What Is a “Stack-Based” Language and How Does It Contribute to the Security Model of Bitcoin’s Script?
A stack-based language is one that manages data using a "last-in, first-out" (LIFO) stack structure. In Bitcoin's Script, operations (opcodes) manipulate items on this stack, pushing results back onto it for the next operation.
This design contributes to security by being simple and deterministic. There are no complex variables or memory states to manage, making the outcome of a script easy to predict and verify.
Every operation is explicit and its effect on the stack is well-defined, which drastically reduces the potential for unintended side effects common in more complex programming models.
