Boomer lives on $1,056 a month in Social Security, works as bus driver – Business Insider
Posted: July 22, 2024 at 2:36 am
Angle down icon An icon in the shape of an angle pointing down. Emma Echols (not pictured) receives $1,056 a month in Social Security and has to supplement that income with her part-time bus driver job. Laura Olivas
Emma Echols, 68, lives off $1,056 a month in Social Security and a part-time bus driver job in Alabama. She said she may never retire, but she's not too worried.
Echols has worked since she was 12, working as a chef, a convenience store general manager, and a bus driver. Throughout her life, she's rarely been financially stable, though she's kept bills down by living frugally and giving to others when she's able.
Though it's unlikely she can step away from work anytime soon, she's stayed active in her community to help others in worse situations than her. Still, she feels people like herself should get more retirement benefits and respect.
"I've always worked for what I needed or wanted, with no public or government assistance, but people who have not worked have very nice housing," Echols said. "Our world is confused. They reward the ones who will do nothing, who do not pay their bills on time, and not those who are school teachers who gave the system 50 years of their lives. I know teachers who knew exactly how many times a month they could wash their clothes to maintain their electric bills."
Millions of Americans at or approaching the typical retirement age of 65 lack the savings to quit working. Dozens of older Americans have told Business Insider this year they can't retire, as some estimates say retirees need well above a million dollars to retire comfortably. This is particularly out of reach for the more than half of Americans over 65 making under $30,000 a year, according to the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey.
While Echols said she wouldn't know what to do with over $1 million, getting more than $1,000 a month from the government would go a long way.
Echols got her first job at 12 as a babysitter, and at 14, she served soda and popcorn at a drive-in theater. Almost six decades later, she hasn't stopped working since.
"I always wanted to earn my own money," Echols said. "I always wanted to work, and at the age of 14, someone started my Social Security records for me. I waited 45 years to get that paycheck."
She worked as a chef at a seafood restaurant for over a decade, putting her in a "very good income bracket." At 27, she enrolled in community college but didn't graduate.
She switched to another company for nine years making minimum wage $3.35 at the time then got a new position as a convenience store assistant manager paying over $11 an hour, though she was later laid off. She acknowledges she and others in her generation should have been more informed about saving and investing strategies.
Over two decades ago, she got a job as a bus driver making about $9 an hour, though this increased over the years to about $26 an hour. She also gets health benefits and is building a pension.
"Before my rate went up, I didn't even make enough money to be able to pay $500 to $600 a month in rent," Echols said. "I have good income at my part time position where I have good benefits, but I understand the struggle for all senior citizens. For federal government housing, they do not want you to have more than $1,500 a month in income to qualify for one of their houses or apartments."
Her monthly expenses are $500 for rent with an extra water and garbage bill, $95 for phone and internet, almost $500 for her car payment, $89 a month on car and renters insurance, and about $300 for transportation expenses. She rarely eats out, and she tries to avoid spending on meat to cut back on costs. She's saving up for new tires and car maintenance fees that can cost $400.
"I live frugally, and I purchase only what I need," she said. "I've always been a clearance rack shopper, even some thrifting."
She rarely spends on entertainment, occasionally seeing a $5 movie near her home. She tries to stay healthy to avoid added medical costs, and she's kept her furniture and clothes purchases minimal.
She's gearing up to move from her duplex in the suburbs to an efficiency apartment in her city to reduce her transportation and car insurance expenses, as she can walk to work.
Her Social Security is $1,056 a month, a 25% reduction from her potential full benefit because she accepted payments early. She said it helps her cover rent and some other expenses, though she said she must work to supplement other costs and plan for her future. She has very little debt.
"People my age, we worked during a time when incomes were low, and I know people whose Social Security is $1,400, $1,500 a month, and it's not enough for them to live," Echols said. "I don't see myself being able to retire, but I'm grateful and healthy."
She said two of her sisters are in nursing homes, while her other two sisters have health issues. She gives gifts to family members when she can and tries to help them financially if she has money left over.
Echols also said some of her friends are dealing with similar situations, as many live on a fixed income and are struggling to pay all their bills.
She said religion has empowered her to continue giving what she has to help others in even worse situations, as she believes she will be repaid for her efforts and will never be homeless. If she had more money, she said she would use it to start a program to assist other women in difficult financial situations.
"I've never been a worrier, because in spite of what our world looks like, what's going on in the world, I truly believe that God has the final say," Echols said.
