Smart Contracts on Stellar

SDF’s strategy for 2022 is set and available for all to see on our roadmap. It’s ambitious, but so is our mission of creating equitable access to the global financial system. We need to think big to deliver.

On our path forward, we’re looking at what we can do this year to further trust-minimized innovation, expand a growing anchor network, and arguably most importantly, maintain an unrelenting focus on increasing the scale of interoperability and inclusion.

We’ve asked where we can challenge ourselves to adapt to new possibilities and see the opportunity they bring to extend Stellar.

And most immediately for 2022, we’ve answered that question with smart contracts. Listen to VP of Ecosystem, Justin Rice, share more about the plan to bring smart contracts to Stellar:

We believe that adding smart contracts to the network will empower the ecosystem with more room to innovate. The goal is for Stellar to remain one of the most accessible networks for developers so that they can deliver high quality and safe applications to their users, while allowing it to adapt and respond to the competitive blockchain landscape.

But let’s make sure one important point is clear: bringing smart contracts to Stellar is not a departure from the values or vision of the network.

Since the Stellar network was built for the future of payments, it’s critical that smart contracts on Stellar are secure for users and can scale without exorbitant network fees. If done right, this could set smart contracts on Stellar apart from the rest. Smart contracts aren’t new, but the way we could execute them on Stellar, learning from what’s been tested in the broader industry, could bring new utility in a way that doesn't currently exist. That's why we're pursuing them.

In SDF’s 2022 roadmap, we’re committed to doing the research, shepherding the code development, and working with the Stellar community to build a smart contract implementation this year. But as an open source network, this isn't just SDF’s decision — it’s something that must be built with the input and collaboration of Stellar’s engaged ecosystem of developers, innovating in an open way that’s true to the network.

Stay tuned for more progress as we work hand-in-hand with our ecosystem to bring smart contracts to Stellar!