Britannica Money (2024)

You may have heard about smart contracts, but what are they, exactly, and how do they work? If you’re a crypto enthusiast, you may remember that smart contracts used to be an Ethereum network thing (versus a Bitcoin thing). Now that the Bitcoin network supports smart contracts—a major leap forward for the original blockchain—you may be curious to learn more about smart contracts.

Imagine a world in which contracts execute themselves and trust is established and maintained only by lines of tamper-proof code. That’s the world of smart contracts—blockchain-based computer programs or transaction protocols that function as digital contracts. So how do smart contracts work, and how can they be used?

How smart contracts work, step by step

A smart contract—like any contract—is an agreement between two parties. Smart contracts use code to leverage the benefits of blockchain technology, including efficiency, transparency, and security. The results can be innovative, but using smart contracts also carries risk.

The digital nature of smart contracts means they can be programmed to execute automatically in a six-step process.

1. Parties agree to terms and conditions

The creation of a smart contract starts with an agreement. The parties wishing to transact or exchange goods or services must agree on the terms and conditions of the arrangement. The parties involved must also decide how the smart contract will work, including what conditions must be met for the contract to execute and whether it will execute automatically.

2. The smart contract is created

The transacting parties have multiple options to create a smart contract, ranging from coding it themselves to working with a smart contract developer. The terms of the agreement are translated into a programming language to create the smart contract, which specifies rules and consequences just as a traditional legal contract would.

Creating a smart contract can be simple, but it’s important to note that a poorly designed smart contract is a major security risk. It’s critical to fully verify the smart contract’s security during this step.

3. The smart contract is deployed

Once the securely designed smart contract is ready, the next step is to deploy it to a blockchain. The smart contract is broadcast to the blockchain just like any other crypto transaction, with the code of the smart contract included in the transaction’s data field. The smart contract is live on the blockchain once the transaction is confirmed, and it cannot be revoked or changed.

That last part is important. Deploying a smart contract to a blockchain is like buying an item and intentionally throwing away the receipt. There are no returns, no refunds, and no exchanges—no exceptions.

4. Triggering conditions are met

A smart contract works by monitoring the blockchain or other credible information source for certain conditions or triggers. These triggers can include almost anything that can be verified digitally—a date reached, a payment completed, a monthly bill received, or any other verifiable event. Trigger conditions may also be met when one or more parties to the contract perform a specific action.

5. The smart contract is executed

When the trigger conditions are satisfied, the smart contract executes. A smart contract that executes automatically may perform one or several actions, such as transferring funds to a seller or registering a buyer’s ownership of an asset.

6. The contract result is recorded to the blockchain

The smart contract’s execution is immediately broadcast to the blockchain. The blockchain network verifies the actions performed by the smart contract, records its execution as a transaction, and stores the completed smart contract on the blockchain. The record of the smart contract is generally available for review by anyone at any time.

Use cases for smart contracts

At this point, smart contracts may feel abstract, so let’s take a look at some specific ways that smart contracts can be used. You may be surprised at how smart contracts can aid in transactions and other money decisions:

• Automatic savings. Smart contracts can be used to automate how much money you save every month by moving money into a designated account.
• Automatic investing. Smart contracts can be programmed to automate your investing activity. A smart contract used in this capacity can be efficient, yet risky—you’ll be less directly involved in your buy and sell decisions.
• Insurance claims. Have you ever wished the insurance claims process was faster? Smart contracts can be used to automate insurance claim and payout processes. A smart contract can be programmed to pay out immediately when a certain verifiable event, such as a natural disaster, occurs.
• Estate planning. Another notoriously slow process is receiving an inheritance after the death of a loved one. Smart contracts can be added to an estate plan to automatically distribute digital assets upon a person’s death, potentially removing the need for probate court.

Smart contracts can also be used for a wide range of functions that are native to blockchains, like peer-to-peer lending and other forms of decentralized finance. But in the grand scheme of things, these examples barely touch on the vast variety of use cases that smart contracts may someday offer.

Are smart contracts secure?

Smart contracts can potentially replace trust in humans with trust in code. But are these digital contracts secure?

Smart contract developers can take steps to maximize and verify the security of their contracts, but the physical, technological, and regulatory environments in which a smart contract operates may make it vulnerable to outside risks. For example:

• A technically sound contract may not be legally enforceable.
• A contract may lack interoperability, making it incompatible with other blockchain networks that are needed to complete a given transaction (or fulfill a given contract).
• Smart contracts are vulnerable to coding errors, which can lead to unexpected outcomes (including faulty security measures).
• Network congestion and expensive transaction fees may affect contract execution and favorability.

These are just a few of the primary risks to which smart contracts may be exposed.

Evaluating the security of smart contracts is an important part of understanding how they work. Smart contracts can be most secure when development includes:

• Top-notch programming that prioritizes security features.
• Rigorous testing before deployment.
• Regular audits of the smart contract code.
• Performance verification in all possible environments.
• Upgrading smart contract code as needed.
• Maximizing smart contract transparency.
• Determining that the smart contract is legally binding.

The bottom line

Smart contracts self-execute agreements based on predefined protocols. Their capacity to perform this function in an automated and tamper-proof environment makes them one of the most innovative and promising technologies in development. By replacing trust in centralized institutions (such as banks, attorneys, and financial advisors) with trust in blockchain-compatible computer code, smart contracts could usher in an era of automated “trustless systems.”

Relying on computer code alone for important tasks can be efficient, but it’s also risky. Most of us aren’t ready to sell a home or other large asset via an irreversible electronic smart contract. Plus, smart contracts are evolving, with basic legal and regulatory frameworks still taking shape. But as smart contracts and other crypto use cases inch toward mainstream adoption, we can see hints of their potentially significant, if not disruptive, role in the future of our economy and society.