# Account Abstraction

Account Abstraction enables the use of smart contract accounts instead of traditional externally owned accounts (EOAs). It separates ownership from control: unlike EOAs where the private key is tightly coupled to the account, smart accounts abstract the account from the signer.

## The Problem with EOAs[​](#the-problem-with-eoas "Direct link to The Problem with EOAs")

* **Gas fees create onboarding barriers.** Users must hold ETH before they can do anything.
* **Common interactions require multiple transactions.** An approve-and-swap on Uniswap is two separate confirmations.
* **Security is fragile.** A single seed phrase controls everything with no recovery, no spending limits, and no way to revoke access.
* **Automation is impossible.** EOAs require a human to sign every transaction.

## ERC-4337: How It Works[​](#erc-4337-how-it-works "Direct link to ERC-4337: How It Works")

[ERC-4337](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-4337) brings smart accounts to Ethereum without protocol changes. It introduces a parallel transaction flow built on these components:

| Component         | Role                                                                       |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Smart Account** | A contract that holds assets and defines its own validation logic          |
| **UserOperation** | A data structure packaging the user's intent, gas details, and signature   |
| **Bundler**       | A node that collects UserOperations and submits them to the blockchain     |
| **EntryPoint**    | A singleton contract that verifies and executes each UserOperation         |
| **Paymaster**     | An optional contract that sponsors gas or accepts ERC-20 tokens as payment |

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1. The app constructs a UserOperation and sends it to a Bundler
2. The Bundler bundles it with others and submits a transaction to the EntryPoint
3. The EntryPoint verifies the account's signature and confirms gas payment (from the account or a Paymaster)
4. The EntryPoint executes the account's calldata

## Next Steps[​](#next-steps "Direct link to Next Steps")

* [Send your first gasless transaction](https://docs.candide.dev/wallet/guides/getting-started.md) to see this flow in practice
* Browse the [SDK Reference](https://docs.candide.dev/wallet/abstractionkit/introduction.md) for the full API
* Read the [ERC-4337 specification](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-4337) for the complete standard