SmartShift: A Secure and Efficient Approach to Smart Contract Migration
Tahrim Hossain, Faisal Haque Bappy, Tarannum Shaila Zaman, Raiful Hasan, Tariqul Islam
TL;DR
SmartShift tackles the challenge of migrating large-scale smart contracts without downtime by partitioning state and activating dependent functions progressively based on a dependency matrix and function priorities. It formalizes the migration problem with a Delta- and priority-based framework and implements a gas-aware, batch-based deployment pipeline complemented by a State Processor that shards storage data for targeted upgrades. Empirical evaluation across ERC-20, ERC-721, and ERC-1155 demonstrates substantial reductions in the Function Activation Threshold and downtime, underpinned by a security analysis that mitigates DoS-like disruptions and guarantees data integrity. The approach offers a practical, scalable pathway for secure smart contract upgrades across evolving blockchain platforms.
Abstract
Blockchain and smart contracts have emerged as revolutionary technologies transforming distributed computing. While platform evolution and smart contracts' inherent immutability necessitate migrations both across and within chains, migrating the vast amounts of critical data in these contracts while maintaining data integrity and minimizing operational disruption presents a significant challenge. To address these challenges, we present SmartShift, a framework that enables secure and efficient smart contract migrations through intelligent state partitioning and progressive function activation, preserving operational continuity during transitions. Our comprehensive evaluation demonstrates that SmartShift significantly reduces migration downtime while ensuring robust security, establishing a foundation for efficient and secure smart contract migration systems.