Introduction To Precompiled contracts

Polaris Ethereum's unique features rely heavily on its custom precompiled contracts. How do precompiled contracts work in Ethereum, and what sets them apart from Polaris Ethereum's implementation?

What is a Precompiled Contract on Ethereum?

In Ethereum, a contract is a piece of code that is deployed on the Ethereum network and executed on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). When you deploy a contract, it needs to be compiled from its high-level programming language, such as Solidity, into EVM bytecode that can be executed by the EVM.

A precompiled contract is a special type of contract that is pre-installed on the Ethereum network and can be used by other contracts without needing to be deployed separately. These contracts are typically used for operations that are computationally expensive, such as cryptographic operations, that would be too expensive to perform on-chain if they had to be executed within a regular contract.

Precompiled contracts are written in low-level programming languages and have already been compiled and optimized for execution on the EVM. Examples of precompiled contracts on Ethereum include contracts that perform elliptic curve operations, hashing, and big integer arithmetic.

By using precompiled contracts, developers can save time and gas costs, as they don't have to deploy and compile their own version of the contract, and can rely on the optimized version that is already installed on the network.

What is a Precompiled Contract on Polaris Ethereum?

In Polaris Ethereum, a precompiled contract is a custom piece of code that is pre-installed on the chain. Because it is pre-installed on the chain, it is able to have access to the cosmos-sdk application layer and consensus layer.

This allows a precompiled contract on Polaris Ethereum can be used to run any arbitrary piece of code that is integrated into the node via the EVM. Precompiled contracts can be called like any other smart contract with a contract address and ABI to define behavior.

The possibilities of a Polaris Ethereum precompiled contract is only limited by the cosmos-sdk application layer and consensus layer. For information on how to interact with Polaris Ethereum's precompiled contracts, view the Precompile Overview section.