Top 10 Programming Languages to Write Smart Contract

"Write once, run everywhere" has long been one of the biggest promises of blockchain technology. The premise of a shared platform that allows for distributed hosting and decentralized applications (dApps) is revolutionary on its own. Add in the fact that it is the place where business models will play out in a platform-agnostic way, and you have an industry player who thinks big when it comes to this decentralized future.

Smart contracts are basically programs stored on the blockchain that interact or run when certain conditions are met. Read this to learn more about smart contracts. Smart contracts can strike all kinds of transactions on the blockchain, and there's one common thing among them — they are written in code. While developers nowadays write a lot of code in different programming languages, some of which might seem more suitable for writing smart contracts than others. Without further ado, these are our top ten picks.

1. Solidity

This is a high-level programming language developed by Alex Beregszaszi, Christian Reitwiessner, and several others who are formerly contributors to the Ethereum blockchain development. Solidity high-level programming language was invented for writing and implementing smart contracts on numerous blockchains, primarily Ethereum and Binance.

The codes compiled by Solidity are meant to be run on Ethereum Virtual Machine. The Ethereum Virtual Machine can be regarded as a single entity that gets relevance or is maintained by the connectivity of thousands of computers to the Ethereum Client.

Solidity is influenced by JavaScript, Python, and C++, and its main target is the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). It is the first language anyone who wants to dive into the business of creating smart contract tokens or start an ICO must learn. Therefore, its importance cannot be overemphasized.

It is the first programming language developed for the sole purpose of deploying smart contracts. Over the years, it has been adopted in developing other decentralized applications. Below is an example of a smart contract code written in a solidity programming language;

This code will look very familiar to you if you are a C++ or a javascript developer.

The Solidity programming language has emerged as the crypto industry's de facto standard for creating blockchain smart contracts because of its role in developing Ethereum smart contracts, the most extensive network for decentralized apps.

The language also serves as the foundation for Tendermint, one of the most sophisticated consensus methods based on Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) and the heart of the Cosmos blockchain network.

If you are already a developer, you should check out the best ways to look for a job in the Solidity ecosystem and improve your chances of getting a full-time role. If you are a beginner, you can take the Bitdegree solidity course.

You can also learn how to make smart contracts in Solidity by creating your own crypto-collectibles game on CryptoZombies.

Buildspace is an exciting new platform to learn crypto tech by actually building something. For example, you can easily build a Web3 App on ethereum with Solidity and Smart Contracts.

You can also check out this wonderful video on freeCodeCamp for a beginners guide on Solidity, smart contracts, and blockchain.

Major platforms that support solidity:

• Ethereum
• Ethereum Classic
• Polkadot
• Zhcash
• Tron
• Avalanche
• Uniswap
• Binance Smart Chain
• Hedera Hashgraph.

Advantages Of Deploying Smart Contract With Solidity

• Solidity has an enormous, accessible community. Since Solidity was the pioneer Smart contract programming language and was created exclusively for smart contract programming on the Ethereum network, it has acquired broad community support, making it simple for new programmers to get help when confused.
• Have you wondered how the existing developers learn or adapt to the new solidity programming language? Well, Solidity uses concepts and rules available in popular and older programming languages, making it easy for other programming language developers to adopt.
• Solidity is very simple to those developers who are used to other programming languages because most syntax Solidity uses is borrowed or imported from other programming languages.
• Solidity is used to implement or compute all computable functions. This means that Solidity is not limited to computing just a handful of algorithms.

2. Rust

Rust simply means iron in an oxidized state. Oh! Sorry about that.

Rust is a programming language that is loved and cherished by many people. It even made it to the list of the most beloved programming language for five years in a row by Stack Overflow Surveys.

Rust is a low-level programming language equipped with simplicity, high processing speed, and memory efficiency. Rust is a relatively new programming language with tremendous powers while maintaining its fast and straightforward nature combined with complexity.

Naturally, Rust offers the best designs and development works and allows you to edit/correct when there is a need to do so. Below is an example of a code made with Rust for smart contract deployment.

