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# Build Your Blockchain Application in JavaScript

Ditch specialized languages. Build custom blockchain applications entirely in JavaScript. Learn how the Lisk SDK separates on-chain and off-chain tasks for scalable enterprise NFTs.

- **Speakers:** Nazar Hussain
- **Event:** WeAreDevelopers LIVE
- **Published:** October 12, 2020
- **Duration:** 48:50
- **URL:** https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/49-build-your-blockchain-application-in-javascript

## Summary

Building custom blockchain applications often requires specialized languages and complex architectural setups. The Lisk SDK addresses this hurdle by providing a highly accessible, developer-focused framework built entirely in JavaScript. By relying on an on-chain architecture centered around customizable modules, developers can define isolated data structures, state transitions, and granular lifecycle hooks without grappling with external dependencies like PostgreSQL, which was replaced by embedded databases in SDK 5.0 to smooth the development pipeline. The architecture is strategically divided into three flexible layers: on-chain modules for native blockchain state, off-chain API plugins for external processing, and an open communication layer using IPC Unix sockets. This distinct separation ensures that resource-intensive off-chain tasks, such as running HTTP servers or integrating third-party systems, do not bottleneck core consensus or block forging operations. Furthermore, Lisk leverages JSON schema alongside custom binary serialization, standardizing data encoding and guaranteeing fail-safe state transitions with automatic undo calculations. Applying these technical concepts, developers can rapidly construct practical applications like Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), which extend far beyond crypto-collectibles into scalable enterprise use cases such as digital identity tracking and event ticketing. A functional NFT demands strict rules around uniqueness, indivisibility, and secure ownership transfers. Using the Lisk SDK, engineers can implement these complex behaviors by defining custom asset schemas—like minimum purchase margins and initial cryptographic values—inside an isolated on-chain module, while simultaneously exposing the token network to modern frontends via a dedicated off-chain server plugin.

**Keywords:** lisk SDK development, javascript blockchain applications, on-chain module logic, off-chain API plugins, delegated proof of stake, blockchain state transitions, JSON schema serialization, embedded network databases, IPC socket communication, NFT creation, digital identity tokens, event ticketing software, blockchain sidechain scaling, dynamic transaction fees, cryptographic hash authentication

## Chapters

1. **Overview of the Lisk blockchain and JavaScript SDK** (00:20) — How the Lisk ecosystem provides an accessible JavaScript token and decentralized application platform.
1. **Key scalability benefits of the Lisk blockchain platform** (05:48) — Leveraging a research-driven and developer-focused approach to building scalable independent sidechains.
1. **Evolution of the Lisk SDK and recent protocol features** (07:40) — Examining protocol updates across releases for dynamic fees, multisignatures, and embedded databases.
1. **Designing on-chain architecture with custom Lisk modules** (12:23) — Isolating standard data structures and controlling decentralized application lifecycles using customizable definitions.
1. **Configuring off-chain plugins and external communication architecture** (17:59) — Integrating external services and running independent business logic utilizing inter-process communication sockets.
1. **Exploring blockchain use cases and non-fungible token concepts** (21:59) — Reviewing practical implementations for automated agreements and unique digital creations like collectibles.
1. **Defining behaviors and account states for custom NFTs** (26:46) — Structuring necessary token traits such as initial valuation, required purchase margins, and singular ownership tracking.
1. **Initializing a basic blockchain network application environment** (30:25) — Instantiating a functional distributed backend using pre-configured module settings and generated genesis blocks.
1. **Implementing custom logic and blockchain transaction assets** (35:12) — Programming custom application code to validate transfers, alter token possession, and secure asset changes.
1. **Serving frontend blockchain data using an HTTP API plugin** (42:01) — Connecting an independent HTTP routing layer to expose on-chain ledgers directly to graphical user interfaces.
1. **Constructing and cryptographically signing external blockchain payloads** (44:49) — Generating and authorizing secure blockchain transactions dynamically using sender passphrases and strict parameter schemas.

## Related Moments

- [Introduction to the Lisk platform and delegated proof of stake](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/209-p2p-networks-in-blockchain) (from "P2P networks in Blockchain")
- [Understanding Lisk SDK architecture and functional components](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/188-develop-a-blockchain-application-in-javascript-with-lisk-sdk) (from "Develop a Blockchain Application in JavaScript with Lisk SDK")
- [Accelerating custom blockchain development via the Substrate framework](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/409-blockchains-one-size-doesn-t-fit-all) (from "Blockchains: One Size doesn't Fit All")
- [Introduction to blockchain, NFTs, and smart contracts](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/877-blockchain-nft-and-smart-contracts-for-my-application) (from "Blockchain, NFT and smart contracts for my application")
- [Default architectural plugins and foundational modules within blockchain development](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/209-p2p-networks-in-blockchain) (from "P2P networks in Blockchain")
- [Automating programmable logic using smart contracts and JavaScript tools](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/633-a-primer-on-blockchain-and-hedera-an-intro-through-terms) (from "A Primer on Blockchain and Hedera: An Intro Through Terms")

## Related Articles

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- [Build With Bitcoin SV](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/6-build-with-bitcoin-sv)
- [Why Blockchain? A Developer’s Perspective](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/616-why-blockchain-a-developer-s-perspective)
- [Dev Digest 136 - No JS(on) of mine](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/482-dev-digest-136-no-js-on-of-mine)

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