Are you worried about retirement? Reach out to this reporter at nsheidlower@businessinsider.com.
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Boomer lives on $1,056 a month in Social Security, works as bus driver - Business Insider
Gautam Gambhir on Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma retirement: Can’t say how much cricket is left in them | Mint – Mint
Posted: at 2:36 am
Newly appointed India head coach Gautam Gambhir has addressed the hot topic of what will happen to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli under the new leadership. Notably, both Kohli and Rohit had decided to retire from T20 cricket after the Men in Blue won the 20-over World Cup last month.
Speaking at the press conference ahead of the Sri Lanka series, Gambhir said, I think they've shown what they can deliver on the big stage whether it was the T20 World Cup and in the 50 over World cup as well. I think both those guys have got a lot of cricket left in them and more importantly with the Champions Trophy and a big tour of Australia, obviously they would be motivated enough and then hopefully they can keep their fitness till the 2027 World Cup as well. This is a very personal decision."
Gambhir said that both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have a lot of cricket left in them and Team India would like to see them play for as long as possible.
"I can't say how much cricket is left in them. Ultimately it's up to them as well. It's up to the players how much can they contribute to the team's success because ultimately it's the team that is important. But looking at what Virat and Rohit can deliver, I think they still have a lot of cricket and they're still world-class players and obviously any team would want to have both of them for as long as possible." Gambhir added
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Gautam Gambhir on Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma retirement: Can't say how much cricket is left in them | Mint - Mint
Three edge rushers the Miami Dolphins could pursue following Shaq Barretts retirement – The Phinsider
Posted: at 2:36 am
The Miami Dolphins were thrown a curveball just days before training camp as two-time Super Bowl champion linebacker Shaq Barrett announced his retirement. With linebackers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb on the Physically Unable to Perform List, Barrett was projected to start after signing a one-year deal with the Dolphins in March.
The Dolphins drafted Chop Robinson No. 21 in the 2024 NFL Draft and added Mohamed Kamara in the fifth round, but reinforcements are needed until Phillips and Chubb can return to action. Here are three players Miami could pursue to bolster the pass rush with training camp looming.
Lawson had seven sacks for the New York Jets in 2022 but fell out of the rotation in the final year of a three-year deal he signed in 2020.
A fourth-round selection by the Cincinnati Bengals, Lawson visited with Miami before the draft. While the Dolphins instead chose to upgrade the position with a pair of rookie draft picks, re-visiting the idea of signing Lawson makes plenty of sense with Miami desperate for pass-rush experience.
Lawson, 29, has 27 career quarterback takedowns and recorded at least five sacks in each of the four seasons he played at least 12 games.
The Baltimore Ravens released Bowser as a cap casualty in March, saving $5.5 million in the process. He didnt play last season because of a knee injury and has appeared in nine games since the start of the 2022 season.
A 2017 second-round pick, Bowser played at least 15 games in five straight seasons to begin his career. He emerged as a full-time starter with a career-high eight sacks and 25 quarterback hurries in 2021.
Bowser has familiarity with defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and his track record of getting to the quarterback could outweigh injury concerns.
Melvin Ingram, a 2012 first-round pick by the San Diego Chargers, appeared in 20 games with the Dolphins over the last two seasons. He surprised with six sacks in 2022 while registering 1.5 sacks over three games last season.
Ingram was a free agent for most of last season, but just like late last season, Miami must explore all possible options to strengthen the unit. With 12 years of experience, Ingram may have enough left to be an early-season option on a defensive line featuring Zach Sieler and Calais Campbell.
Chubb and Phillips are expected to play at least half if not most of the season. Therefore, Miami isnt searching for someone to play 500 snaps. However, a pass-rush specialist would benefit the defense early in the year.
I considered adding Emmanuel Ogbah to this list but wasnt sure hed be willing to play in Weavers defense. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, mentioned that Ogbah would like to play as a 4-3 defensive end in 2024.
We want to make sure [Ogbahs] with the right team playing in the 4-3 scheme where hes more of a defensive end than he is a linebacker thats pretty much what he was asked to do last year, and he was somewhat out of position, Rosenhaus said.
Let us know what you think who will start on the edge against the Jacksonville Jaguars on opening day? Will Miami add reinforcements through free agency, or will the rookies step up and claim starting roles?
