Account Abstraction, smart contract wallets, and the Chainstack API

The evolution of the digital age has brought along not only incredible advancements but also notable challenges. This rings particularly true for the realms of decentralized applications and blockchain technology, where issues related to user experience can act as significant deterrents for mass adoption. In order to overcome these Web3 usability issues, the industry is continually seeking solutions that simplify the users’ journey and make interactions with the blockchain as seamless as possible.

In comes the concept of Account Abstraction. This innovation introduces a paradigm shift in how transactions on the Ethereum blockchain are handled, increasing not only the flexibility of this process but also unlocking a plethora of new features and possibilities. So, join us as we dissect this innovative take and explore its practical applications in BUIDLing future decentralized technology.

Identifying usability challenges in Web3

For users initiating their journey in the decentralized world, several obstacles often deter their full integration and utilization of DApps. Firstly, the requirement for an Externally Owned Account (EOA) or a cryptocurrency wallet places a burden on understanding complex technological details upon individuals who might not have a strong background in tech or crypto. Add to this the necessity of managing seed phrases for wallets and dealing with the somewhat ambiguous concept of gas fees, and the resulting experience could be overly daunting to many.

For the smooth operation of Web3 technologies and their wide adoption, a friendly user journey is a non-negotiable must-have. Identifying these issues, the community has been constantly re-iterating and improving upon the existing systems, and one such initiative that has gained significant traction is the concept of Account Abstraction.

Account Abstraction 101

In simple terms, Account Abstraction enables the conditions for a transaction’s validity to be programmatically set by developers. What this means is flexibility far beyond traditional Ethereum rules and an unlock of customizable and impactful functionalities.

Account Abstraction does this by shifting from a world where EOAs send transaction requests to one where implementations can deploy smart contracts that express their logic. This sounds simple, yet it unfolds a wide range and depth of innovative possibilities that previously had significant hurdles.

One of the contributions brought by Account Abstraction are smart contract wallets. Unlike EOAs, smart contract wallets are not limited to fixed behaviors. They provide customization and open the door to novel Web3 experiences.

Imagine a mechanism that carries all the necessary transaction information but can also accommodate additional validation logic—that’s what we call UserOperations or UserOps. They are essentially data objects that fuel transaction execution on the Ethereum Virtual Machine.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of what Account Abstraction can offer, and as we dig deeper into this journey, we will discover even more exciting features, use cases, and the incredible potential of this technology.

Smart contract wallets vs EOAs

Externally Owned Accounts (EOAs) have traditionally propelled transactions in the Ethereum network. However, their rigid nature and the lack of a feature to customize functionalities became limitations to grapple with. That’s where smart contract wallets make an entry.

With the advent of Account Abstraction and its implementation through smart contract wallets, users can set their own rules for managing their digital assets. This programmable access to funds introduces a new level of financial autonomy, allowing users to create spending and transfer limits and custom permissions.

While EOAs and smart contract wallets both offer the ability to execute transactions on the Ethereum network, the key difference lies in the flexibility and control they provide to users. Smart contract wallets offer programmable and flexible options to manage funds, whereas EOAs have relatively fixed and rigid behaviors. The user-friendly and efficient features of smart contract wallets make them an enticing alternative over traditional EOAs.

Smart contract wallets offer several notable enhancements over EOAs:

1. Programmable conditions: Unlike EOAs where any transaction can be executed as long as the private key is known, smart contract wallets can define complex rules to validate transactions.
2. Recovery options: EOAs run with the risk of a permanent loss of funds if the private key is lost. Smart contract wallets, however, can have programmed recovery processes, reducing the risk.
3. Integrated protections: Smart Contract wallets can be designed with more integrated protection mechanisms against threats like front-running and miner-extractable value (MEV).

Core concepts and perks

Understanding the terminology used in Account Abstraction can help us better comprehend the innovative features it brings to the Web3 space:

1. UserOperation: Contrary to what the term suggests, this is not a blockchain transaction. However, it contains similar fields. It describes a transaction on behalf of a user, encompassing all necessary information for its execution, and allowing for additional validation logic.
2. EntryPoint: Consider it as a gatekeeper or the starting point of handling UserOperations and creating transactions. It’s a Singleton contract that executes bundles of UserOps.
3. Paymaster: Acting as a ‘gas tank’, a Paymaster is a contract that stores gas for transaction fees and sponsors transactions.

Understanding these key terms helps to unveil Account Abstraction’s vast potential in making the Web3 experience user-friendly and more efficient.

Gas fee sponsorship

One of the prominent use cases arising from Account Abstraction is the ability for the DApps to sponsor the gas fees for its users. Traditionally, users needed to have a sufficient amount of Ether (ETH) in their EOAs to pay for gas whenever they needed to interact with a DApp, adding an additional step and complexity for the users.

With Account Abstraction, developers can structure their DApps so that the gas fees for certain operations are paid by the DApp itself, thereby improving the user experience by removing an additional complexity for the user to deal with.

