The Ethereum and Base L2 teams have discontinued joint work on a unified account abstraction standard. Instead, developers are focusing on two independent mechanisms—EIP-8141 and EIP-8130. While this decision preserves the unique characteristics of each network, it creates additional workload for wallet developers.
Both proposals share a common goal: moving smart wallet logic directly into the protocol. This will allow users to approve transactions via Passkeys (smartphone biometrics), bundle multiple actions into a single transaction, and offload gas fee payments to third-party services.
Divergent Priorities: L1 vs. L2
The attempt to create a universal standard failed due to fundamental differences in network objectives. Ethlabs researcher Derek Chiang noted that talks stalled because of opposing architectural requirements:
- Ethereum prioritizes maximum censorship resistance, privacy, and base-layer security.
- Base focuses on scalability, customization for application needs, and regulatory compliance.
Any technical compromise would have required one side to compromise on its core principles, leading both teams to develop their standards independently.
Comparing EIP-8141 and EIP-8130
EIP-8141 (Ethereum Focus)
This proposal splits a transaction into programmable “frames” that independently verify the sender, fee payer, and executed actions.
- Allows changing the signature scheme (e.g., transitioning away from secp256k1) without moving funds to a new address—a crucial step for future quantum resistance.
- Granted top priority by the Ethereum Foundation and included in the Hegota upgrade roadmap alongside the FOCIL mechanism.
EIP-8130 (Base / Coinbase Focus)
Authored by Coinbase engineer Chris Hunter, this mechanism stores account permissions and configuration in a separate on-chain Keystore repository.
- Wallets declare the validation method upfront, allowing nodes to determine computational requirements without executing arbitrary code.
- Optimized for high-throughput L2 networks by utilizing a restricted set of standardized authentication methods.
What This Means for the Ecosystem
For everyday users, the split will be seamless: application interfaces will automatically adapt the transaction format to the active network.
The primary burden falls on infrastructure developers. Wallet and dApp creators will need to maintain two distinct native transaction formats simultaneously, increasing codebase complexity and integration overhead.
