Account Abstraction
Protocol
Smart contract wallets with flexible rules and better UX.
Account abstraction lets a wallet run on a smart contract instead of a simple key pair. This makes sign in and payments smoother, because the wallet can follow rules that fit the user. For example, a team can share control, a user can recover access without a seed phrase, or a service can cover gas for a session. On Ethereum today, ERC 4337 brings these features without changing consensus. It uses bundlers to collect user operations and paymasters to cover fees when needed. Projects should keep things simple, explain recovery steps in plain words, and monitor the system closely.
Frequently asked questions
What problems does account abstraction solve?
It lets wallets use smart contracts for validation rules like social recovery or passkeys. It also allows gas to be paid by someone else and lets users batch actions into one click.How is ERC 4337 different from native AA?
ERC 4337 works at the application layer with bundlers and a special mempool. It does not change Ethereum consensus. Native AA would be a protocol change where all accounts follow new rules.What are the main risks?
There are more moving parts. Bundlers and paymasters must be reliable and secure. Smart contract wallets need careful reviews and clear recovery policies to avoid lockouts.