The Howdy Glossary

Pact is an open-source smart contract programming language specifically designed for the Kadena blockchain platform. It features a human-readable and writable syntax, allowing for natural language clauses and English keywords, making it accessible to a broader audience. The language includes formal verification support, enabling developers to create secure and predictable smart contracts that interact intricately while mitigating common security vulnerabilities like reentrancy bugs and integer overflow errors.

The Kadena team, led by founders Stuart Popejoy and Will Martino, developed Pact to simplify smart contract programming while enhancing security and reliability on their blockchain platform. The key design elements of Pact provide a user-friendly environment for building reliable blockchain applications resistant to common risks associated with other smart contract implementations. Pact's unique focus on readability, formal verification, and security sets it apart from competitors in the market.

Pact faces competition from other smart contract languages like Solidity for Ethereum or Cadence for Flow but distinguishes itself through its human-readable syntax and robust security features. Its integration of English keywords makes it approachable for diverse developers, while formal verification support ensures correctness and reduces potential vulnerabilities. These competitive differences make Pact an appealing choice for developers aiming to build secure, reliable applications on the Kadena platform. Businesses seeking secure transactions can also benefit from using Pact’s sophisticated yet accessible framework, making it suitable both for experienced blockchain developers and newcomers alike.