Overview
The Cardano Contracts Registry is a public list that lets teams behind DApps (decentralized apps) attach a readable name, a source code link, and audit reports to their smart contracts, the programs that run apps on a blockchain. The registry identifies each contract by its script hash, a long string of letters and numbers1. With an entry here, the Cardanoscan block explorer can show a plain label such as "Perfect Dex Order Contract" for that contract1.
The registry is maintained by Strica, the team that builds Cardanoscan and the Typhon Wallet2. It covers DApps on Cardano and is kept off the blockchain itself, in a GitHub repository1. The repository is open source under the Apache 2.0 license3. Cardanoscan points its own visitors to the Cardano Contracts Registry when they want to add details for a token policy, the rule that controls how a token is created4.
Key Features
- Readable names instead of raw codes. Each entry pairs a short project prefix with a contract name, so a label like "Perfect Dex Order Contract" can replace the 56-character script hash that identifies the contract1.
- Audit reports next to each contract. A contract record can list who reviewed its code, a link to the report, and the review date. The Minswap entry, for example, links its contracts to reports from the security firm CertiK5.
- A path back to the code. Entries can include a GitHub link and a short description for each contract, so a curious user can trace a label to the code behind it1.
- Automatic format checks. A validation script checks each submitted file against the registry's specification1. A GitHub workflow runs that script on every proposed change, called a pull request6.
- DApps already listed. Minswap, Indigo, JPG Store, Iagon, and Mesh are among the teams with their own project file in the Cardano Contracts Registry7.
What to Expect
For everyday users, the result shows up on Cardanoscan rather than on GitHub. When a registered contract appears in the explorer, Cardanoscan can display its label along with a version number, which makes a transaction easier to read than a bare code1.
For DApp teams, adding an entry works a bit like suggesting an edit to a shared document that a moderator approves. A team copies the repository, adds one JSON file (a simple structured text format) with its name, website, X handle, category, and contracts, runs the validator, and opens a pull request1. Cardanoscan's Address Inspector tool helps teams pull a contract's script hash out of a regular address1. To confirm the request is genuine, the team sends the pull request link to Cardanoscan by direct message from its official X account, or by email from an official address1.
For developers and researchers, the Cardano Contracts Registry doubles as a readable record of known contract hashes. Project entries are plain JSON files in one public folder7, and the Apache 2.0 license allows other tools to reuse them3. Teams that want a contract audited before listing it can browse audit companies that work with Cardano projects.
