Library · Crypto, word by word · Infrastructure and development
What is Solidity?
Solidity is a programming language for writing smart contracts. It is object-oriented, high-level and statically typed, with curly-bracket syntax influenced by C++, Python and JavaScript, and it compiles to bytecode that runs on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM).
What it means for you
Many contracts that hold tokens and deposits on EVM chains are written in Solidity, so it is the code an auditor reads and a block explorer shows when a contract is verified. Once deployed, that code runs exactly as written: a bug can lose funds, and a contract that is not upgradeable cannot be patched.
How it works
Solidity source is compiled into EVM bytecode, and its functions are called through the ABI, the encoding standard that wallets and other contracts use. The language supports inheritance, libraries and complex user-defined types, and its documentation lists voting, crowdfunding, blind auctions and multi-signature wallets among the contracts it is used for. It still uses a 0.y.z version scheme to signal rapid change; version 0.8.x brought breaking changes, and the docs tell developers to deploy with the latest released version because only the latest version receives security fixes.
Sources: Solidity documentation, Solidity docs: Contract ABI Specification · checked 4 October 2026
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