A program stored on a blockchain that automatically executes predefined actions when its conditions are met.
A smart contract is code deployed to a blockchain such as Ethereum. Once deployed, it runs exactly as written, and anyone can verify its logic and transaction history. For example, a contract might hold funds in escrow and release them to a seller only when a buyer confirms delivery, or automatically distribute token rewards to participants.
Smart contracts power DeFi protocols, NFT marketplaces, token launches, and decentralized autonomous organizations. They are often written in languages such as Solidity. Because deployed contracts are difficult or impossible to change and may control large sums, bugs can be very costly; many major crypto hacks exploited contract flaws. Professional security audits, testing, and formal verification are therefore common practice.
A shared, append-only digital ledger in which records are grouped into blocks that are cryptographically linked in sequence.
DeFiDecentralized Finance: financial services such as lending, borrowing, and trading built on blockchains using smart contracts.
EthereumA programmable blockchain platform, launched in 2015, that runs smart contracts and has its own cryptocurrency called Ether.
Yield FarmingA DeFi strategy in which users lend or stake crypto assets in protocols to earn rewards, often in the form of additional tokens.
How DAOs work, from token voting and delegation to treasury management, plus the governance pitfalls, famous failures and US legal questions anyone joining or starting one should know.
What NFTs really are, how ownership records and metadata work, practical uses in ticketing and loyalty, why many NFT projects failed, and what buyers often misunderstand.
How stablecoins hold their value, the difference between reserve-backed and algorithmic designs, what went wrong with TerraUSD and USDC in past crises, and what the GENIUS Act changes.