You can get started with the most loved programming language right here on FreeCodeCamp.

The website offers some of the best information and tools for developers and coders globally. Beginner programmers can find a wealth of helpful postings, tutorials, and other resources on this site. Here is another Rust Programming Language Tutorial on freeCodeCamp.

Solidity can be used to build on most of the major blockchains currently available. However, if you want to create smart contracts on Solana, you need to use Rust.

Other major platforms that support rust include:

• Aleo
• Bitcoin Cash
• Fuel
• OpenEthereum
• Zero-chain
• Libra
• Polkadot
• Stacks 2.0

Advantages of Writing Smart Contract With Rust

I guess you might want to know the juicy part of using Rust as a language to deploy your smart contract. Below are a few of such advantages;

• Since Rust is a low-level programming language, building decentralized applications and creating smart contracts is relatively easy. This is because it is designed with efficiency.
• This programming language is very predictable, making it suitable for building decentralized applications and smart contracts.

Disadvantages of Writing Smart Contract with Rust

• Since Rust is a newbie in the world of programming, it is a bit difficult to learn/study by existing programmers.
• It's a complex programming language to learn since you must explicitly describe each program construct in Rust. This implies you'll be spending a lot more time creating code than you would in other programming languages.

3. Javascript

JavaScript is a multi-purpose programming language, and its usage in developing smart contracts has increased over the years since the inception of blockchain. But, surprisingly, JavaScript is an entry-level programming language creating an environment for newbies to come into the ecosystem and start building amazing and exciting products right away.

Hyperledger Fabric is a Blockchain that allows you to build smart contracts with other programming languages, including JavaScript. Below is an example of a smart contract code written in Hyperledger Fabric;

The blockchain developers community is responsible for the development of web3.js. This collection of several libraries allows you to communicate with the Ethereum smart contract using Websocket, HTTPS.

Advantages of Writing Smart Contract with JavaScript

• It has enough community support. This is very important because when a newbie developer is stuck, he can get help or support from the community.
• You will enjoy a faster speed of development time compared to other programming languages.

Disadvantages of Writing Smart Contract with JavaScript

Many other developers use a statically typed language for writing applications like the smart contract, but JavaScript tends to be a dynamic type.

Most blockchain platforms have some support for Javascript including Web3.js and ethereum.js are the most often used libraries, which enable us to link our frontend applications to the Ethereum network and smart contracts.

NEO, an extremely fast blockchain that can handle thousands of transactions per second, is another famous blockchain for using javascript to deal with contracts.

Lighting applications, a super-fast network built on top of the bitcoin blockchain, and the Raiden Network, which is a high-speed infrastructure constructed on top of the ethereum blockchain, are two less well-known but often used javascript cases.

Most blockchain platforms have some support for Javascript including:

• Ethereum
• Polkadot
• Solana
• Hyperledger Fabric
• NEO

You can get introductory coding lessons on Javascript from edX.

Similarly, Chainshot contains all of the javascript lessons you need to start making waves. In addition, the website offers not only self-paced classes but also an on-site bootcamp. Bootcamps are vital for those who want that hands-on supervised learning, and they might be the difference between "it all makes sense" and "it doesn't."

If you're seeking to start a coding profession but don't have any programming expertise, Code Conquest can also help.

This free online resource provides various information for becoming a skilled programmer. With Javascript programming tutorials, you can learn anything from grasping a new programming language to starting a project and locating a code mentor.

4. Vyper

Vyper is a type of language that looks more like the Python language, and its target is the Ethereum Virtual Machine. It has features that are peculiar to smart contracts. Such features include; Custom global Variables, global constants, etc.

Vyper was developed to solve the security issues present in the Solidity programming language. This language came into existence to compliment Solidity and not replace it.

Advantages of Vyper Programming Language.

• Vyper is less prone to attacks because it's a very secure programming language. This feature alone makes it very suitable for writing and deploying smart contracts.
• Vyper is an easily readable programming language.

