Account Abstraction
Also known as: Smart Contract Wallets, Custom Account Logic, ERC-4337
A design pattern in Ethereum that separates account logic from the protocol, enabling customizable user accounts and flexible transaction validation.
Account Abstraction is an Ethereum design paradigm that decouples account logic from the core protocol. Traditionally, Ethereum distinguishes between Externally Owned Accounts (EOAs), controlled by private keys, and Contract Accounts, governed by smart contract code. Account Abstraction allows for the creation of smart contract wallets that can define custom authentication methods, transaction validation rules, and fee payment mechanisms. This flexibility enhances user experience by enabling features like social recovery, batched transactions, and gas fee sponsorship, paving the way for more intuitive and secure blockchain interactions.