# Smart contract design patterns

> Most web2 design patterns – generalized solutions to common problems – don’t apply to web3. Smart contracts have entirely different goals and constraints than technologies like databases and APIs— so how can we make sense of this new and changing landscape? Engineering Partner Noah Citron provides a...

- URL: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/videos/smart-contract-design-patterns
- Authors: [Noah Citron](https://a16zcrypto.com/team/noah-citron)
- Published: 2023-05-19
- Updated: 2025-01-29
- Focus areas: company building, code & engineering
- Tags: CSX 2023, programming, video
- Format: videos

---

Most web2 design patterns – generalized solutions to common problems – don’t apply to web3. Smart contracts have entirely different goals and constraints than technologies like databases and APIs— so how can we make sense of this new and changing landscape? Engineering Partner Noah Citron provides an overview and taxonomy of common smart contract design patterns, covers the pitfalls and challenges facing smart contract developers today, and shares approaches and examples for maximizing composability using standard interfaces.

[Embedded media](https://www.youtube.com/embed/da52yRwWi1E?feature=oembed)

**More from:**

-   [Crypto Startup School ‘23](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjQ9HCQMu_8ywq3VUso7i_-TOx6RKXQeQ)
-   [Crypto Startup School ‘20](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjQ9HCQMu_8wCvA0s9yW2dXg1jkFlPs7Z)
-   Noah Citron: [https://twitter.com/NoahCitron](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbTdhS0U1QjNyNWdtSDhaQm93aXgtV0RGalBsUXxBQ3Jtc0tuTkcxTHdVbTF1Y01Cb1hYaDl6VXhrR29mV2lrbFdGNS0xdWhQRkxXOWlyamFCa21wT20wUHNNeVNDY2ZUcDZLd3d5ckhZa3NQYmw1emtCLXotX3dXYV9UQS1vaGhxSzF2NFh0akF2NnZPVlVka2dUWQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FNoahCitron&v=da52yRwWi1E)

---

Source: [Smart contract design patterns](https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/videos/smart-contract-design-patterns) — a16z crypto. Full archive: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts
