Base, Optimism, Coinbase and WalletConnect launch Native Account Abstraction (EIP-8130) to reduce transaction costs by 2x and improve wallet functionality on EVM chains.
Tech & Launches ·
Base, Optimism, Coinbase, and WalletConnect have jointly introduced Native Account Abstraction via EIP-8130, a protocol upgrade designed to reduce transaction costs by over 2x while enhancing wallet capabilities on EVM chains. The standard builds on years of efforts to move Ethereum beyond its original design, which splits accounts into two rigid categories: key-controlled addresses and code-holding contracts that cannot independently send transactions.
Account abstraction reimagines accounts as fully programmable entities where fees, security rules, and user experience are governed by code rather than baked into the base layer. This shift enables features absent in standard wallets—such as gas payment in tokens other than the native asset, social recovery of lost keys, spending limits, and batch transactions—without users needing to hold or understand volatile cryptocurrency for basic operations. Current smart contract wallets attempt these features by layering on top of the protocol, but they still depend on externally owned accounts to initiate actions and cover gas costs.
The specifics of how EIP-8130 achieves the 2x cost reduction and whether it requires further adoption or protocol changes remain unclear. The rollout across multiple chains and wallet infrastructure suggests coordinated ecosystem momentum, though questions persist about implementation timelines and compatibility with existing account abstraction standards.