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Three edge rushers the Miami Dolphins could pursue following Shaq Barretts retirement - The Phinsider
Retirement Isn’t Always Planned, Woman In Her Late 50s Forced Into Early Retirement With Only $650,000 In Savings – Yahoo Finance
Posted: at 2:36 am
Retirement Isn't Always Planned, Woman In Her Late 50s Forced Into Early Retirement With Only $650,000 In Savings
In a recent discussion about retirement, two common perspectives often arise among Americans: "I'm going to have to work forever" or "I have a good retirement plan in place that will allow me to retire comfortably." However, for many, there's a middle ground that can be difficult to plan for.
Deb Hallisey, a 66-year-old New Jersey resident, faced this challenge. After losing her father in 2015, she had to pause her career to take care of her blind mother. When her billable hours continued to drop, she was let go from her job.
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Hallisey saved diligently during her career as a consultant. As a single woman, she knew she had to provide for herself. After losing her job, she continued to take care of her mother until she died in 2022. While caring for her mother, she started writing about her caregiving experience and even launched a website sharing her stories. She also wrote two books about caregiving and turned her experience into a business, speaking about caregiving and consulting for families.
Halliseys financial stability was tested despite her $600,000 in retirement savings and a $50,000 emergency fund. She draws $2,500 a month from her retirement savings and earns $500 from her business. The stock market has kept her balance at $525,000, and her home, valued at about $500,000, is mortgage-free.
This year, Hallisey plans to claim Social Security. She'll use her $3,400 monthly benefits to help with living expenses. With that, she plans to leave her retirement savings for emergencies, including future caregiving expenses that may arise for herself.
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"I'm not making enough to support myself," Hallisey told the Wall Street Journal. "But I love it."
Hallisey's story underscores a harsh reality: many Americans expect to work until they die, but health issues or caregiving responsibilities can force early retirement. Personal finance influencer Kara from TikTok points out that Hallisey's situation, though seemingly well-prepared with $650,000, is insufficient to retire comfortably in the U.S.
"This is what I think is so common," Kara says, "And its going to happen to a lot of us. A lot of people in the United States think, Oh, Ill just work until I die' ... Which is really bleak in its own way, but its also, unfortunately, not true. You are much more likely to run into a health issue, or someone elses health issue that prevents you from working, but continue to be alive, and thats how you will retire."
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Kara emphasizes the importance of planning for the possibility of early retirement due to unforeseen circumstances. It's impossible to know every little or major thing that will happen in our lives, and many retirees continue to live for decades after they retire whether that retirement was planned or not. As people age, living expenses tend to rise with the cost of medical care and other unexpected needs.
Experiences like Hallisey's demonstrate the importance of proactive financial planning and preparing for the unexpected. Retirement isn't always a choice, and it's critical to have a robust plan in place. Consulting a financial advisor can help tailor strategies to individual circumstances, ensuring better preparedness for uncertainties.
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Retirement Isn't Always Planned, Woman In Her Late 50s Forced Into Early Retirement With Only $650,000 In Savings - Yahoo Finance
Dolphins’ Linebacker Shaq Barrett Announces his Retirement From the NFL on Saturday – Sports Illustrated
Posted: at 2:36 am
In a surprising turn of events, Miami Dolphins linebacker Shaquil Barrett announced his retirement just before the veterans report for training camp on Tuesday, as per his Instagram post on Saturday afternoon.
Barrett said he retired because he wanted to spend more time as a husband and a father.
The Dolphins had Barrett penciled in to start instead of Emmanuel Ogbah, who was released this offseason.
The news of Barrett's retirement was first reported by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, along with ESPN's Adam Schefter and Greg Auman, who covers the NFC South for Fox Sports. Their timely reporting kept fans updated on this significant development.
"It's time for me to hang it up. It's been a great ride, and I appreciate everything that came with it over the years," Barrett said on Instagram. "I'm ready to shift my full focus to my wife and kids and helping them realize their dreams and catch them."
Barrett signed a one-year, $9 million deal with the Dolphins during free agency after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released him.
Barrett, a two-time Pro Bowler during his five seasons in Tampa Bay, was a cornerstone of their championship run in 2020. His standout performance, including three sacks against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game and a crucial sack in Super Bowl LV against the Kansas City Chiefs, will be remembered by fans for years to come.
Barrett, an undrafted free agent from Colorado State, had 59 career sacks with the Buccaneers and Denver Broncos. During his first season with Tampa Bay, he led the league with 19.5 sacks. That was the Barrett the Dolphins were looking for when he signed this spring.
