What Is the “Oracle Problem” and Its Implications for Financial Smart Contracts?

The "oracle problem" refers to the fundamental challenge that blockchains and smart contracts are deterministic, closed systems that cannot natively access external, real-world data. This creates a paradox: smart contracts need external data to execute many real-world financial agreements (like derivatives), but relying on an external source introduces a single point of failure and a potential vector for manipulation.

If the oracle provides incorrect data, the "trustless" smart contract will still execute based on that flawed information, potentially leading to significant financial losses.