This specification describes techniques for managing assets in a blockchain. One example method includes receiving, from a target user recorded in a distributed database of a blockchain network, a user input including a request to update a status of a target object, determining, based on a contract object, whether the target user is a member user with an update permission for the target object, the contract object being published in the blockchain network and corresponding to an asset type of the target object, wherein the target object was created using the contract object, and in response to determining that the target user has the update permission for the target object, performing a status update on the target object by using the contract object.