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Dolphins' Linebacker Shaq Barrett Announces his Retirement From the NFL on Saturday - Sports Illustrated
Terrell Owens: I tried to come out of retirement with the Bucs, Tom Brady disrespected me – NBC Sports
Posted: at 2:36 am
When Antonio Brown abruptly left the Buccaneers during the 2021 season, they could have used a veteran wide receiver for the playoffs. And Terrell Owens wrote on social media at the time that he was that wide receiver. Two and a half years later, Owens is blaming Tom Brady for the Bucs not signing him.
Owens said on the Bubba Dub Show that he attempted to contact Brady to ask for a chance to play for the Bucs in the playoffs, and Brady ignored him.
Tom Brady ignored me, Owens said. The year that AB went crazy . . . they just needed somebody to fill some holes with AB leaving at the receiver position. I reached out to him through Randy and some other people, just to come in and play third down and red zone situations. This dude ignored me. It just shows you the lack of respect there, but then when they get in front of you they want to act like they respect you.
At the time, Owens was 48 years old and hadnt played in the NFL since he was cut after three weeks of training camp with the Seahawks a decade earlier. Its probably less that Brady didnt respect Owens achievements as a former NFL receiver, than that Brady didnt want to waste time during playoff preparation talking to someone who had zero chance of making the roster.
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Terrell Owens: I tried to come out of retirement with the Bucs, Tom Brady disrespected me - NBC Sports
Video: Layla, Bat Dog for Phillies’ Single-A Team, Grabs Final Bat Before Retirement – Bleacher Report
Posted: at 2:36 am
Layla, a white labrador retriever, has wrapped up her career as the bat dog for the Philadelphia Phillies' A-ball affiliate.
The very-good dog who has been with the Clearwater Threshers for six years picked up a bat for the final time during Friday's game against Fort Myers.
After wrapping up her last game, Layla got a special retirement treat and gift from the club.
Layla became a social-media star in 2018 when a video went viral showing her owner, Andrew Davis, asking her to get him a beer from the refrigerator. She jumps off the couch, opens the fridge door with the help of a towel placed on the handle, grabbed the can, brought it to him and went back to shut the door.
Per Leah Burdick of WMNF Radio in Florida, Layla had actually trained alongside athletes at Webber International University when Davis was a student at the school.
Davis explained to Burdick he showed Dominic Repper, Threshers manager of promotions and game entertainment, the viral video and it gave Repper an idea. It just wasn't certain at that point if Layla could pick up a bat.
"When we first contacted the Threshers, Layla didn't even know what a baseball bat was," Davis said.
It didn't take long before Davis took Layla to baseball fields near their home where he taught her to pick up a bat and bring it back to the dugout.
Even though Layla won't be there to pick up bats, Davis told Burdick he will keep bringing her to Threshers games as a fan.
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Video: Layla, Bat Dog for Phillies' Single-A Team, Grabs Final Bat Before Retirement - Bleacher Report
N.J. library gets free internet in settlement with Optimum Cable over poor service – NJ.com
Posted: at 2:35 am
Editors note: This article has been updated to include a statement from Altice USA.
Dunellen and nine other communities reached a settlement with Altice USA, the cable television and internet provider that operates Optimum, resolving a three-year dispute over poor service and customer service complaints, officials said Thursday.
As part of the settlement, Altice USA has agreed to provide Dunellen Public Library with free 1G internet service three times more powerful than the previously available service, officials said in an announcement.
The upgrade will provide the library with increased internet speeds from 300 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps, officials said.
While the 1G internet service typically costs $365 per month, Dunellen Public Library is receiving the enhanced connectivity at no cost, per the settlement approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
Were happy to see a resolution to the issues weve experienced with Altice USA that will benefit the residents of Dunellen as well as the Dunellen Public Library, which is an invaluable resource to our community, Mayor Jason Cilento said in a statement.
In a company statement, Altice USA said it was pleased to resolve the complaints.
The broadband communications provider said it remains committed to delivering superior service and support in New Jersey, evidenced by the significant investments weve made in our network, products, and customer care that have resulted in improved experiences for our local customers.
Dunellen was one of 10 communities that filed complaints with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities in 2021 about issues with Altice USAs service, officials said.
Complaints were also filed by officials in Green Brook, Hamilton, Howell, Jackson, Montville, North Brunswick, Piscataway, Robbinsville and Sayreville.
