Smart Contract Automation Helps Dapps Maintain Data Integrity Without Relying on External Databases — Pavel Salas. According to Pavel Salas, chief growth officer at the Gear Foundation, on-chain smart contract automation makes applications “truly decentralized” because it “eliminates dependency on centralized servers or external entities.” Salas also claims that on-chain smart contract automation means participants can “engage in transactions or exchanges without relying on a central authority.”