SMART CONTRACTS IN INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS AND ECONOMIC ECOSYSTEMS: CURRENT STATUS AND TRENDS

Abstract

As a core technology of blockchain ecosystems, smart contracts are fundamentally reshaping the operational logic and commercial landscape of the digital economy. This paper systematically analyzes the current economic ecosystem of smart contracts from four dimensions: business value creation, multi-dimensional industry applications, legal and regulatory challenges, and frontier technological evolution. Research indicates that smart contracts, by reducing transaction costs and enhancing trust mechanisms, have achieved maturity in financial applications (DeFi) and are demonstrating significant enabling effects in real-economy sectors such as supply chains, healthcare, and energy internet. However, their widespread implementation still faces institutional obstacles including ambiguous jurisdictional boundaries, compatibility between code and law, and liability attribution. Looking ahead, Layer-2 scaling solutions have significantly improved cost-effectiveness, while the integration of cross-chain interoperability and AI-driven intelligent decision-making will become key trends driving the expansion of "contractability" boundaries. Smart contracts are not merely technical tools but rather institutional infrastructure driving the transformation of business models from intermediary-dominated to algorithm-autonomous paradigms.