A smart
contract is a self-executing contract with the terms of the agreement between
buyer and seller being directly written into lines of code. The code and the
agreements contained therein exist across a distributed, decentralized
blockchain network. The code controls the execution, and transactions are
trackable and irreversible.
Smart
contracts permit trusted transactions and agreements to be carried out among
disparate, anonymous parties without the need for a central authority, legal
system, or external enforcement mechanism.
While
blockchain technology has come to be thought of primarily as the foundation for
bitcoin, it has evolved far beyond underpinning the virtual currency.
Understanding
tokens and smart contracts
For
example, an insurance company could use smart contracts to automate the release
of claim money based on events such as large-scale floods, hurricanes, or
droughts. Or, once a cargo shipment reaches a port of entry and IoT sensors
inside the container confirm the contents have been unopened and remained
stored properly throughout the journey, a bill of lading can automatically be
issued.
Smart
contracts are also the basis for the transference of cryptocurrency and digital
tokens (in essence, a digital representation of a physical asset or utility).
For example, Ethereum blockchain's ERC-20 and ERC-721 tokens are themselves
smart contracts.
But not
all smart contracts are tokens, according to Martha Bennett, a principal
analyst at Forrester Research. "You can have smart contracts running on
Ethereum that trigger an action based on a condition without an ERC-20 or
ERC-721 token involved," she said.
Smart
contracts can govern the transference of other cryptocurrencies, such as
bitcoin. Once payment is verified, bitcoin can change hands from seller to
buyer.
Most
enterprise blockchain networks don't use tokens, Bennett pointed out. In those
that do, the rules in smart contracts govern how tokens get allocated and
define the conditions of transfer.
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