Ethereum and Base Part Ways on Account Abstraction
The Ethereum and Base collaboration on Account Abstraction (AA) has come to an end. The two parties will now work on implementing separate AA standards.
According to Derek Chiang, a researcher at Ethlabs, the breakdown was due to differing requirements for AA between the two platforms. Ethereum prioritizes features such as censorship resistance and quantum security, while Base focuses on scalability and cost-effectiveness.
Ethereum's EIP-8141 proposes a frame-based transaction system, which would allow developers to create complex transactions with multiple frames. This approach is favored by Chiang due to its flexibility and ability to accommodate future upgrades. In contrast, Base's EIP-8130 uses a keystore account system, which allows for more granular control over user authentication.
The two teams had explored the possibility of implementing a common AA standard, but ultimately decided that it was not feasible given their differing priorities. The end result is that Ethereum and Base will develop separate implementations of AA, which may lead to differences in compatibility between the two platforms.