What is EIP-7702?

EIP-7702 is a contract standard that allows Externally Owned Accounts (EOAs) to temporarily function as smart contracts during transactions, enabling advanced features like transaction batching and gas sponsorship without requiring users to migrate wallets.

EIP-7702 introduces a new transaction type (0x04) that lets EOAs delegate their execution to smart contracts on a per-transaction basis. Co-authored by Vitalik Buterin, this proposal bridges the gap between traditional EOAs and smart contract wallets, making account abstraction more accessible without forcing users to abandon their familiar addresses.

The standard addresses a fundamental challenge: while smart contract wallets offer superior functionality, getting users to migrate from existing EOAs remains difficult due to the learning curve and setup complexity. EIP-7702 eliminates this barrier by enhancing EOAs with smart contract capabilities when needed.

EIP-7702 enables users to bundle multiple operations into a single transaction, potentially reducing gas costs by up to 30%. For platforms focused on stablecoin infrastructure, this means users can approve, swap, and transfer tokens in one seamless action, dramatically improving the user experience for onchain financial operations.

The standard allows third parties to pay gas fees on behalf of users, enabling truly frictionless onchain experiences. This capability is particularly valuable for applications requiring frequent transactions, where gas abstraction can significantly reduce barriers to user adoption.

EIP-7702 supports session keys that allow users to interact with apps without constantly re-signing, improving both security and convenience. Users can also implement multi-signature approvals and privilege de-escalation, where specific keys have limited permissions rather than global account access.

EIP-7702 maintains full compatibility with existing ERC-4337 infrastructure, requiring no new opcodes or hard forks. This backward compatibility ensures that current account abstraction tools and services continue working seamlessly. For developers building onchain applications, this means existing paymaster infrastructure and bundler services remain functional.

The standard works by having users sign an authorization that points to a specific delegation address containing the smart contract code they want to execute. After the transaction completes, the EOA reverts to its original state, maintaining security while providing temporary smart contract functionality.

EIP-7702 enables users to batch multiple DeFi operations, such as staking, borrowing, and swapping, in a single transaction, thereby reducing both costs and complexity. This capability aligns perfectly with the growing need for efficient cross-chain stablecoin movements and yield optimization strategies.

Unlike traditional EOAs that rely solely on seed phrases, EIP-7702 enables more sophisticated recovery mechanisms while maintaining the familiar private key model that users understand.

EIP-7702 was introduced in Ethereum's Pectra upgrade on May 7, 2025, with major wallet providers like Ambire and Trust Wallet already implementing support. Early adopters describe it as "the single greatest UX upgrade to Ethereum so far", indicating strong industry momentum behind the standard.