The number of compelling use cases for the blockchain continues to grow. This ensures that blockchain testing needs to evolve too.
Speaking of which, blockchains, regardless of the type, are complex in nature. So, testing all components is necessary. There are too many working parts needing oversight. It doesn’t matter which blockchain you pick: Ethereum, Cardano, Hyperledger, or Solana. All need rigorous testing.
So, hiring an organization that offers competent blockchain testing services is a necessity. Not a luxury. Regardless of whether the blockchain in question is first, second or third generation.
The evolution of the blockchain: beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum
It all began with Bitcoin. The first cryptocurrency. Ever. As a first-generation blockchain, this was its first use case. To replace fiat currency. To cut out intermediaries much like the government and banks. Serving as trusted middlemen between two transacting parties. Come to think of it, Bitcoin was the very first decentralized application (dApp).
After almost a decade, the blockchain has evolved beyond this simple use case. This is due to the rise of DeFi, dApps and smart contracts. Transaction throughput and the blockchain trilemma has caused concern. For this, building L2 chains to support their L1 counterparts has been necessary.
Now, the focus of the blockchain has moved on to three other aspects:
- introducing interoperability
- reducing power consumption
- building enterprise-grade non-financial applications
This is because the blockchain trilemma isn’t an issue anymore.
That said, major financial institutions and large corporations are showing interest. This can only mean that mainstream adoption of blockchain technology is imminent.
Now, let’s look at the core components of the blockchain.
Components of a blockchain
As mentioned earlier, the blockchain has many working parts that have set functions. These include:
Nodes
Keep a copy of transactions, while also validating or authenticating them.
Ledger
Stores all transactions as blocks.
Wallet
Storing cryptocurrency is possible with a wallet. In development, you might need to use this to store test tokens when you run methods in your smart contract.
Consensus Mechanism
An algorithm that ensures that all nodes in the network agree with the ‘state’ of the blockchain.
Smart Contracts
Acts as an executable digital contract when meeting a set of predetermined conditions.
Cryptography
Offers benefits such as wallet protection, authentication, data integrity and consensus mechanisms.
Blockchain Virtual Machine
Ensures that a smart contract on several nodes produces the same bytecode. The blockchain produces reliable and consistent results.
5 things that make blockchain application testing unique
Without a doubt, testing all these components is necessary to see if they’re working. After all, if one component doesn’t work, then the entire blockchain won’t. The employees of the protocol or wallet will build and test some of these components. Hiring an organization that carries out blockchain testing for the rest makes sense.
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Now, let’s understand concepts related to decentralized applications and blockchain testing.
1: Decentralized Application
A decentralized application has both a front-end and back-end. The frontend is a webpage using technologies such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript. React is an excellent JavaScript framework to use in this case. As for the backend or smart contract, this is the core functionality of the application. When both parts talk to each other, the application works as it should. This is where blockchain application testing plays an important role.
2: Gas Fees, Testnet and Mainnet
Testing your blockchain application on the Mainnet is not a good idea. Only if you want to pay gas fees in actual tokens. It’s better to test it in an environment where the tokens have no real-world value. Before deploying it on the mainnet.
Developers call this test environment the Testnet. All blockchains have this test network where developers can run application functionality. Sepolia, Goerli and Kovan are examples of Ethereum testnets. Still, you’ll have to buy test tokens to pay gas fees and use the testnet.
3: Test Tokens & Faucets
Test tokens work like real tokens that you can buy from a DEX. For example, test Ether can run application functions on the Ethereum test network. You don’t need to buy real Ether for this.
To add test tokens to your wallet, requesting a certain amount from a faucet is necessary. To perform this transaction, use your wallet address. The faucet is on a webpage where you’ll have to enter details. Remember: there’s a limit to the number of test tokens you can request for.
4: Blockchain-specific language & tools
The programming language, wallet and Testnet depends on the chosen blockchain. For example, let’s say you’ve opted for the Polygon blockchain. Using Solidity, the MetaMask wallet and the Polygon Testnet is the right thing to do.
5: The Immutability of Smart Contracts
Remember this: smart contracts are immutable once deployed to the Mainnet. No changes are possible after that. You can create a new contract with the updates and then cause the older contract to self-destruct.
Blockchain testing tools and frameworks used for Ethereum
All blockchains have testing tools and frameworks, be it either EVM or non-EVM chains. These tools and frameworks deal with several types of testing. Once you identify these languages and tools, you’ll be ready to carry out blockchain testing.
Ethereum is the dominant blockchain for dApp development. We will list testing tools and frameworks used in this context. Most blockchains have based their testing toolchain on Ethereum’s testing approach. Especially for the test types mentioned below:
1. Unit Testing: Remix and Hardhat
Unit testing checks if every smart contract function works as intended. If you use Hardhat, you’ll need to use ethers for connectivity and Chai as well as Mocha for testing. As for Remix, install the Solidity Unit Testing plugin. After this, generate a test file, import the smart contract into your test code and write the tests.
2. Property-based Testing: Slither & Echidna
Property-based testing involves checking whether the smart contract satisfies some property. For this, use static and dynamic analysis tools. Slither and Echidna are examples of static and dynamic analysis tools.
3. Automated Testing: Selenium
To automate your testing efforts, use a tool such as Selenium. Configure the environment so that it resembles the production network. Think about managing your test data well. Focus on security testing and continuous integration too.
4. Integration Testing: Ganache and Hardhat
With integration testing, check whether your smart contract works with others. Between functions in the same contract. Or cross-contract calls between your contract and other deployed contracts. For this, you can fork the blockchain with tools such as Ganache and Hardhat. After this, check how the interactions work between your contract and others.
5. Manual Testing: Ganache and Hardhat
This type of testing comes after automated testing. A local blockchain or on a testnet tests the smart contract. Ganache and Hardhat come to mind for the former. As for the latter, several Ethereum testnets are available.
Need a Blockchain Testing Services Partner? Qualitest Can Help You!
Picking the right blockchain testing services partner can prove to be beneficial. Validating your network performance against various loads is possible. Testing the functionality of your smart contract is possible too. Your blockchain application will exceed performance and functionality expectations. Are you looking for a trusted blockchain testing services company? Qualitest can help. Avail yourself of continuous testing feedback to reduce application errors. You can shorten your release cycles by 60% with our in-house test automation framework. Speak to an expert now.
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This is Anil, I am a professional SEO Expert & Write for us technology blog and submit a guest post on different platforms- technootech provides a good opportunity for content writers to submit guest posts on our website. We frequently highlight and tend to showcase guests.
