Code (Software)

In software, code, or source code, is the set of written instructions, in a programming language such as C++, Python or Solidity, that tells a computer what to do. Developers write it in human-readable form, and it is then compiled or interpreted into machine instructions. In finance, code runs everything from card authorisation to trading algorithms. In crypto, the code of a blockchain client or smart contract defines the rules of the system itself, which is why the phrase "code is law" is used, although courts and communities have not always accepted it. Because deployed smart contract code is often hard to change and controls real money, it is usually published as open source and reviewed through security audits. Code is stored and versioned in a code repository.