Continuity of AA・ERC6551・AW
Introduction
Hello, my name is Nagumo. I am working on the development of a Blockchain Game and an NFT management console utilizing ERC6551, as well as conceptualizing an approach to the Autonomous World. After participating in Token2049 Singapore, I recognized the continuity between Account Abstraction, ERC6551, and the Autonomous World. I will document this for my own clarity. I’ll omit the basic explanations of each and instead will introduce relevant articles for reference.
・AccountAbstruction（ERC4337)
・ERC6551
・Autonomous World
The future vision of AA
Transition from EOA to CA
As Vitalik discusses in “Three Transitions”, the motivation behind Account Abstraction (AA) is the transition from EOA (Externally Owned Account) to CA (Contract Account). The Ethereum community is moving towards phasing out EOAs, and over the next few years, there are plans to implement CAs, including protocol modifications (referred to as “The Splurge”). So, how will the transition from EOA to CA be carried out? One proposed method is EIP-7377 (Migration Transaction). This proposal standardizes the deployment of a CA with the same address as an existing EOA and transitioning to its use. However, Vitalik has raised concerns about the high security risks associated with this method during a “Builder Night” session. A realistic migration process, I believe, would be a “natural replacement”. Mr. Aniket of Biconomy also mentioned this at the Web3 Transitions Summit. It’s challenging to suddenly transition existing crypto users from their familiar EOAs to CAs. No one wants to bear the costs, such as asset transfers and gas fees to deploy CAs. The envisioned migration story goes as follows: Firstly, there will be an increase in dApps using AA-compliant CAs, and the Next Billion Users will start using CAs right from the beginning, foregoing EOAs. As the number of CA users increases, CA-related services will also proliferate, and EOA services will gradually diminish. This will lead existing crypto enthusiasts to gradually transition from EOAs to CAs. While Vitalik is particularly promoting the transition to AA from a security perspective, AA undoubtedly contributes to improved user experience (UX). There’s no doubt that CAs are ideal for onboarding the Next Billion Users. Considering the evolution of AA, including modularity and “intents” (discussed later), this conviction is further strengthened.
Modularization
Account Abstraction (AA) has dramatically improved its performance through modularization, propelling the transition from EOA in the direction desired by the community. To intuitively understand the modularization of AA, it’s helpful to think of smartphones. (For reference) Since CAs are contract-based, their processing contents can be flexibly programmed. Moreover, not just the code within the CA, but by invoking external contracts before, during, or after a transaction, its flexibility can be exponentially enhanced. These external contracts are referred to as “modules.” In smartphone terms, these “modules” can be likened to “applications.”
Due to modularization, an AA Wallet is divided into two parts. One is the foundational SmartContractWallet (akin to the smartphone’s main body). The other consists of convenient external contracts (similar to apps on a smartphone).
Vitalik speaks about the modularization of AA as follows:
All Smart Contract Wallets (SCWs) should be modularized in a way that isn’t dominated by a single company. This is achieved by everyone collaboratively adhering to standards (such as ERC6900). The goal is to ensure maximum security and minimize copyright restrictions. If there’s a shared core, it’s possible to create peripherals around it. That’s my hope for SCW.
Another crucial role is that of the wallet as user-facing software. Wallets act as the gateway between people and the blockchain. I anticipate the emergence of many different wallets, each tailored to different use-cases and user classes. And I expect this area to evolve and become more complex over time.
Divided into the foundational SCW and modules as peripheral tools, with users choosing and using standardized modules provided by various companies — this is the future envisioned for the modularization of AA. With such an improvement in convenience, there’s no doubt the transition from EOA to CA will progress.
intents
One of the cutting-edge matters related to AA is “intents.” Users can convey their “intention” for a transaction, in other words, the “expected result,” to a third party (solver). This allows the solver to execute the transaction on their behalf in accordance with that intention. Coinciding with the timing of Token2049, the team at Banana HQ proposed a new mechanism for intents. (I haven’t fully read through it, so I’m omitting a detailed explanation).
Furthermore, the day before the article was written (2023/9/20), ERC7512 was proposed as an EIP related to intents. This proposal aims to introduce a common interface to AA’s intents, similar to ERC4337.
While the standardization of intents might still be a ways off, it is an extension of the theme of transaction abstraction (UserOperation) enabled by CA, and it significantly contributes to the improvement of user experience. Therefore, I believe the evolution of intents will be a factor in accelerating the transition from EOA to CA.
ERC6551’s Potential
One challenge arises in the transition to CA. As the number of dApps with embedded CAs increases, accounts become independent and decentralized, leading to the dispersion of data.
I believe that NFTs utilizing ERC6551 could be one of the solutions to this problem. NFTs can bridge multiple accounts in a horizontal manner. Why is this possible? With ERC6551, it has become possible to associate NFTs with Contract Accounts. This account is referred to as a “Token Bound Account”, abbreviated as TBA. It enables the design of an experience where “an NFT possesses a wallet.” Furthermore, TBAs can be deployed on any chain that supports EVM. This means that for an NFT on Ethereum, a TBA can be deployed on chains like Polygon or Optimism.
I envision utilizing this feature for the potential of ERC6551, anticipating that in the future, we will use TBAs for interactions with dApps. Similar to how we currently choose wallets like MetaMask when connecting to dApps, I believe we will start selecting NFTs in the future. By choosing an NFT to connect with, the conversation with dApps begins via the TBA linked to that NFT. This becomes possible with just one NFT for all EVM chains. Multiple Contract Accounts (TBA) will be interconnected through a higher-level NFT. This represents a world where we see “NFT as an onchain-identity”. All onchain activity data will be gathered in the NFT.
Furthermore, regarding ERC6551, I have compiled its use-cases beyond its function as an onchain-identity in the article below. I would appreciate it if you could take a look.
Step to Autonomous Worlds
I believe that NFTs, when considered as “NFT as an onchain-identity,” can serve as Agents within Autonomous Worlds. Due to the inherent nature of Agents in Autonomous Worlds, they need to be defined on-chain. Firstly, unique and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are adopted to represent on-chain personas. To maximize the information related to these NFTs, the ERC6551 standard is likely to be employed. The project named STP offers a naming service for Autonomous Worlds called AWNS and has adopted the ERC6551 standard as part of its specifications. Benny, the drafter of ERC6551, has also spoken about the potential of using ERC6551-compliant NFTs as Agents in Autonomous Worlds. Indeed, during a conversation at Token2049, Benny mentioned the possibility of using ERC6551 for “NFT as an AI Agent.”
Conclusion
The most significant insight I gained from Token2049 was the firsthand realization that ERC6551 is garnering global attention. The ERC6551 workshop was jam-packed, with such an enthusiastic atmosphere that it was almost impossible to hear the session’s content. Additionally, during Vitalik’s AA session, several attendees asked questions regarding the relationship between AA and ERC6551. Furthermore, Vitalik himself mentioned the potential of ERC6551. Personally, I also see great promise in ERC6551 and plan to build within its related domains.
Thank you for reading up to this point. Please feel free to reach out to X with any questions or thoughts about this article or ERC6551 in general.
P.S. Vitalik’s eyes were a beautiful shade of green.
