Blockchain Will Be Most In-Demand Hard Skill in 2020: LinkedIn

Blockchain will be the most in-demand hard skill in 2020, according to a new study by the educational subsidiary of professional social network LinkedIn.

A newcomer to LinkedIn's annual list of top-demanded hard skills, blockchain now tops the list of the most-needed skills in 2020, according to a LinkedIn Learning blog post on Jan. 1.Blockchain to surpass cloud computing and AI in 2020.

In 2019, blockchain-as-a-skill overtook major hard skills including cloud computing, analytical reasoning, artificial intelligence, and user experience design, becoming the number one hard skill in demand among global employers in 2020, according to LinkedIn Learning.

In contrast, a similar list of skills provided by LinkedIn Learning for 2019 does not include blockchain technology at all.

Methodology: demand vs. supplyAs noted in the post, demand in the recent study was defined by analyzing skills that were in high demand versus their supply.

Specifically, demand was measured by identifying the skills listed on the LinkedIn profiles of people who were employed at the highest rates.

As opposed to soft skills, hard skills refer to an employee's ability to do a specific task and include specialized knowledge and technical abilities such as software development, tax accounting, or patent law expertise.

In the blog post, Linkedin outlined the immense potential of blockchain technology in terms of providing a cost- and time-efficient, secure and decentralized method of tracking transactions of all types.

LinkedIn has previously outlined the importance of distributed ledger technologies like blockchain.

Earlier in 2019, a LinkedIn Asia Pacific report listed blockchain among the most demanded skills in the coming years as part of its regular feature "The Future of Skills."