Published on Sep 1, 2021

What are Smart Contracts?

Sidharth

#Learn

4 Min

The word “Blockchain” is usually related to terms like Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency, Distributed web, etc. But is that all Blockchain is about? Let’s dig a little deeper and find it out.

For more than a decade, blockchain has been recognized as a system in which a distributed database records all transactions that occur in a peer-to-peer network. In a blockchain network, many nodes work together to protect and maintain a set of shared transaction records in a distributed manner, without depending on any trusted entity.

Smart contracts are executable software that run on top of the blockchain. Smart contracts enabled network automation and the conversion of paper contracts to digital contracts. Smart contracts allow users to formalize their agreements and trust relationships by enabling automated transactions without the supervision of a central authority Smart contracts are replicated to each node of the blockchain network to avoid contract manipulation.

This blog will fill in your Brain with the following:

Smart contracts
Blockchain Smart Contract
How does smart contract work?
Benefits of smart contracts
Applications of smart contracts
How secure are smart contracts?

And much more…

Beginning with What is a smart contract?

A smart contract is a computer program or a transaction protocol that is designed to execute, control, or document legally significant events and activities in accordance with the conditions of a contract or agreement. The goals of smart contracts are to reduce the need for trusted intermediaries, arbitration and enforcement costs, fraud losses, and purposeful and inadvertent exceptions.

Example: Assume you are interested in renting an apartment from me. You may accomplish this using the blockchain and cryptocurrencies. You receive a receipt, which is stored in our virtual contract, and I provide you with the digital entrance key.

What is a Smart Contract on blockchain?

A “Smart Contract” is a program that runs on the Ethereum blockchain. It is a set of code (its functions) and data (its state) stored at a single address on the Ethereum blockchain.

Smart contracts are an Ethereum account type. This indicates that they have a balance and can transmit transactions via the network. They are not, however, managed by a user; rather, they are deployed to the network and run as intended. Smart contracts can set rules and automatically enforce them through programming. Smart contracts cannot be destroyed by default, and their interactions are irrevocable.

How does a Smart Contract Work?

Smart contracts are best understood as program functions: there are inputs, logic to process the inputs, and output. Smart contract execution frequently results in updated states.

The logic contained within smart contracts will determine whether or not a transaction is legitimate.
An invalid transaction may involve failing to operate on the correct level of starting state. Only legitimate transactions cause states to be updated.
Depending on the blockchain design, invalid transactions are either rejected by the network and not included in the blockchain, or they are included but marked as unsuccessful.
A smart contract may have more than one public function that a transaction might call. Each function can either update the state or just return the most recent state.
Because of the decentralized nature of blockchain architecture, transactions must be handled via a consensus mechanism to ensure that all copies kept by the blockchain network’s participating nodes have identical records.
On the other hand, requesting for the most recent state without changing it is significantly quicker and requires only a single node in the network.
Any node with the smart contract loaded locally may do the query and return the result by reading from the locally kept state database.

What are the benefits of Smart Contracts?

You are the one who makes the deal; you do not need to rely on a broker, lawyer, or other intermediaries to ratify it. In addition, the risk of manipulation by a third party is eliminated.
Your papers are encrypted and stored on a distributed ledger. Someone cannot claim to have lost their mind.
Consider what would happen if your bank lost your savings account. On the blockchain, every single one of your pals has your back. Your documents are replicated several times.
Cryptography, or website encryption, protects your papers safe. There is no tampering. In reality, cracking the encryption and infiltrating would need an exceptionally gifted hacker.
Manually processing papers would normally take a significant amount of time and paperwork. Smart contracts utilize software code to automate operations, reducing the time it takes to complete a variety of business procedures.
Smart contracts save you money by eliminating the need for a middleman. You might have to pay a notary to witness your transaction, for example.
Automated contracts are not only faster and less expensive, but they also eliminate the mistakes that might occur when manually filling out paperwork.

Applications of Smart Contracts

Some platforms enable the development of smart contracts using high-level programming languages.

Bitcoin is a public blockchain platform that may be used to execute bitcoin transactions, but it has extremely limited computational power. Bitcoin employs a bytecode scripting language that is stack-based.
NXT is an open-source blockchain platform that uses a proof-of-stake consensus algorithm. It covers a sample of presently active smart contracts.
Ethereum was the first blockchain platform to allow for the creation of smart contracts. It allows sophisticated and customizable smart contracts through the use of the Ethereum virtual computer, a Turing-complete virtual machine (EVM).
Web3 refers to decentralized programs that operate on the blockchain in the context of Ethereum. These are applications that allow anyone to engage without having to sell their personal information.

How secure are Smart Contracts?

Smart contracts are similar to cryptocurrencies and provide more efficiency than traditional contracts in some sectors. In the meanwhile, they are only as secure as the programmer’s best knowledge.
Smart contract security operates on the same principles as software security. Coding, testing, and assurance.