Disadvantages of Vyper Programming Languages

One of the significant Disadvantages of Vyper is that anything marked as Constant cannot be changed or is not allowed to change state.

Vyper has a strong Python flavor explicitly designed to create smart contract software. It is one of the most popular blockchain smart contract languages. It has a unique ability to calculate an exact upper limit on gas consumption for a single Vyper function call.

Vyper is supported by:

• Uniswap V1
• Ethereum
• Polkadot

One of the finest features of Vyper is the ease with which you may write an Ethereum smart contract. For beginners who are just starting, I strongly recommend Moralis Web3 videos on Vyper tutorial.

5. Yul

Yul is an intermediary programming language compiled to bytecode to solve the various needs of different backends. Yul programming language was designed to be a common denominator of Ethereum Virtual Machine and Eswam.

Advantages Of Using Yul

• Yul programming language is readable. Even if the codes from Yul are obtained by a compiler from Solidity, it's still simple and readable by humans.
• Yul programming language presents high-level contracts such as function calls, loops, etc.
• Yul language is friendly to beginners because it uses flexible and simple language to create smart contracts.

Disadvantages of using Yul Programming Language

• Yul language tends to require more time than other programming languages used to deploy smart contracts because the codes from Yul have to be compiled to bytecode which requires plenty of time to complete.

You can start learning Yul on github today. You can also watch Alex Beregszaszi’s video on youtube.

Both the EVM and the ewasm platforms benefit from Yul's high-level optimization phases. Also, a large number of Ethereum-based projects support Yul.

6. Golang

Did you know Golang is the old name of the programming language GO? GO programming language was designed at Google by Robert Griesemer, KenThompson, and Rob Pike. Go is similar to The programming language C synthetically. Therefore, it is very useful for writing lightweight computer programs.

Advantages Of Using Golang

• Golang is very easy to learn
• Golang is a swift programming language
• Golang is a compiled programming language

Disadvantages Of Using Golang

• One of the significant setbacks of using Golang is that it lacks generics. This is the prominent feature that most Go users are asking for.
• Object-oriented programming is not supported.
• There is no one dominating framework, such as Rails for Ruby or Django for Python.

One of the most important projects for GO is Go-Ethereum. Other Exciting projects include Loom Network, Gochain, and Dero.

Major Platforms that support Go include:

• Ethereum
• FLETA
• HyperLedger Fabrics

Codecademy is an excellent resource for beginning developers and programming enthusiasts to improve their Go coding abilities. Codecademy also provides free online interactive seminars.

FreeCodeCamp is a non-profit organization that provides programmers and developers with some of the most valuable information and tools available. It offers a massive amount of high-quality blogs, tips, and material for beginning programmers to practice and develop their coding abilities. In addition, their Golang tutorial guide is a fantastic starting point for newcomers.

The course material also allows intermediate Go programmers to review certain subjects.

7. Clarity

Clarity is a new language that allows smart contracts to be implemented on Bitcoin. It is a new programming language used to create smart contracts on the Stacks 2.0 network. Stacks 2.0 connects clarity smart contracts to Bitcoin, allowing smart contracts to function depending on Bitcoin blockchain activity. Its features include; predictability, security, no compiler, etc.

‍Pros

• Clarity allows developers to build intelligible code that interacts with the Bitcoin blockchain.
• Clarity is a comprehensible language. The code itself reveals what the program will perform.
• Clarity is purposefully Turing-incomplete. This enables a thorough static study of a smart contract's whole call graph.
• It has no compiler and consequently no compiler flaws because it is an interpreted language.
• Secure by design: reentrancy is not permitted, and checks for underflows and overflows are performed.
• Once you've mastered the parentheses, the syntax is simple to understand, write, and read.

