Smart Contracts on Bitcoin

15 min readinteractive

Bitcoin's smart contracts are less flashy than Ethereum's but more secure. Rather than executing complex programs on-chain, Bitcoin smart contracts use simple, verifiable conditions: timelocks, hash locks, and multisig — building blocks that have never been exploited.

Explore the growing ecosystem of smart contracts and programmable money on Bitcoin.

Smart Contract Platforms:

  • •RSK: EVM-compatible sidechain
  • •Stacks: Smart contracts secured by Bitcoin
  • •RGB: Client-side validation
  • •DLCs: Discreet Log Contracts
  • •Simplicity: Future scripting language

Use Cases:

  • •Decentralized finance
  • •NFTs and digital assets
  • •Prediction markets
  • •Escrow services
  • •Inheritance planning
Bitcoin Smart Contracts
Bitcoin Smart Contracts
Key Takeaway

Bitcoin's approach to smart contracts prioritizes security over expressiveness. This means fewer features but far fewer exploits — a tradeoff that looks increasingly wise after billions lost on other platforms.

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