Launching ERC 7579 Adapter for Safe: Supercharging the Module Ecosystem for Smart Accounts

Today, Safe{Core} announces the launch of the ERC 7579 adapter for Safe smart accounts, designed to supercharge the module ecosystem for smart accounts. This new adapter marks a significant leap forward in the interoperability of smart accounts and gives developers a chance at distribution of their smart account modules to Safe’s large ecosystem. The move also aims as building more component reuse and coherence in the smart account ecosystem with cross compatibility of modules across different accounts.

Safe’s early belief in the modular account abstraction thesis: App ecosystem for Smart Accounts 

Modules are like apps for smart accounts. Smart account modules are self-contained smart contracts that extend a smart account's functionality, allowing any developer—not just the core team behind the smart account or smart wallet—to access the programmable validation and execution of smart accounts. 

Since its inception in 2018, Safe's wallet infrastructure and tooling has promoted modularity. Some of the earliest production-ready modules like spending limits, roles-based account access, recovery, and many more have existed in the Safe ecosystem. While Safe is known for it’s lindy multisig smart account securing $100B+ in value, we also want a large “smart account app” ecosystem to flourish on top with modules. This requires that we are enforce standards and security and create an open innovation and permissionless builder ecosystem around modules. 

Introducing ERC 7579: The minimal interoperable standard for modules in smart accounts

ERC 7579 is a new Ethereum standard focused on enhancing the interoperability and functionality of smart accounts. This standard introduces a set of guidelines and protocols that enable seamless interaction between different smart contracts and modules. By adopting ERC 7579, developers can create more versatile and powerful applications that leverage the full potential of smart accounts. Lead by Rhinestone and supported by the wider account abstraction (AA) community, this standard sets out the minimum requirements for modules to be easily interoperable between smart account implementations. 

The ERC 7579 Adapter and what it means for Safe builders and users:

The ERC 7579 adapter for Safe smart accounts is a powerful addition to our stack. Here’s how it supercharges the module ecosystem:

1. New audited modules to intergrate- 7579 adapter introduces modular validation, allowing the Safe smart account allowing builders to incorporate powerful features like Passkeys and Session Keys through external modules.  

2. Resuability and Module Interoperability - New modules built for the 7579 account ecosystem can now be integrated into any Safe dapp, unlocking new functionalities and experiences for Safe users, getting wider distribution. Equally, modules built on Safe can use the adapter to make it compatible across the wider AA ecosystem. 

3. Increased Portability for Safe Users - Safe users can now access a broader set of smart account-first dapps built within the ERC-7579 ecosystem. Any dapp utilizing 7579 modules can adopt the Safe{7579} adapter to serve Safe users.

4. Access to ERC-7579 Tooling - The ERC-7579 community is building a rich set of tools for module and dapp developers, now available to Safe developers. This includes Rhinestones ModuleKit and ModuleSDK to bring more developers to write smart account apps as modules. 

Enforcing Security of modules through registries  

Registries for modules enforce standards and security guarantees in the module ecosystems.  This is akin to security guarantees typically provided by “app-stores”. Registries can act as a way to enforce this when installing and using third-party modules.

The Module Registry stores onchain security assertions (called “attestations”) made by independent security entities. These attestations are queried during module installation and run time to ensure the right security thresholds have been met. The Module Registry will build upon ERC-7512 (co-authored by Safe and top auditors) and will use onchain audits to ensure the open ecosystem come with security guarantees for developers and users. Rhinestone has an implementation of the Module Registry but this will be compatible with multiple registries and can unlock future paths for value creation and accrual for Safe and Safe{DAO}.

What’s Next: 

Users can already implement the 7579 adapter and use modules with existing Safe accounts.They can also access tooling made available by Rhinestone and Safe to adopt and write modules for apps. We are excited to see the innovative solutions and applications that will emerge from this development. 

Stay tuned for more updates and join us on this exciting journey as we continue to innovate and redefine the blockchain landscape with Safe and ERC 7579.

Stay tuned for more updates and insights from our team.

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