Ethereum Smart Contracts Under Scrutiny: A Survey of Security Verification Tools, Techniques, and Challenges
Smart contracts are self-executing programs that facilitate trustless transactions between multiple parties, most commonly deployed on the Ethereum blockchain. They have become integral to decentralized applications in areas such as voting, digital agreements, and financial systems. However, the imm...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Computers |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-431X/14/6/226 |
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| Summary: | Smart contracts are self-executing programs that facilitate trustless transactions between multiple parties, most commonly deployed on the Ethereum blockchain. They have become integral to decentralized applications in areas such as voting, digital agreements, and financial systems. However, the immutable and transparent nature of smart contracts makes security vulnerabilities especially critical, as deployed contracts cannot be modified. Security flaws have led to substantial financial losses, underscoring the need for robust verification before deployment. This survey presents a comprehensive review of the state of the art in smart contract security verification, with a focus on Ethereum. We analyze a wide range of verification methods, including static and dynamic analysis, formal verification, and machine learning, and evaluate 62 open-source tools across their detection accuracy, efficiency, and usability. In addition, we highlight emerging trends, challenges, and the need for cross-methodological integration and benchmarking. Our findings aim to guide researchers, developers, and security auditors in selecting and advancing effective verification approaches for building secure and reliable smart contracts. |
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| ISSN: | 2073-431X |