EIP-7702
Enhancing Externally Owned Accounts (EOAs) by allowing them to temporarily delegate their execution to smart contracts.
Why EIP-7702?
This proposal enables advanced functionality like gas sponsorship, transaction batching, and custom security policies while maintaining the simplicity and compatibility of standard EOAs.
Key Features
🔧Flexibility
- Single-chain and cross-chain authorizations
- User-chosen proxy contracts
- Enables vendor experimentation
- Revocable temporary delegation
⚙️Compatibility
- Seamless integration with EIP-4337
- Compatible with existing smart accounts
- Maintains EOA simplicity
- Supports bundling & gas sponsorship
Technical Specification
Transaction Type 0x04
EIP-7702 introduces a new transaction type with TransactionType 0x04.
{
"type": "0x4",
"chainId": number,
"nonce": number,
"gasLimit": string,
"gasPrice": string,
"to": string,
"value": string,
"data": string,
"authorizationList": [
{
"chainId": number,
"address": string,
"nonce": number,
"yParity": number,
"r": string,
"s": string
}
]
}Authorization List Fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| chainId | number | The chain ID where the authorization is valid (0 for all chains) |
| address | address | The address of the smart contract code to delegate to |
| nonce | number | The nonce of the signer's account |
| yParity, r, s | signature | The EIP-712 signature components |
Authorization Behavior
1
Verification
The protocol verifies the chain ID, nonce, and validates the authorization signature to ensure authenticity.
2
Delegation
The EOA's code is temporarily set to the code of the specified contract address for the duration of the transaction.
3
Execution
The transaction is executed using the logic defined in the delegated smart contract.
Common Use Cases
Gas Sponsorship
Enable gasless transactions by delegating to a paymaster-enabled smart account.
Transaction Batching
Execute multiple operations (e.g., Approve + Swap) in a single transaction.
Advanced Security
Implement custom permissioning, multisig requirements, or time-locked operations.
Security Considerations
Important Security Notes
- Delegation persists across transactions - always revoke when no longer needed.
- The signer of authorization can differ from the transaction origin.
- Carefully audit smart contracts before delegating to them.
- Consider using time-limited or conditional delegations where possible.
- Test thoroughly on testnets before mainnet deployment.
Example: Creating an Authorization
TypeScript/Viem Example
// Create authorization for EIP-7702
const authorization = {
chainId: 11155111, // Sepolia
contractAddress: '0xe6Cae83BdE06E4c305530e199D7217f42808555B',
nonce: 0
};
// Sign the authorization
const signature = await walletClient.signAuthorization({
...authorization,
account: account
});
// Create EIP-7702 transaction
const transaction = {
type: '0x4',
chainId: 11155111,
from: account.address,
to: targetAddress,
value: '0',
data: '0x',
nonce: await publicClient.getTransactionCount({
address: account.address
}),
authorizationList: [signature]
};