Smart Contract Programming Languages on Blockchains: An Empirical Evaluation of Usability and Security

摘要

Blockchain is a promising infrastructural technology that is finding its way into a growing number of domains like big data, finance, and medical. While blockchain has come to be thought of primarily as the foundation for Bitcoin, it has evolved far beyond underpinning the virtual currency. As it becomes progressively popular, the need for effective programming means would be more demanding. Blockchain programming as a core means provides accounts of the 'code is law' that specifies agreements between parties and allows its stakeholders to still trust the platform to execute the agreed-upon contract (known as smart contract) as expected. Although it seems straightforward in theory, it is hardly the case when it comes to real-life situations. There have been several instances that show smart contracts are riddled with issues and vulnerabilities in code, causing damages. What's for sure is lacking is that the existing languages are not living up to the point to be able to unleash the full potential of the blockchain, as often have resulted in buggy code with a steep learning curve for developers. This denotes that the current research on contract development is not sufficient and is still in a stage of infancy. In order to advance the state of the research in this area, an evaluation of the current state-of-the-art practices in a thorough and experimental manner is required. Thus, the objective of this paper is to give a comprehensive analysis of such domain-specific programming practices from critical points of usability and security to provide a working guideline for newcomers and researchers.