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Technical
Smart Contract Treasury Controls: Programmable Compliance and Limits
Implementing spending limits, approval workflows, and compliance rules directly in smart contracts for automated governance.
16 min read
January 4, 2025
Traditional treasury controls rely on humans following procedures—and humans make mistakes, get phished, or occasionally act maliciously. Smart contract controls encode business rules directly into payment execution, making violations technically impossible rather than merely prohibited. This guide explores how programmable compliance transforms treasury governance.
Control Types
- Spending Limits: Per-transaction, daily, monthly caps enforced by contract
- Multi-Signature: Require N-of-M approvals for high-value transactions
- Time Locks: Delay large payments for review period
- Whitelisting: Restrict payments to approved vendor addresses
- Velocity Limits: Cap transaction frequency to prevent rapid drain
typescript
// Smart Contract Treasury Controls
const treasuryConfig = {
spendingLimits: {
perTransaction: 100_000, // $100K max single payment
dailyAggregate: 500_000, // $500K max per day
monthlyAggregate: 5_000_000 // $5M max per month
},
multiSig: {
threshold: 2, // Require 2 signatures
signers: ['0x...CFO', '0x...Controller', '0x...Treasury']
},
timeLock: {
threshold: 250_000, // Payments over $250K
delay: 24 * 60 * 60 // 24-hour delay for review
},
whitelist: {
enabled: true,
addRequires: 2 // Adding vendors requires 2 approvals
}
}
// Controls enforced at execution - cannot be bypassedAudit Benefits
Smart contract controls create perfect audit trails. Every control check, approval, and execution is recorded on-chain with cryptographic proof. Auditors can verify that controls were in effect and functioning for every transaction—no sampling required.
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