Aiken

Overview

Aiken is a functional programming language designed specifically for Cardano smart contract development. It compiles to Plutus Core and prioritizes security, efficiency, and developer experience.

Mesh provides seamless integration with Aiken, allowing you to:

• Compile Aiken contracts and use them in your TypeScript applications
• Build transactions that interact with Aiken validators
• Apply parameters to scripts and resolve addresses

When to use Aiken with Mesh:

• You need to write custom on-chain logic (validators, minting policies)
• You want a modern, type-safe language for smart contracts
• You prefer functional programming patterns

Quick Start

Write and deploy an Aiken smart contract in 4 steps.

1. Install Aiken CLI

curl -sSfL https://install.aiken-lang.org | bash
aikup

2. Create a new project

aiken new meshjs/hello_world
cd hello_world

3. Write your validator

// validators/hello_world.ak
validator hello_world {
  spend(datum: Data, redeemer: Data, context: Data) {
    True
  }
}

4. Build and integrate with Mesh

aiken build

import { MeshTxBuilder, applyParamsToScript, resolvePlutusScriptAddress } from "@meshsdk/core";
import blueprint from "./plutus.json";

const scriptCbor = applyParamsToScript(blueprint.validators[0].compiledCode, []);
const scriptAddress = resolvePlutusScriptAddress({ code: scriptCbor, version: "V3" }, 0);

What's Included

Related Links

• Getting Started - Install Aiken and set up your environment
• Write a Smart Contract - Create your first validator
• Build Transactions - Lock and redeem assets
• Aiken Documentation - Official Aiken language reference