The complaints included frequent and lengthy service disruptions, inconsistent connections and fluctuating internet speeds, long wait times, poor customer service, and an inability to receive satisfactory responses to these complaints from the company both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Jan. 10 settlement agreement.
The Board of Public Utilities reviewed over 300 comments and complaints from Altice USA customers during its subsequent investigation, the settlement states.
The board found the highest number of complaints concentrated on slow or spotty internet service, extended hold times, untrained customer service staff, repeat trouble reports, service inadequacies, and overall dissatisfaction with the services provided, according to the settlement.
Both the customers and municipal representatives collectively maintained that Altice had failed in its duty to provide safe, adequate and proper service to their residents, the settlement states.
Altice USA has committed to a three-year term to address many of the concerns raised in the investigation, according to the agreement.
As part of its commitment, the company will invest a minimum of $11 million in the performance of its internet serving Optimum customers in New Jersey, per the settlement.
Altice USA also promised to provide community updates on its progress, provide better customer service and sponsor at least one community event or initiative with each of the 10 communities involved in the settlement, according to the agreement.
Altice USA provides internet, TV, and phone services to nearly 5 million customers across 21 states, according to its website.
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Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com.
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Bengalurus Lalbagh library to take digital form soon – The Hindu
Posted: at 2:35 am
The library inside Lalbagh Botanical Garden which has been under renovation for a few years, is now being digitalised in association with Servants of Knowledge (which has been digitising books for five years). Over 6,000 books will be available in the digital format after six months.
Ever since the renovation began, books from the library were placed in two rooms in the training institute building. Now, scanners are being used to digitise books at the same place.
We came to know that there was a library in Lalbagh which was being renovated and hence, we approached the Horticulture Department. They immediately gave us the go-ahead, and by the next week our scanners had reached Lalbagh, said Omshivaprakash H.L., co-founder, Servants of Knowledge.
Over 6,000 books of Lalbagh librarywill be available in the digital format after six months. | Photo Credit: special arrangement
He added: We started our work in the last week of June, and we have finished digitising over 1,000 books now. There are a total of 6,300 books and it will take us another four to five months to finish scanning them all.
There are books on various subjects such as horticulture, botany and history in the library, and some are 100 years old. With some books being so old, we did not want its content to get spoiled. Digitising them helps us preserve the content and makes it more accessible, said M. Jagadeesh, Joint Director (Parks and Gardens), Horticulture Department.
Over 6,000 books of Lalbagh librarywill be available in the digital format after six months. | Photo Credit: special arrangement
The library will also get a digital index which will help readers find books easily. Currently, they only have an old handwritten index. Now as we scan the books, we are also preparing a digital index, Mr. Omshivaprakash said.
The officials are yet to decide if the digitised books will be put in the public domain. However, Mr. Jagadeesh said that researchers from even outside the State come to Lalbgah to access these books.
Students, researchers, horticulture enthusiasts, and environmentalists regualrly come here to refer these books. The new library building will be ready in another six months. Along with an e-library, the new building will also have a specific reading area where visitors can also sit and read newspapers, he said.
Lalbaghs digital herbarium, where the taxonomy of every tree and plant in the garden will be available at the click of a finger, is also expected to be ready by next May.
Servants of Knowledge is a volunteer group which has been digitising books all over India. We recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Azim Premji University (APU) in Bengaluru and Kannada University in Hampi to digitise books and other documents. We are also internally digitising APUs archives , said Omshivaprakash H.L., co-founder, Servants of Knowledge.
The volunteer group is digitising over 10,000 books available at Gandhi Bhavan in Bengaluru, along with 60 of its publications and various editions of its magazine Bapu Prapancha which was published in the last five years.
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Bengalurus Lalbagh library to take digital form soon - The Hindu
Are Ethereums smart contracts better than its competitors? – Tucson Weekly
Posted: at 2:35 am
Ethereums creator, Vitalik Buterin, envisioned the cryptocurrency and blockchain as an extension of Bitcoin. Therefore, Ethereum is more than a store of value; it is a peer-to-peer network that supports the expansion of its blockchain ecosystem, where users develop their own Dapps, DAOs, and NFTs.
The smart contract function gives a prominent feature of Ethereum, a revolutionary technology enhancing collaborations in online environments. The process makes asset exchanges more efficient by automating transactions based on predetermined terms and conditions. Once the two parties complete their roles, the smart contract is executed and cannot be reversed or altered.
