A Comparative Analysis of Monolithic and Modular Smart Contract Architectures: A Case Study of Vehicle Trading Systems

Abstract

The blockchain technology has attracted more and more interest recently as a reliable and secure platform for a variety of applications. This study presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of monolithic and modular architectural patterns in smart contracts, which have become a revolutionary technology thanks to the integration of blockchain technology. A real-world vehicle purchase and sale system was used as a case study. Two contract structures were used that perform the same function: a modular architecture with five interacting contracts, and a monolithic architecture that combines all these functions in a single contract. An empirical analysis conducted for 100 vehicle sales revealed that while the modular architecture offers advantages such as independent upgradeability, testability, and maintainability, the monolithic approach outperforms it in many metrics, including a 36.7% reduction in transaction costs and a 75% faster deployment time. The findings provide evidence-based architectural guidance for blockchain and smart contract developers in selecting appropriate design patterns, particularly in real-world applications where gas costs are critical.

Cite this article as: T. Timu.in and S. Biroğul, "A comparative analysis of monolithic and modular smart contract architectures: A case study of vehicle trading systems," Electrica, 2026, 26, 0333, doi:10.5152/electrica.2026.25333.