Deploying a second smart contract based on a first smart contract

A method performed by a network node configured to be included within a plurality of network nodes communicatively coupled in a peer-to-peer network of network nodes implementing a distributed ledger, the method comprising:

• deploying, on the distributed ledger, a second smart contract at a second address;
• wherein the second smart contract comprises a second table of balances;
• wherein a first smart contract is at a first address on the distributed ledger;
• wherein the first smart contract comprises a first table of balances;
• wherein the first table of balances comprises a plurality of indices;
• wherein each respective index of the plurality of indices is associated with a respective address/value pair of a plurality of address/value pairs;
• wherein each respective address in each respective address/value pair is an address on the distributed ledger;
• wherein each respective numerical value corresponds to a respective address in each respective address/value pair, wherein each respective numerical value indicates a respective number of tokens held in the respective address;
• setting an address field in the first smart contract to reference the second address;
• subtracting, in the first table of balances, a particular number of tokens from a respective first numerical value representing a respective first number of tokens held in a respective first address;
• and
• adding, in the first table of balances, the particular number of tokens to a respective second numerical value representing a respective second number of tokens held in the second address;
• wherein the particular number of tokens in the first table of balances of the first smart contract are removed from circulation as a consequence of and in response to being added, in the first table of balances, to the respective second numerical value representing the respective second number of tokens held in the second address.

A network node comprising:

• at least one processor;
• at least one memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor;
• at least one network interface communicatively coupled to the at least one processor;
• wherein the network node is configured to be within a plurality of network nodes communicatively coupled in a peer-to-peer network of network nodes implementing a distributed ledger;
• wherein the network node is communicatively coupled to at least one remotely located computing device through the at least one network interface;
• and
• wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
• deploy, on the distributed ledger, a second smart contract at a second address;
• wherein the second smart contract comprises a second table of balances;
• wherein a first smart contract is at a first address on the distributed ledger;
• wherein the first smart contract comprises a first table of balances;
• wherein the first table of balances comprises a plurality of indices;
• wherein each respective index of the plurality of indices is associated with a respective address/value pair of a plurality of address/value pairs;
• wherein each respective address in each respective address/value pair is an address on the distributed ledger;
• wherein each respective numerical value corresponds to a respective address in each respective address/value pair, wherein each respective numerical value indicates a respective number of tokens held in the respective address;
• deploy a third smart contract at a third address on the distributed ledger, wherein the third smart contract comprises a third table of balances, wherein the third table of balances comprises a third plurality of indices, wherein each respective third index of the third plurality of indices is associated with a respective third address/value pair of a third plurality of third address/value pairs, wherein each respective third address in each respective third address/value pair is an address on the distributed ledger, wherein each respective third numerical value representing a respective third number of tokens held in each respective third address in each respective third address/value pair;
• set an address field in the first smart contract to reference the second address;
• set a second address field in the first smart contract to reference the third address;
• subtract, in the first table of balances, a particular number of tokens from a respective first numerical value representing a respective first number of tokens held in a respective first address;
• and
• add, in the first table of balances, the particular number of tokens to a respective second numerical value representing a respective second number of tokens held in the second address;
• wherein the particular number of tokens in the first table of balances of the first smart contract are removed from circulation as a consequence of and in response to being added, in the first table of balances, to the respective second numerical value representing the respective second number of tokens held in the second address.