SBIR Phase I: Super High Performance No-Code Platform

4thought Technologies, Inc., New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to democratize participation in the expansive growth of blockchain-enabled financial markets that increasingly require the ability to read, analyze, or write smart contracts at scale. Enterprises that lack the programming capabilities to perform these tasks well will become increasingly disadvantaged as smart contracts continue to proliferate. Ranging from simple Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) that convey ownership to complex, self-executing agreements that automate future payments, smart contracts are at the heart of the commercial utility and perceived value of a blockchain. Growing numbers of financial institutions are seeking to advance their Web3 capabilities, even at premium prices. As algorithmic trading has demonstrated, automating analysis and execution can provide enormous commercial upside, yet it also can result in large losses if designed improperly or left unchecked. Pioneering a solution that enables enterprises without advanced programmers to reap the benefits of analyzing and writing smart contracts while managing the associated risks requires deep technology— specifically a novel visual programming language designed to manage big-data sets involving millions of smart contracts on public blockchains using simple no-code commands. This SBIR Phase 1 project proposes to build a unique blockchain application interface that will enable users to scan and read smart contracts and immediately leverage the extracted data to design, build, and test trading algorithms that incorporate digital assets. This interface will ultimately enable users to analyze and write smart contracts at scale without the need to code. The project will set the foundation for the inexpensive development of Web3 capabilities by thousands of enterprises that do not have access to advanced programmers. The project will also produce a computerized tool that does the following two key tasks: 1. continuously scan publicly-accessible smart contracts in real time, and 2. derive indicators from these scanned contracts that likely are meaningful, initially for the purposes of analyzing and trading financial assets. The blockchain application interface to be created will enable users without programming capabilities to automate trading using live smart contract data for the first time. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.