Ethereum and Base Account Abstraction Efforts Collapse Amid Layer-2 Competition

The Ethereum and Base collaboration on account abstraction has broken down, exposing an uncomfortable truth about layer-2 (L2) competition.

Ethereum's EIP-8141 and Base's EIP-8130 aimed to create a shared standard for the next generation of crypto wallets. However, developers working on these projects were unable to reconcile their different requirements, leading to a split.

Derek Chiang, an Ethlabs researcher, stated that Ethereum wanted to be 'the best version of Ethereum,' while Base sought to be 'the best version of Base.' This divergence is not surprising, given the market pressure on L2s to innovate and introduce new features at a faster pace than the L1.

Garnett, an Ethereum core developer, noted that this competition may lead to incompatibilities among L2s. He added that 'time will tell whether that is a strength or weakness.'