language?

Security, scalability, interoperability with various blockchain platforms, and strong community support. Also, a huge plus is if it offers tools for integration with tried-party APIs and is compatible with various operating systems/net frameworks.

4. Is crypto coding beginner-friendly?

No, it’s not. While you do have beginner-friendly programming languages such as Python, you’ll still likely need to rely on other languages that are far more complex, such as Solidity/Rust. Plus coding crypto requires you to have a keen understanding of everything that goes into building a cryptocurrency.

5. Is Solidity better than Python?

This is a little bit like comparing apples and oranges – it depends. Solidity is the standard programming language used for building smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. Python is a more versatile language that’s used for analytics, prototyping, and backend development.

6. Is C++ used in blockchain?

Yes. C++ is widely used by blockchain developers. This is especially true when it comes to building core components of blockchain systems such as Bitcoin Core. The language is very efficient in this area, it has multi-threading support, and has control over memory management.

Conclusion

If you want to ensure the project’s success when it comes to coding cryptocurrencies, you’ll need to pick the correct language. However, there’s no best language overall, but rather the best language for a specific task, depending on what you’re creating.

The blockchain ecosystem is vast. It’s also constantly evolving – and fast. New tools and new languages are emerging left and right in order to present solutions for problems and to help meet the growing demands of the tech world.

The best thing to do when picking a language is to fully understand how to create a cryptocurrency from start to finish. Once you understand the whole process, you’ll better understand which languages are used for specific steps/tasks.

Then, and only then, will you have the proficiency and expertise to make the correct crypto programming language choice.