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Goals

Create a universal format​

Smart contract languages have evolved independently, each with its own debugging requirements. This fragmentation makes universal tooling challenging if not impossible.

The ethdebug format seeks to establish a common language for debug information across all smart contract languages. By defining comprehensive yet flexible schemas, ethdebug format aims to bridge the gap between different compilers, languages, and tools while respecting the unique characteristics of each. The goal is to create a foundation that works equally well for Solidity, Vyper, Fe, and any future smart contract language.

Enable real-life debugging​

The blockchain doesn't forget. Once deployed, contracts are immutable; their behavior must be understood as-is. Production smart contracts manage billions in assets, yet debugging them in the wild remains a significant challenge.

The format aims to make mainnet debugging not just possible, but practical – allowing developers to understand contract behavior without requiring special debug builds. This goal recognizes that the most critical debugging needs occur not in development, but in production where contracts are already deployed and immutable.

Optimize for adoption​

A debug format is only as valuable as its adoption. The path to widespread use requires careful attention to the needs of implementers and users alike.

To this end, this project prioritizes:

  • Clear, comprehensive documentation with practical examples
  • Reference implementations that demonstrate viability
  • Designs that respect existing compiler architectures
  • Low barriers to entry for tool creators
  • Emphasis on incremental adoption paths

Reduce the cost to understand the blockchain​

Every deployed contract represents someone's original intent, but that intent gets buried under layers of optimization and compilation. Reading the blockchain shouldn't require manually working backwards through those layers.

Understanding deployed smart contracts should not require specialized knowledge or difficult-to-use tools. This project seeks to lower both the technical and cognitive barriers to smart contract comprehension, making the blockchain more accessible to developers, auditors, and users alike. The goal is to reveal the original programmer's mental model directly from deployed code - translating low-level EVM operations back into the high-level concepts and data structures the developer worked with. By preserving crucial debug information in a standardized way, contract behavior becomes more transparent and easier to reason about, regardless of how optimized or complex the deployed code may be.