What is Move Language?

Move is a programming language specifically designed for blockchain smart contract development. It was initially developed by Facebook (now Meta) for its digital currency project, Diem (formerly known as Libra). The goal of Move is to enhance security, programmability, and flexibility within blockchain systems. Here are some key features of the Move language:

1. Resource Safety: The core concept in Move is "resources." Resources are objects similar to real-world assets that have unique, non-duplicable, and non-discardable properties. In Move, the programming language itself ensures the proper use of resources, preventing common blockchain issues like double-spending. Each resource can only have one owner, which guarantees security.

2. Modular Design: Move supports modular programming, allowing developers to package functionality into modules and expose only limited features via interfaces. This modular design enhances code reusability and supports safe upgrades and extensions of smart contracts.

3. Efficient Execution: Move is designed to be a lightweight and flexible language that can run efficiently on blockchain nodes with limited resources. It uses a stack-based virtual machine (Move VM) to execute the code.

4. Formal Verification: One of the important goals of Move is to support formal verification, which involves using mathematical methods to prove the correctness and security of the code. This is crucial for smart contracts in blockchain environments, where any vulnerability could lead to severe financial loss.

5. Flexible Permission Management: Move supports flexible permission control, allowing developers to define complex permission models to control who can perform certain actions. This makes Move advantageous in building decentralized finance (DeFi) applications.

Although the Diem project was discontinued in 2022, the Move language continues to attract attention from the community and developers, especially in emerging blockchain projects such as Aptos and Sui.