Blockstream is the developer of Bitcoin's second-layer network Liquid, led by Bitcoin cryptocurrency pioneer Adam Back. The company has now launched a new smart contract language called Simplicity, specifically designed for Bitcoin.
According to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph on Thursday, Simplicity smart contracts will be integrated into Liquid. The company stated that this marks a new step for Bitcoin (BTC) in transitioning from a secure store of value to a programmable decentralized financial infrastructure.
The company also proactively released SimplicityHL, which is a high-level abstract implementation of the language, making it easier for developers to work at a higher level of abstraction.
A representative from Blockstream told Cointelegraph that this version of the language "is now available," and it also provides a web-based integrated development environment.
The differences between Simplicity and Ethereum's Solidity language mainly stem from the underlying architectural differences between the Ethereum and Bitcoin networks.
Solidity is a language developed specifically for the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). Ethereum's "state" refers to the consensus snapshot of all account balances and stored data across the network at a given block.
Bitcoin uses an Unspent Transaction Output (UTXO) mechanism, while the Ethereum network relies on a unified global state. This difference is reflected in the operational logic of Simplicity smart contracts. A Blockstream representative pointed out that "not relying on a global state is a significant shift," and "the state information required by each contract must be passed along with the transaction."
Blockstream researchers indicated that Solidity developers need to change their habit of relying on global variables and instead explicitly provide the necessary information at each step. In this system, two smart contracts cannot share state or reference the same variable. All data must be explicitly passed in the transaction. A company representative further added that this design has the following implications:
Developers are also unable to use recursive or infinite loop structures. Blockstream believes that such mechanisms are not necessary for on-chain logic.
Simplicity joins an increasingly rich array of specialized smart contract programming languages.
The Noir programming language, released in 2022, is used for writing and verifying zero-knowledge proofs (ZK-proof) and was adopted by the upcoming privacy-focused Ethereum second-layer network Aztec developers in 2023.
Noir has become a smart contract programming language specifically designed for privacy-preserving applications. Its architecture deeply integrates zero-knowledge proofs (ZK-proof).
Another example is Leo. This is a smart contract programming language that also supports the development of zero-knowledge proof systems. Its syntax design emphasizes privacy features.
Ethereum's Vyper is a language compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) that aims to reduce the attack surface. It has already been adopted by some mainstream Ethereum decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols.
Related: The White House cryptocurrency report is a mixed bag for Bitcoin (BTC) supporters.
Original article: “Blockstream Launches Simplicity, Offering a New Alternative to Ethereum (ETH) Solidity”
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