Comparative Study of Account Abstraction Solutions: Ethereum vs. Solana vs. Cosmos

1. The Need for Account Abstraction (AA)

Blockchain technology faces significant usability challenges, with cumbersome key management and transactional complexity being major pain points. Account abstraction (AA) emerges as a solution to streamline user experience (UX) by:

• Simplifying authentication: Enabling multi-signature, social recovery, and post-quantum cryptographic methods.
• Flexible fee mechanisms: Allowing gas payments via ERC-20 tokens or custom logic.
• Intuitive account management: Supporting email/social media logins and granular fund controls (e.g., daily withdrawal limits).
• Atomic transactions: Bundling multiple operations (e.g., token approvals and swaps) into a single signature.

2. Core Concepts

(1) Account Types

• EOAs (Externally Owned Accounts): Controlled by private keys (e.g., Ethereum’s ECDSA-based addresses).
• Contract Accounts: Governed by smart contract code (e.g., ERC-4337 wallets).

(2) Ethereum’s AA Roadmap

Key milestones:

• ERC-4337: Smart contract-based AA without protocol changes.
• EIP-3074/7702: Protocol-level AA integrating EOAs and contract accounts.
• Endgame Goal: Quantum-resistant AA via post-quantum signatures.

3. Ethereum’s AA Solutions

(1) ERC-4337

• How It Works: Users migrate to smart contract wallets (UserOperation bundlers handle transactions).

  👉 [Explore ERC-4337 wallet examples](https://www.okx.com/join/BLOCKSTAR)

• Pros: No hard fork required; supports paymasters for gas sponsorship.
• Cons: Requires DApp adoption of EIP-1271; limited multi-operation support.

(2) EIP-3074 & EIP-7702

• EIP-3074: Uses AUTH/AUTHCALL opcodes to delegate EOAs to bundlers.

  • Risk: High-permission AUTH vulnerable to phishing.

• EIP-7702: Hybrid approach—temporarily converts EOAs to smart contracts.

  • Adoption: Slated for Ethereum’s 2025 Pectra upgrade.

4. Solana’s Program Derived Addresses (PDAs)

(1) How PDAs Enable AA

• Deterministic addresses (no private keys) created via create_program_address.
• CPI (Cross-Program Invoke): Programs sign transactions on behalf of PDAs.

(2) Advantages

• Automation: Atomic execution of complex workflows (e.g., multi-step DeFi trades).
• Security: Eliminates private key exposure.

(3) Limitations

• Complex implementation vs. key-pair accounts.
• Migration requirement similar to ERC-4337.

5. Cosmos AA: Authz & Fee Grant

(1) x/authz Module

• Grant Types:

  • GenericAuthorization: Full message execution rights.
  • SendAuthorization: Token transfer limits.
  • StakeAuthorization: Delegation controls.
• Benefits: No account migration; ideal for DAOs and staking derivatives.

(2) Fee Grant Module

• Paymaster-like functionality: Sponsors transaction fees via allowances.

  👉 [Learn about Cosmos fee abstraction](https://www.okx.com/join/BLOCKSTAR)

• Types: BasicAllowance (one-time) and PeriodicAllowance (recurring).

6. Comparative Analysis

7. Future Outlook

AA adoption is accelerating, driven by:

• Institutional entry: Post-ETF inflows necessitate UX improvements.
• Multi-chain interoperability: Cross-ecosystem AA standards in development.
• Security upgrades: Post-quantum signature integration.

FAQ Section

Q1: Can I use ERC-20 tokens for gas fees with AA?

Yes! ERC-4337’s paymaster feature and Cosmos’ Fee Grant allow gas payments in non-native tokens.

Q2: Is account abstraction secure against phishing?

EIP-3074 carries risks, but wallet-level safeguards (e.g.,恶意签名拦截) mitigate threats. PDAs and contract wallets reduce private key exposure.

Q3: Which blockchain has the most mature AA implementation?

Ethereum’s ERC-4337 currently leads in adoption, while Cosmos offers seamless delegation via Authz. Solana’s PDAs excel in programmability.

Q4: Will AA replace traditional EOAs?

Long-term, yes—EOAs will phase out in favor of quantum-resistant AA accounts.