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Account Abstraction

Account abstraction allows user accounts to operate under custom rules, including flexible authentication methods and transaction validation logic. It aims to simplify user experience, enhance security, and enable more sophisticated functionalities without relying solely on externally owned keys.

EIP-4337 achieves account abstraction without modifying Ethereum’s base protocol by introducing a specialized “UserOperation” object and a decentralized “bundler” network. Users send these UserOperations to an off-chain mempool, where bundlers gather and submit them to an “EntryPoint” contract on-chain. This EntryPoint contract enforces validation rules defined by the account’s own code rather than a user’s private key alone. Through these components — UserOperations, bundlers, EntryPoint, and optional paymasters for gas fees — EIP-4337 effectively emulates account abstraction at the smart contract level.

Shiba Inu's implementation​

The Shib Account Abstraction SDK implements an EIP-4337-based Shib4337 class, which is designed to:

  • Initialize and manage a smart contract wallet (Safe) using Account Abstraction. This Safe is a multi-signature smart contract wallet that allows multiple owners, flexible authorization policies, and programmable transaction logic. This design provides enhanced security and customization options compared to standard externally owned accounts.

  • Queue meta-transactions to be executed. Meta transactions let users initiate transactions without directly paying gas. Instead, a third party (a relayer) covers the transaction fees and submits it on the user’s behalf. This approach simplifies user onboarding and UX by allowing gas-free user interactions, abstracting away the complexity and cost of transaction execution.

  • Create user operations (UserOperation) compatible with EIP-4337. User operations are transaction-like instructions introduced in the context of EIP-4337, where users submit them to a separate “user operation mempool” instead of sending traditional transactions directly. These user operations are then bundled, validated, and executed on-chain.

  • Interact with bundler services to send user operations. A bundler is a specialized entity that collects multiple user operations from an off-chain mempool and submits them to the on-chain EntryPoint contract as a single aggregated transaction, essentially "bundling" multiple operations into one batch for execution.

  • Integrate with paymaster services for gas sponsorship. A paymaster is a smart contract within the EIP-4337 framework that sponsors transaction fees on behalf of users’ operations. It can define conditions for paying these fees, allowing gas costs to be abstracted from the user’s perspective.

On the next pages, learn how to utilize the Account Abstraction SDK and how to properly set up the Paymaster feature.