The field of smart contracts for blockchain applications is moving towards increased efficiency, scalability, and automation. Researchers are exploring new methods to generate smart contracts from business process models, enabling the automated transformation of complex transactions into blockchain-compatible code. This direction has the potential to reduce development complexity and improve the reliability of smart contracts. Another area of innovation is the development of novel Automated Market Maker (AMM) protocols that enable efficient cross-chain swaps without the need for intermediate tokens or bridges, mitigating liquidity fragmentation and volatility risks. Furthermore, advancements in off-chain computation are being made to address the increased costs associated with blockchain size and execution, by identifying and processing specific parts of smart contracts off-chain. Noteworthy papers include: Supporting Long-term Transactions in Smart Contracts Generated from Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) Models, which proposes a novel approach to automated transformation of BPMN models into smart contracts with support for nested collaborative transactions. Singularity Protocol for Cross Chain AMM without Intermediate Tokens or Bridges is also notable, as it introduces a new class of AMMs that eliminate the need for intermediate tokens or bridging, enabling efficient cross-chain swaps with lower gas requirements and no bridging risks.