The Application Layer: Wallets & SDKs¶
Explore how smart contract wallets, embedded SDKs, and standards like ERC-5792 power user experience in Account Abstraction.¶
βοΈ What is a Smart Contract Wallet?¶
Smart contract wallets (SCWs) are user accounts implemented as contracts. Unlike EOAs (Externally Owned Accounts), they:
- Execute logic inside
validateUserOp()for flexible validation - Support features like batched calls, session keys, and gas sponsorship
- Can be upgraded, delegated, or extended with plugins
SCWs are the primary building block of Account Abstraction (AA), enabling programmable UX beyond the constraints of traditional wallet paradigms.
π§© Embedded Wallets and SDKs¶
Most apps donβt ask users to install a new wallet β they embed wallet functionality directly into the frontend, using SDKs. These SDKs often create a smart account under the hood, preconfigured to work with a hosted bundler and paymaster.
You may have encountered these flows already:
- "Sign in with Google" β creates a smart wallet
- "Claim token" β happens via a batched AA UserOp
- "Gasless swap" β uses a paymaster behind the scenes
While we donβt list SDKs here either, developers will find no shortage of options β from infra providers to open-source toolkits. A quick search, GitHub crawl, or dev meetup will surface leading options.
β Summary¶
The application layer is where AA meets users β and itβs evolving fast. Whether youβre embedding a wallet with an SDK, or building your own SCW from scratch, the tooling and standards are maturing.
To stay up to date:
- Browse WalletBeat
- Review ERC-5792
- Explore session keys, plugins, and modular architectures
Account Abstraction isnβt just infra β itβs UX. And this is where it shines.