If you didn’t know, Ethereum is written in the Solidity programming language. Proposed in 2014 by Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood, this language has formed the foundation for smart contracts and the Ethereum ecosystem as we know it.
But you may be wondering, why does Ethereum use Solidity?
Don’t worry. In this article, I will be answering that question and much more. So without further ado, let’s jump right in.
TL;DR:
Ethereum uses solidity as it offers unmatched security and performance. This is because the language was built from the ground up by the Ethereum team rather than using an existing language. As a result, the language is tailored to limit potential attack vectors and optimize for performance while also being compatible with smart contracts.
What is Solidity?
Solidity is a high-level object-oriented programming language. Launched in 2014 it was created specifically for Ethereum by several core developers including Christian Reitwiessner and Alex Beregszaszi.
The main influences of Solidity include Python, JavaScript, and C++. Ultimately, the language was designed to target the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and run smart contracts.
Why does Ethereum use Solidity?
The core Ethereum developers created Solidity so that it could cater to the needs of the protocol. For instance, the constraints imposed on the language protect the protocol from possible attacks and exploits.
In other words, by providing fewer features for developers it protects the protocol from malicious smart contracts. Not to mention, it is designed to target the Ethereum virtual machine (EVM).
Simply put, the EVM is a decentralized computing platform that sits above the base layer of Ethereum and executes smart contracts.
Both the EVM and the solidity language provide a secure and easily programmable environment for smart contracts. This allows code to be written that executes based on specific conditions that can be defined by developers.
As Solidity is a high-level programming language it also allows data manipulation without having to configure memory or bytecode. Moreover, thanks to its similarities to other programming languages it makes it easy for developers to learn and develop code.
For instance, Solidity uses identical syntaxes as C++ for variable declarations and loops. Moreover, like JavaScript, it uses the function keyword and like Python, it uses the super keyword.
There are also several other notable similarities between programming languages meaning that if developers are familiar with C++, Python or JavaScript then they can easily adapt to developing code on Ethereum.
Lastly, Solidity can be used to write smart contracts for all EVM-compatible blockchains. This includes Avalanche, Polygon, and Binance Smart Chain to name a few. This provides interoperability that fosters greater adoption.
Criticisms of Solidity
Firstly, as the programming language is relatively young it is not well documented and has little support. Ultimately, it has been around for less than a decade therefore it is not battle-tested.
Secondly, large parts of smart contract development are immutable. This means that the Solidity code cannot be changed or deleted once deployed. This makes it difficult to correct poorly written or malicious code.
Moreover, it requires extensive testing which takes considerable time and resources.
If you want to view this article in a more visual format then please check out my video below:
Conclusion
As you can see, the Solidity programming language was built specifically for the Ethereum protocol. This allows it to remain secure while also facilitating the creation of smart contracts.
Although, it has its limitations due to its infancy. I am hopeful that these will become less of a concern as the technology continues to develop. I hope you found this article useful and thanks for reading it.
Want to learn about the Ethereum Foundation? Click here to read my previous article.
