Bullish Wins U.S. Patent for WebAssembly Contract Debugging

Bullish Global received a U.S. patent for a method to debug WebAssembly smart-contract code, describing how developers could inspect execution while preserving an equivalent version for blockchain use.

U.S. Patent No. 12,711,041 B2, granted Aug. 18, 2026, covers compiling contract source code into a native shared library and an equivalent WebAssembly binary. An interactive debugger attaches to a host executable to inspect the code’s execution.

The method also provides for checking both versions in a deterministic blockchain host. They can be tested to confirm they execute identically and produce the same outputs for given inputs. Execution traces can be added before compilation without changing the code’s base behavior.

WebAssembly, often shortened to Wasm, is a code format for programs running in virtual-machine environments. Debugging WebAssembly programs requires consistent debugging information and tools that can interrupt programs and inspect or modify their state.

The patent application was filed Jan. 26, 2024, and claims priority to a provisional application filed Jan. 30, 2023. The grant covers the claimed method; it does not establish that Bullish has released or deployed a product using it.