Cons

• The language is still in its infancy. Therefore, it takes time for the language to demonstrate that it is secure and error-free.
• Stacks, Algorand and Hiro PBC, are the only blockchain it supports. Therefore, the smart contract code cannot be ported to other blockchains currently in use.
• Because the design is purposefully constrained, developing smart contracts may be more challenging.
• Because this language bears no resemblance to Solidity, the Stacks environment must be created from scratch.
• There are a few examples and instructions.

You can get started with Clarity tutorials on blockstack today. Also, Here's how to create a smart contract on the Stacks 2.0 blockchain that stores and manipulates an integer value.

The Clarity project is supported by:

• Stacks ecosystem
• Hiro PBC
• Algorand.
• Bitcoin

8. Python

It's fascinating to note that Smartpy is solely based on the Python3 programming language, requiring Python code syntax. Python is an interpreted high-level, all-purpose programming language. It was constructively designed to emphasize the readability of codes by programmers.

Benefits Of Using Python 

• I know you must have heard of python programming languages a number of times, and it might interest you to know that it is among the simplest languages to learn and practice.
• Due to its simplicity, it is straightforward to write smart contract codes using Python.
• It also has extensive library support.

Disadvantages of Using Python

• Python is slower than C++ 
• Python is not a good option for memory-intensive tasks

You can get introductory coding lessons on Python from edX. Code Conquest can also help you start your coding career if you don't have any experience. There are various programming tutorials for Python to help you become a professional programmer and find a coding mentor.

There are a wide variety of free and paid courses available on Udemy. Here is an introduction To Python programming.

Python is utilized in many excellent projects in the blockchain sector; for example, it has its version of Ethereum (pyethereum). Others include:

• Hyperledger Fabric
• Steem
• NEO

9. C++

This is an all-purpose programming language, and Bjarne Stroustrup developed it to advance the C programming language. This is an all-platform language that can create applications on different platforms. C++ is the recommended language for deploying smart contracts on the EOS Blockchain.

Pros:

• Its syntax is well-known among developers.
• It is a versatile language that can operate on many computers.
• Comprehensive libraries for swift algorithms and data structures.
• A well-established community with ample documentation, video and textual lessons, and Stack Overflow Q&As.

Cons:

• When compared to Rust, it is difficult to develop memory-safe code.
• Pointers in C++ are challenging to comprehend and take up a lot of memory. In addition, the incorrect usage of pointers, such as wild pointers, can cause the system to crash or act abnormally.
• Only a few blockchains use C++ as a smart contract language. Rust is frequently selected.
• Smart contract code written in C++ is not as concise as Solidity code.

You can get introductory coding lessons on C++ from edX. Educative.io is an excellent resource for learning C++. No installation is required because all of the courses utilize in-browser coding environments. In addition, they contain quizzes and assignments to test your knowledge of the subject further. The platform makes it simple for beginners to learn C++.

C++ is used in many popular blockchain cryptocurrencies and important blockchain projects like:

• Bitcoin
• Ripple
• Bitcoin Cash
• Litecoin
• Monero
• Eos
• Stellar
• QTUM.

10. Java

Java is a smart contract writing language, high in demand among developers. Its syntaxes and structure were imported mainly from the C++ programming language. The NEO Blockchain is a suitable platform that is very friendly to create smart contracts using the Java language. The benefits of Java are very numerous, but for the purpose of this article, I'll mention a few;

• It's straightforward to learn.
• It's easy to learn and write in Java.
• Java allows developers to write reusable codes.

Udemy is one of the best places for online learning with both free and paid resources. Here is a Java tutorial for complete beginners. Educative.io is also a fantastic website for learning Java. All of the courses use in-browser coding environments, so no installation is necessary. Beginners can quickly learn Java from the platform.

Popular projects where Java may be used include:

• Neo's
• Hyperledger Fabric
• IBM blockchain
• BitcoinJ (bitcoin's implementation in Java)
• NEM
• Ethereum

Finally, it's important to remember that none of the aforementioned programming languages are compatible with all currently existing Blockchain platforms. So, for example, Solidity is exceptionally compatible with the Ethereum blockchain, whereas C++ and the EOS blockchain are well-suited to each other.

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