# Smart contracts **Smart contract platforms are designed to be Turing-complete.** Every operation that can be run on a computer can be run on a smart contract platform **Smart contracts are programs designed to be run "on the blockchain"** Different blockchains have taken different approaches to smart contracts. Some, like Ethereum, use a custom-designed programming language and virtual machine. Others use existing languages (Go, Java, etc.) Smart contract security depends upon a range of factors: * Platform security * Programming language familiarity --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://davidjosearaujo.gitbook.io/online-courses/blockchain-security/smart-contract-security/what-are-smart-contracts/smart-contracts.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.