Move Language Poised to Revolutionize DeFi with Enhanced Security and Speed

Move, a programming language initially developed by meta (formerly Facebook) for its Libra/Diem project, is now positioned to significantly impact the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector. Originally created by a team including Mo Shaikh and Avery Ching, Move was designed to address the limitations of existing smart contract languages. After Meta's Libra experiment failed, the language was open-sourced and is now managed by aptos Labs and supported by the Aptos Foundation.

One of the key advantages of Move is its robust security features, which are crucial for DeFi applications. The language is designed to verify the absence of bugs and prevent modifications and leaks, common issues that lead to blockchain hacks. This is achieved through two main features: backward compatibility and the concept of an "auditor at runtime." Backward compatibility ensures that future upgrades do not disrupt existing projects, providing developers with the confidence to build long-term solutions. The "auditor at runtime" feature means that the MoveVM runtime can act as an auditor, ensuring that transaction code is not harmful and that resources are managed correctly.

Move on Aptos is also known for its speed and cost-efficiency, offering a competitive user experience. Aptos aims for high transaction throughput, with theoretical capabilities reaching up to 160,000 transactions per second (TPS) through its parallel execution engine, Block-STM. This, combined with sub-second finality, enhances the user experience in time-sensitive applications. The flexibility of Move smart contracts allows for quick adaptation to new ecosystems, making it an attractive option for developers.

The security features of Move are particularly noteworthy. The language was initially developed for Meta's Diem project, focusing on safety, resource management, and performance. When deploying code using Move, it is verified across several crucial coding conditions, including proper resource management, type correctness, and reference safety. This built-in bytecode verification prevents faulty or malicious smart contracts from running, providing an additional layer of security.

Move's formal verification capabilities allow developers to prove the absence of bugs in specific code according to preset specifications. This is a significant advantage over other smart contract languages, which often require extensive code auditing. The MoveVM runtime acts as an "auditor at runtime," ensuring that transaction code is not harmful and that resources are managed correctly. This real-time verification is a key factor in Move's potential to grow DeFi.

Today, Move on Aptos is more than just a smart contract language. It is the longest-standing, most recognized, and widely used version of Move, with one of the fastest-growing developer communities and a rapidly growing ecosystem of infrastructure, tooling, and projects. From its flawed Web2 beginning, Move is now primed to grow DeFi, offering a secure, efficient, and flexible platform for developers to build innovative financial applications.