Smart contract and contract automation

A smart contract is a self-executing program deployed on a blockchain, whose terms are coded directly into the computer code and execute automatically when predefined conditions are met. Although popular in the Ethereum ecosystem (Solidity), smart contracts do not constitute an electronic contract in the sense of French civil law: their execution is automatic but their legal enforceability remains conditional on proof of a valid agreement of will. In B2B practice, the most robust combination is: qualified electronic signature of the master contract (certain legal proof) + smart contract for automatic execution of financial clauses (payments, penalties). The blockchain notarization of the hash of the signed contract constitutes a third complementary layer of proof.