DeFi Intel

What is Smart Contract?

Plain-English explainer · Updated 2026-05-03 · By DeFi Intel

A smart contract is autonomous code deployed to a blockchain that executes deterministically when called. Solidity, Vyper, and Yul target EVM; Rust targets Solana, Sui, and NEAR; Move targets Aptos and Sui. Code is law — bugs are exploitable.

How it works

A smart contract is autonomous code deployed to a blockchain that executes deterministically when called. Solidity, Vyper, and Yul target EVM; Rust targets Solana, Sui, and NEAR; Move targets Aptos and Sui. Code is law — bugs are exploitable.

For deeper protocol-level mechanics, see the related glossary terms below or the linked DeFi Intel topic deep-dive.

Why it matters

Smart contracts are the substrate of all DeFi, NFT, and DAO activity. Without them, blockchains would only support payments.

Real-world examples

Uniswap V3 Pool, Aave LendingPool, MakerDAO Vat, Safe multisig, Chainlink Aggregator.

Related terms

Go deeper

Read the full DeFi Intel topic deep-dive or browse the complete crypto glossary.

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