What Are Smart Contracts on the Blockchain and How Do They Work?
What Is a Smart Contract?A smart contract is a self-executing program that automates the actions required in a blockchain transaction. Once completed, the transactions are trackable and irreversible. The best way to envision a smart contract is to think of a vending machine—when you insert the correct amount of money and push an item's button, the program (the smart contract) activates the machine to dispense your chosen item.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 a virtual currency.