However, Ethereum smart contracts pose several security challenges, considering front-running attacks and logical errors are common. Besides, attackers take advantage of timestamps and manipulate them.
Thats why Ethereums competitors developed their unique smart contracts functions to mitigate these challenges. But are they really that efficient and safe?
Besides the security issue, smart contracts on Ethereum are praised for their numerous advantages for users. Theyre cost-efficient, based on decentralization and automated. Therefore, they can provide conditional payments and programmable money through the use of a flexible language that supports multiple computational instructions.
Hence, Ethereum smart contracts can be used in industries like decentralized finance, supply chain management, real estate and even healthcare. Still, institutions might choose smart contracts offered by competitors.
Solana is a Web3 infrastructure system launched later than Ethereum in 2022, so its not as popular. However, its considered by many as a better alternative to Ethereum due to its low cost and fast transaction processing.
Solanas smart contracts support building decentralized applications more efficiently and leverage a superior consensus mechanism. The Proof of History technology ensures security is prioritized during transaction processing, which is a plus compared to Ethereum. Moreover, Solanas smart contract tools, such as Solana CLI and Serum DEX, enhance the blockchains development.
Cardano was released in 2017 and it provides better scalability compared to Ethereum due to its layered architecture. Cardanos blockchain is a productive environment for smart contract development, as it was designed through unique methods on a research-driven approach, making it stable and secure.
One of the best things about Cardano is its energy efficiency features that ensure low gas fees and high transaction speeds. Hence, Cardano is great for creating smart contracts because its native language is designed to allow versatility among multiple industries, supporting the growing demand for the blockchain to be used for smart contracts.
Ethereums smart contract function is based on the Turing system that includes the Solidity programming language and the EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine). While most blockchains work similarly, Stellar is different.
The blockchain uses numerous programming languages, such as Python or PHP, through which transactions are executed with constraints. Smart contracts are powered by a multi-signature feature that the two parties have to sign, while Atomicity technology combines multiple operations in a single transaction. Hence, if one operation fails to complete, the other smart contracts will be triggered anyway.
The distributed ledger technology can be leveraged for smart contracts through the Docker container, a system that defines application services. It may be more challenging to run smart contracts on the Hyperledger Fabric network because the technology is more complex.
However, its an intricate project because it supports smart contracts while running on top of the operating system. At the same time, it enhances high-level programming features through the Turing complete system and uses the key-value pair data model. The blockchain network is private, so it requires approval from certificate authorities (CA).
Considering the multiple competitors to Ethereum, were wondering if the technology behind it will ever evolve. The main problem of Ethereum is the rising costs and lack of scalability, so new blockchains can always appear and deliver better services.
Still, Ethereum has a great potential of becoming the best blockchain and smart contract support. Using Solidity, smart contract gas costs can become efficient through the following functions:
Caching storage in memory to avoid storage loads;
Using calldata to enhance runtime execution;
Making some variables immutable to avoid storage-writing operations;
Leveraging private constants instead of public;
At the same time, smart contracts can be upgraded to fix vulnerabilities and add new features. However, improvement may add a new level of complexity that can increase flaws in the system. Moreover, centralization risks may appear due to individuals performing unauthorized updates, which is why users must trust developers in this process.
Recently, Ethereums team provided a development roadmap for the blockchain that would solve its prominent issues. There are currently six stages of improvement, starting with the Merge, which has already been deployed, and ending with the Splurge, which will handle minor fixtures. In between the two, Ethereum plans to increase the number of transactions per second, mitigate risks and make block verification more efficient.
Among these updates, an additional set of EIPs, or Ethereum Improvement Proposals, will contribute to reduced end-user costs, efficient networks, and handling of complex operations. Still, a primary interest is given to improving smart contract execution. For instance, the EIP-5656 operation will deal with copying data in memory that will optimize smart contracts. At the same time, the EIP-6780 will allow smart contracts to be deleted automatically from the blockchain to free up storage space. EIP-1153 will ensure smart contracts are more flexible and gas will be consumed more efficiently. Therefore, the upcoming years will constitute a better and stronger smart contract function for Ethereum.
Ethereum is mainly known for a diverse blockchain, where Dapps, DAOs and NFTs emerged and increased in popularity. But none of these features would see light without the smart contract technology, which enhances automatization and fairness in the exchange between two parties. The technology is revolutionizing and is already introduced in real-life use cases in industries like healthcare and finance.
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Are Ethereums smart contracts better than its competitors? - Tucson Weekly