# A Concurrent Perspective on Smart Contracts

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1702.05511 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1702.05511/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 17 Feb 2017.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Usenix'23 Extended Version: Smart Learning to Find Dumb Contracts](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.10726/) (2023)

## Abstract (arXiv)

In this paper, we explore remarkable similarities between multi-transactional behaviors of smart contracts in cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum and classical problems of shared-memory concurrency. We examine two real-world examples from the Ethereum blockchain and analyzing how they are vulnerable to bugs that are closely reminiscent to those that often occur in traditional concurrent programs. We then elaborate on the relation between observable contract behaviors and well-studied concurrency topics, such as atomicity, interference, synchronization, and resource ownership. The described contracts-as-concurrent-objects analogy provides deeper understanding of potential threats for smart contracts, indicate better engineering practices, and enable applications of existing state-of-the-art formal verification techniques.