The field of smart contract security and evolution is experiencing significant advancements, driven by the need for more efficient, trustworthy, and adaptable contractual processes. Researchers are exploring innovative methods to address the limitations of current smart contract designs, such as immutability and vulnerability to security threats. One notable direction is the development of novel schemes for upgrading smart contracts, enabling secure and efficient evolution without compromising historical data. Another area of focus is the detection of malicious code in smart contracts, with approaches leveraging machine learning and opcode vectorization showing promise. Furthermore, comparative studies are highlighting the gaps between academic and developer approaches to smart contract vulnerabilities, leading to the identification of novel fixing strategies. Noteworthy papers include:

• FlexiContracts, which introduces an innovative scheme for upgrading smart contracts on Ethereum, enabling secure and efficient evolution.
• Bridging the Gap, which presents a comparative study of academic and developer approaches to smart contract vulnerabilities, identifying novel fixing strategies and bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world solutions.