As Rust becomes a more popular programming language, used by multi-million dollar companies to rewrite their software, learning Rust will give you the ability to write the future. Rust is seen as an ideal language for programming blockchain systems, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), and cryptocurrency (crypto). As those technologies advance and become more mainstream, Rust will become a fundamental language for programmers.
What Is Rust?
Rust is an open-source code with security and flexibility automatically built-in. It is focused on speed and memory safety, giving it an advantage in creating systems quickly with minimum loss of memory. Rust is becoming the go-to language for blockchain creation thanks to these qualities.
Rust and Web 3.0
As the internet grows, Web 3.0 gets closer than ever before. Web 3.0 refers to the next step in the internet’s evolution. There are many theories about what the next version of the internet will look like, including the Metaverse, blockchain, and domination of NFTs and crypto.
Rust is a large part of this because of its potential applications in these systems. Because of Rust’s inherent security, it’s a perfect language for all these things. Security is mandatory for crypto and NFTs, and anything having to do with the blockchain.
What Can Rust Offer?
“Rustacean Principles”
Because Rust is such a complex language that is capable of doing so much, development priorities can sometimes contradict each other.
To combat this, proponents of the language developed the Rustacean Principles:
- Versatile- Anything is possible
- Transparent- Predict and control low-level details
- Supportive- Support from language, tools, and community
- Productive- A little goes a long way
- Performance- Idiomatic code runs efficiently
- Reliable- It works if it compiles
Community and Soft Skills
Not only is Rust a growing language, but it has a dedicated online community. These “Rustaceans” are committed to helping others learn the language, as is implied in the Rustacean Principles. They also, in a fit of whimsy, have contributed to a kind of code of conduct for Rust programmers. This shows a sense of community and can help hone soft skills that are important for any programmer to have.
This guide on “how to [be] Rustacean” states:
- Trust and Delegate
- Pay It Forward
- Be Kind and Considerate
- Bring Joy to the User
- Follow Through
- Start Somewhere
- Show Up
- Recognize Others’ Knowledge
Industry Titans That Love Rust
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
More and more of Amazon’s products are being written in Rust. This is largely because of Rust’s flexibility and security. AWS also views Rust as a more energy-efficient language.
Microsoft
Although their review was somewhat lacklustre (they called the experience “generally positive”) Microsoft rewrote a Windows component in Rust. They have admitted that they will explore their options in applying Rust to a variety of products because of the language’s security-minded nature.
In February of 2021, Microsoft officially joined the Rust Foundation as they continued to expand their use of Rust in their programs.
Some crypto circles, including Polkadot, are adopting Rust thanks to its strong security component and versatility. Even Google has been known to use Rust.
Learn Rust to Join the Future
Blockchain, NFTs, and crypto are the future. As Web 3.0 comes closer all the time, dangling the possibility of the Metaverse in front of us, programming languages that support these advances will become must-know information. Rust’s versatility and speed make it invaluable to these rapidly growing systems that require intense security. Programmers with a strong grasp of this language not only set themselves apart but will also be able to structure the future of the internet.
