Account Abstraction(AA)
A design pattern that makes smart contract wallets first-class citizens, enabling programmable accounts with enhanced features.
In-Depth Explanation
Traditional Ethereum accounts (EOAs) have limited functionality—just a private key that signs transactions. Account abstraction (ERC-4337) enables smart contract wallets with features like: social recovery, spending limits, gas sponsorship, batched transactions, and session keys. AA improves UX and security but adds complexity and gas costs.
Related Terms
Wallet
Software or hardware that stores private keys and enables users to send, receive, and manage cryptocurrency.
Smart Contract
Self-executing code deployed on a blockchain that automatically enforces agreement terms when conditions are met.
Gas Fees
Transaction fees paid to validators/miners for executing operations on a blockchain.
More in Infrastructure
View all →Gas Fees
Transaction fees paid to validators/miners for executing operations on a blockchain.
Gwei
A denomination of Ether equal to one billionth of an ETH, commonly used to express gas prices.
Layer 2
L2Scaling solutions built on top of a base blockchain (L1) that process transactions off-chain while inheriting L1 security.
Layer 1
L1The base blockchain that provides security and consensus, such as Ethereum, Bitcoin, or Solana.