diff --git a/anonymous-function-test.ar b/anonymous-function-test.ar
index 00bae09..2be611c 100644
--- a/anonymous-function-test.ar
+++ b/anonymous-function-test.ar
@@ -1 +1,3 @@
-term.log(((x)=x*x)())
\ No newline at end of file
+let i = 1000000
+while (i) do
+  i=i-1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/runtime/assignment/assignment.c b/src/runtime/assignment/assignment.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d000923
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/runtime/assignment/assignment.c
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/*
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2025 William Bell
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+ */
+
+#include "assignment.h"
+
+ArErr runtime_assignment(Translated *translated, RuntimeState *state,
+                         struct Stack *stack) {
+  int64_t length = pop_bytecode(translated, state);
+  int64_t offset = pop_bytecode(translated, state);
+  int64_t prehash = pop_bytecode(translated, state);
+  int64_t from_register = pop_byte(translated, state);
+  uint64_t hash =
+      runtime_hash(arena_get(&translated->constants, offset), length, prehash);
+  ArgonObject *key =
+      new_string_object(arena_get(&translated->constants, offset), length);
+  for (Stack *current_stack = stack; current_stack;
+       current_stack = current_stack->prev) {
+    ArgonObject *exists = hashmap_lookup_GC(current_stack->scope, hash);
+    if (exists) {
+      hashmap_insert_GC(current_stack->scope, hash, key,
+                        state->registers[from_register], 0);
+    }
+  }
+  hashmap_insert_GC(stack->scope, hash, key, state->registers[from_register],
+                    0);
+  return no_err;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/runtime/assignment/assignment.h b/src/runtime/assignment/assignment.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..78fdcde
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/runtime/assignment/assignment.h
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+/*
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2025 William Bell
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+ */
+
+#ifndef runtime_assignment_H
+#define runtime_assignment_H
+#include "../runtime.h"
+#include "../objects/string/string.h"
+
+ArErr runtime_assignment(Translated *translated, RuntimeState *state,
+                          struct Stack *stack);
+
+#endif // runtime_assignment_H
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/runtime/runtime.c b/src/runtime/runtime.c
index 5d938d6..8e6c105 100644
--- a/src/runtime/runtime.c
+++ b/src/runtime/runtime.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "access/access.h"
 #include "call/call.h"
 #include "declaration/declaration.h"
+#include "assignment/assignment.h"
 #include "internals/hashmap/hashmap.h"
 #include "objects/functions/functions.h"
 #include "objects/literals/literals.h"
@@ -679,6 +680,8 @@ ArErr run_instruction(Translated *translated, RuntimeState *state,
     return load_variable(translated, state, *stack);
   case OP_DECLARE:
     return runtime_declaration(translated, state, *stack);
+  case OP_ASSIGN:
+    return runtime_assignment(translated, state, *stack);
   case OP_BOOL:;
     ArErr err = no_err;
     uint8_t to_register = pop_byte(translated, state);
diff --git a/src/translator/assignment/assignment.c b/src/translator/assignment/assignment.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66c1761
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/translator/assignment/assignment.c
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+/*
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2025 William Bell
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+ */
+
+#include "assignment.h"
+#include "../../hash_data/hash_data.h"
+#include "../../parser/assignable/identifier/identifier.h"
+#include "../translator.h"
+#include <stddef.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+size_t translate_parsed_assignment(Translated *translated,
+                                   ParsedAssign *assignment, ArErr *err) {
+  printf("bruh\n");
+  set_registers(translated, 1);
+  DArray *old_return_jumps = translated->return_jumps;
+  translated->return_jumps = NULL;
+  size_t first = translate_parsed(translated, assignment->from, err);
+  if (err->exists)
+    return first;
+  switch (assignment->to->type) {
+  case AST_IDENTIFIER:;
+    ParsedIdentifier *identifier = assignment->to->data;
+    size_t length = strlen(identifier->name);
+    size_t offset =
+        arena_push(&translated->constants, identifier->name, length);
+        
+    push_instruction_byte(translated, OP_SOURCE_LOCATION);
+    push_instruction_code(translated, identifier->line);
+    push_instruction_code(translated, identifier->column);
+    push_instruction_code(translated, length);
+
+    push_instruction_byte(translated, OP_ASSIGN);
+    push_instruction_code(translated, length);
+    push_instruction_code(translated, offset);
+    push_instruction_code(translated,
+                          siphash64_bytes(identifier->name, length,
+                                          siphash_key_fixed_for_translator));
+    push_instruction_byte(translated, 0);
+    break;
+  default:
+    fprintf(stderr, "panic: freeing NULL pointer\n");
+    exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+  }
+  translated->return_jumps = old_return_jumps;
+  return first;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/translator/assignment/assignment.h b/src/translator/assignment/assignment.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9d32a05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/translator/assignment/assignment.h
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+/*
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2025 William Bell
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+ */
+
+#ifndef BYTECODE_ASSIGNMENT_H
+#define BYTECODE_ASSIGNMENT_H
+#include "../translator.h"
+#include "../../parser/assignable/assign/assign.h"
+
+size_t translate_parsed_assignment(Translated *translated,
+                                   ParsedAssign *assignment, ArErr *err);
+
+#endif
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/translator/bytecode_spec.md b/src/translator/bytecode_spec.md
index e9bf711..730a92f 100644
--- a/src/translator/bytecode_spec.md
+++ b/src/translator/bytecode_spec.md
@@ -29,6 +29,17 @@ this operation takes 3 operands.
 1. the fixed hash of the variable name.
 1. the register of the given value (*)
 
+## OP_ASSIGN
+
+assigns to a variable in the stack. if the variable doesnt exist on the stack, it is automatically declared on the current scope.
+
+this operation takes 3 operands.
+
+1. the length of the variable name.
+1. the offset in the constant buffer of the variable name.
+1. the fixed hash of the variable name.
+1. the register of the given value (*)
+
 ## OP_LOAD_NULL
 
 sets a given register to null.
diff --git a/src/translator/translator.c b/src/translator/translator.c
index 7e2843d..5fe3f19 100644
--- a/src/translator/translator.c
+++ b/src/translator/translator.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "access/access.h"
 #include "call/call.h"
 #include "declaration/declaration.h"
+#include "assignment/assignment.h"
 #include "dowrap/dowrap.h"
 #include "function/function.h"
 #include "identifier/identifier.h"
@@ -165,6 +166,9 @@ size_t translate_parsed(Translated *translated, ParsedValue *parsedValue,
   case AST_OPERATION:
     return translate_operation(translated, (ParsedOperation *)parsedValue->data,
                                err);
+  case AST_ASSIGN:
+    return translate_parsed_assignment(translated,
+                                        (ParsedAssign *)parsedValue->data, err);
   }
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/translator/translator.h b/src/translator/translator.h
index 3f5f05d..8cbe9af 100644
--- a/src/translator/translator.h
+++ b/src/translator/translator.h
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ typedef enum {
   OP_LOAD_ADDITION_FUNCTION,
   OP_LOAD_SUBTRACTION_FUNCTION,
   OP_LOAD_MULTIPLY_FUNCTION,
-  OP_LOAD_DIVISION_FUNCTION
+  OP_LOAD_DIVISION_FUNCTION,
+  OP_ASSIGN
 } OperationType;
 
 void arena_resize(ConstantArena *arena, size_t new_size);