With Python running natively onchain, developers can build smart contracts using regular programming practices while ensuring reliability and efficiency.
Hathor is preparing to launch Nano Contracts, a smart contract development platform that lets developers build decentralized applications using Python.
Smart contracts are the doors that unlock new use cases for blockchain by enabling decentralized applications (DApps). Yet, their promise of accessibility and efficiency has been slowed by technical barriers that restrict who can build and deploy them.
For years, Solidity has been the dominant language for smart contract development. While powerful, it remains a specialized tool requiring developers to master unfamiliar syntax, gas mechanics and blockchain-specific design patterns. The result is a steep learning curve that keeps many mainstream programmers from participating in Web3.
Python, one of the world’s most widely used programming languages, offers a potential remedy. Its readable syntax, vast ecosystem and familiarity make it a natural candidate for smart contract development. But most attempts to integrate Python into blockchain systems rely on variants or custom interpreters, limiting compatibility and introducing unpredictable behavior.
In response to these limitations, a new approach is emerging that brings actual Python compatibility to smart contracts. By removing translation layers and running code directly in the native Python environment, it promises to make blockchain development more accessible, stable and developer-friendly.
This approach is the brainchild of Hathor, a layer-1 blockchain. After five years in the real-world assets (RWA) space, where assets worth over $250 million have been tokenized, the project is stepping into decentralized finance (DeFi) with its upcoming platform, Nano Contracts.
Nano Contracts is designed to make building on blockchain as straightforward as coding a regular app. Instead of forcing developers to learn Solidity or adapt to restrictive, “Python-like” languages, Nano Contracts lets them write smart contracts in actual Python.
It runs code through the same engine that executes Python on millions of computers today — the standard interpreter behind the language — rather than a blockchain-specific replica. In practice, this means developers can use familiar syntax, tools and libraries, testing and refining their work before deploying it onchain with minimal friction.
Nano Contracts also rethink how smart contracts are structured. They separate logic from data, making code easier to reuse and maintain. Developers can even turn their own contract templates into blueprints — reusable components others can adopt while the original creator earns royalties from each use.
Built on Hathor’s scalable base layer, the platform can handle high transaction volumes and support flexible fee payments in different tokens. To enhance security, it processes transactions in a pseudo-random order to avoid front-running and similar manipulative behaviors, creating a balanced and transparent network for DeFi applications.
Nano Contracts mainnet is expected to launch in mid-November. With the launch, Hathor aims to contribute to a more open and practical future for blockchain development.
After the mainnet launch, Hathor will focus on expanding the blueprint ecosystem to enable reusable contracts and monetization. The project will also build software development kits to create an AI developer assistant, which will aid developers in building DApps.
“Hathor’s roadmap is about scaling intelligence, not just transactions. From data privacy to AI-native developer tools and Bitcoin-backed liquidity, we’re building the infrastructure for a smarter financial internet,” says Yan Martins, co-founder and CEO of Hathor, continuing:
“Built in Python and secured by Bitcoin, Hathor empowers developers to create programmable money, autonomous agents and financial systems that can think for themselves.”
Nano Contracts point toward a Web3 where developers no longer adapt to the blockchain; instead, the blockchain adapts to them. Hathor’s long-term vision is a network where smart contracts evolve into intelligent, reusable systems that power more efficient and adaptable digital economies.