Transaction batching

Another enhancement enabled by Account Abstraction is the ability to batch multiple transactions into a single one, thus improving overall efficiency and cutting down on transaction costs.

Transactions in a blockchain environment, particularly involving Ethereum, can often be costly and time-consuming. Each transaction is treated independently, consuming valuable network resources and leading to an increase in the overall cost of operations. Batching transactions provide a solution to this challenge.

Batching transactions also have a positive financial impact. With every Ethereum transaction, users must pay for gas—a fee that compensates for the computational energy required to process and validate transactions on the blockchain. By processing several operations in one transaction, users save on gas fees, minimize wait times, promote speed, and reduce the overall cost of operations.

Custom rules and UserOps

With Account Abstraction, users have the ability to program their wallets with the rules that define how their crypto-assets are spent or transferred. For example, a user might establish a rule that sets a daily limit on the amount of a specific token that can be transferred out of their wallet. This level of control over a wallet’s functions can significantly enhance security and create a more custom-tailored user experience.

Additionally, this programmable access extends to transaction execution on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). UserOpsis an integral concept introduced by Account Abstraction that encapsulates all necessary information for transaction execution, along with additional validation logic.

These UserOps represent data objects for transaction execution on the EVM, enabling developers to set customized conditions beyond traditional Ethereum rules, thus making smart contract wallets more flexible and efficient than their EOA counterparts.

Walletless auth to lower entry barriers

One of the major barriers for a user new to blockchain technologies is the requirement for a wallet to interact with DApps. This necessitates dealing with private keys and learning about gas fees—elements that can prove daunting for a newcomer. Here, walletless logins touted by Account Abstraction offer a significant leap forward.

With Account Abstraction, users can interact with DApps without the need to connect a wallet. This significantly reduces the steps a user has to go through and the complexities they have to deal with. It makes entry and interaction with Web3 much similar to the Web2 experiences they are used to, potentially leading to more mainstream adoption of decentralized technologies.

Getting ready for the Chainstack Account Abstraction API

Addressing the startling challenges of usability and efficiency prevalent in the decentralized world, our upcoming Account Abstraction API steps in as a key solution. The API encapsulates the complexities and opens doors to better user experience and an efficient DApps environment.

It leverages Account Abstraction by offering a more flexible and efficient way to manage and execute Ethereum transactions. It primarily utilizes special-purpose smart contracts that assist in managing a user’s Ethereum account more effectively. Here’s a quick breakdown of what you can expect:

• Chainstack walletless login: This feature allows the users of your DApp to sign up without the need to create a wallet first, streamlining the sign-up process.
• ERC-4337 endpoints: Allows you to integrate UserOps into your DApp. Customize the validity requirements for Ethereum transactions.
• Embrace smart contract wallets: Manage your funds through a smart contract wallet directly, opening the door for further customizations when it comes to storing, transferring, and transacting with your digital assets.

Got your interest piqued already?

Bringing it all together

Account Abstraction, while a relatively new concept, has the potential to rewrite the narrative of how we interact with decentralized applications and services on the blockchain. Backed by smart contract wallets, Account Abstraction has paved the way for users and developers alike to witness a significantly improved Web3 experience. From programmable access to funds, the potential for gas-free transactions, to efficient transaction batching and more, the implications are vast and impactful.

The Chainstack Account Abstraction API, embodying this principle, is working to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the Web3 realm and beyond. By offering account contracts for smoothly managing Ethereum accounts, dedicated Paymasters for clients, and walletless Web3 logins, to name a few, we have just scratched the surface of this technology’s potential.

As we delve deeper into Account Abstraction’s universe, we’re looking forward to witnessing more innovative use cases and featuring these advancements in our offerings. The future of Web3 does indeed seem brighter with the evolution of Account Abstraction, and we at Chainstack are thrilled to be an active part of this reform.

In conclusion, while the path of innovation is dotted with complexity, the end goal of a seamless and user-friendly Web3 experience makes this journey well worth the effort. With Account Abstraction, we are one step closer to making this vision a reality. It’s certainly an exciting time to be part of the blockchain revolution!

Power-boost your project on Chainstack

• Discover how you can save thousands in infra costs every month with our unbeatable pricing on the most complete Web3 development platform.
• Input your workload and see how affordable Chainstack is compared to other RPC providers.
• Connect to Ethereum, Polygon, BNB Smart Chain, Base, Avalanche, Arbitrum, zkSync Era, Polygon zkEVM, Optimism, Oasis Sapphire, NEAR, Aurora, Solana, Scroll, Aptos, Gnosis Chain, Cronos, Filecoin, Fantom, StarkNet, Harmony and Tezos mainnet or testnets through an interface designed to help you get the job done.
• To learn more about Chainstack, visit our Developer Portal or join our Discord server and Telegram group. 
• Are you in need of testnet tokens? Request some from our faucets. Multi-chain faucet, Sepolia faucet, Goerli faucet, Holesky faucet, BNB faucet, zkSync faucet, Scroll faucet.

Have you already explored what you can achieve with Chainstack? Get started for free today.