Clarity: Smart Contract Language of Choice

Off Rip

I’ve never been a fan of Ethereum. I love the NFT space, but not via ETH. Solana, which I do like, doesn't fit the bill as the blockchain for my long-term goals. I’ve been mulling over whether I should learn C++, Rust, or Swift as my base language, and I’ve been leaning toward Swift due to the additional benefits of Swift + WASM, the future of Swift-For-Web-Dev stuff, and the ability to make native apps for Apple devices. It's also a C-derivative language, so I can dive deep if I need to. The downside is I’d have to create a blockchain from scratch to reach my goals, because nobody’s using Swift to do so, or it has been quiet news with little adoption.

Discovery

Just a few days ago, I stumbled upon Stacks, which led me to Clarity, and I think I found my solution. Clarity is a super-nice language for smart contracts, and Stacks already has the blockchain I would need. Now, while those two things are great for my development process, the most incredible perk is that Stacks enables smart contracts on the best blockchain in the business: Bitcoin!

Reasoning

Clarity is designed specifically for the Bitcoin blockchain. Below, I outline its unique features that make it my choice for creating smart contracts and shed light on why it outshines other, more popular smart contract languages, such as Solidity for Ethereum.

1. Predictability & Fixed Costs: The cost of execution is predictable and fixed, so devs have a clear understanding of expenses upfront, which is in stark contrast to the fluctuating, ridiculous gas fees in Ethereum.

2. Built-In Security & Safety: Clarity is engineered with a focus on security and its contract code is posted directly on-chain, so there's 100% transparency as to what a smart contract can and can't do.

3. It's Bitcoin Native: Clarity is native to Bitcoin, which means it integrates seamlessly with Bitcoin's infrastructure. This ensures compatibility and avoids the need for complex bridges or intermediaries.

4. It's Human-Readable: Clarity code is human-readable, which makes it easier to audit and reduce the likelihood of hidden vulnerabilities .

5. Regulatory Compliance: Clarity's design prioritizes compliance with existing regulatory frameworks, making it's a responsible choice for devs and businesses.

6. Current & Future Ecosystem: Clarity's by a growing community and the Stacks Foundation, so there's support for devs and innovation.

Mic Drop

In comparison to more popular smart contract languages like Solidity (Ethereum) and Rust (Cardano), Clarity's focus on simplicity, predictability, security, and the fact it's on Bitcoin, makes it my top choice for creating smart contracts. What do you think about this? I think Bitcoin has a lotta catchin' up to do, but I think it has the chance to ultimately beat out any other smart contract blockchains in the long run. Lemme know your thoughts. 💭