How Popular is Rust Language in Blockchain Development?

Rust is a popular programming language that is known for its safety and efficiency. Its unique features make it an ideal choice for blockchain development, as it enables developers to create secure and fast, decentralized applications. In this article, we will explore the different blockchains that are built using Rust.

Main Features of Rust

Combining the high performance, safety, and concurrency, Rust is a modern programming language used for a wide range of applications.

It is a system-level language that provides memory safety, data race freedom, and zero-cost abstractions. Rust is a statically-typed language, meaning that it checks the types of variables at compile-time, rather than runtime, to ensure safe and efficient code. This makes it a popular choice for performance-intensive applications.

Rust is not a strictly object-oriented language, although it does have object-oriented features. It is a multi-paradigm language, which means that it supports different programming paradigms such as procedural, functional, and object-oriented programming.

Unlike most object-oriented programming languages, Rust does not have classes. Instead, Rust uses structures (structs) that can contain methods and associated data, and traits that define a set of methods that must be implemented for a data type.

What blockchains are written in Rust

Solana

Built using Rust, Solana is a blockchain designed for scalability and speed, with the capability of processing over 65,000 transactions per second. Solana uses a unique consensus mechanism called Proof of History (PoH), which enables it to achieve high throughput and low latency. PoH creates a historical record of all the transactions that have occurred on the blockchain, making it easy to verify the order and validity of transactions.

Several notable projects have been developed using Solana, making it a favored choice for decentralized applications. One such project is Serum, a decentralized exchange that enables users to trade cryptocurrencies in a fast and secure manner. Another notable project is Raydium, a platform for decentralized finance (DeFi) that allows users to earn yield by staking their tokens.

NOTE:

If you wish to become a Rust / Solana developer, check out this free course for beginners from IdeaSoft Career Booster.

NEAR Protocol

For developers seeking to rapidly build decentralized applications, NEAR Protocol provides a blockchain platform that is designed for this purpose. It is built using Rust and is focused on usability and simplicity. To achieve high scalability and low latency NEAR uses a unique consensus mechanism called Nightshade on its blockchain platform.

NEAR Protocol has several notable projects built on it, including Mintbase, a platform for creating and selling non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and Paras, a platform for creating and selling unique digital assets.

Polkadot

Polkadot is a multichain network that enables interoperability between different blockchains. It is built using Rust and is designed to be scalable and flexible. Polkadot uses a unique consensus mechanism called GRANDPA, which enables it to achieve finality in a fast and secure manner.

Polkadot has several notable projects built on it, including Moonbeam, a smart contract platform that is compatible with Ethereum, and Scala, a platform for DeFi applications.

Kusama

Kusama is a sister network to Polkadot that is designed for experimentation and innovation. It is built using Rust and is focused on enabling developers to build and test new features and applications quickly. Kusama uses the same consensus mechanism as Polkadot, GRANDPA.

Kusama has several notable projects built on it, including Karura, a platform for DeFi applications, and Shiden, a platform for building decentralized applications.