Technical Definition

ABI (Application Binary Interface)

A smart-contract ABI describes how software encodes calls to a contract and decodes returned data and events.

By Crypto University Editorial
Smart ContractContract VerificationContract Address (CA)

✦ Key Insight

A verified ABI makes contract interactions easier to inspect and understand.

✕ Common Misconceptions

An ABI describes an interface, not whether the contract is safe or legitimate.

Detailed Explanation

Wallets, explorers, and dApps use an ABI to understand function names, parameter types, outputs, and events.

In Practice

“A block explorer uses a verified token ABI to display a readable transfer call instead of raw hexadecimal data.”

Dig Deeper

Smart Contract

A smart contract is blockchain-deployed code that can hold state and execute predefined rules when called.

On-Chain Data

On-chain data is information recorded directly on a blockchain, such as transactions, balances, contract events, and block information.

Contract Address (CA)

A contract address is the blockchain address at which a smart contract, including many token contracts, is deployed.

Transaction

A blockchain transaction is a signed or authorized instruction that changes blockchain state or transfers value when accepted by the network.

Contract Verification

Contract verification demonstrates that published smart-contract source code compiles to bytecode corresponding to the code deployed at a blockchain address.