Can a Smart Contract Be Updated after It Has Been Audited and Deployed? ⎊ Path

Can a Smart Contract Be Updated after It Has Been Audited and Deployed?

Yes, smart contracts can be updated, but it depends on their design. Some contracts are designed to be immutable, meaning their code cannot be changed after deployment.

Others are "upgradeable," using a proxy pattern where the logic of the contract can be pointed to a new implementation. While this allows for bug fixes and improvements, it also introduces a new risk: a malicious or compromised administrator could change the contract's rules.

Any update to a contract invalidates a previous audit, so the new code must also be audited to ensure its security.

What Is the Difference between an Immutable and an Upgradeable Smart Contract?

What Is the Difference between an Upgradeable and a Non-Upgradeable Smart Contract?

How Can a User Verify If a Platform’s Smart Contracts Have Been Audited?

What Is the Specific Risk That Netting in an Omnibus Account Introduces?

Can a Smart Contract Be Updated or Changed after Deployment?

Could Automated DeFi Protocols Implement a Form of “Smart Contract Circuit Breaker” to Prevent Flash Crashes?

Does a Successful Audit Provide Any Financial Guarantee or Insurance against Future Exploits?

How Does the Market Performance of Decred Compare to That of Other Cryptocurrencies with Different Consensus Models?

Glossar

Proxy Pattern

Mechanism ⎊ A proxy pattern within cryptocurrency derivatives functions as an intermediary executing trades on behalf of another party, often to circumvent restrictions or enhance privacy, particularly relevant in decentralized exchanges and perpetual swap markets.