EIP-4337 and Tempo Transactions
EIP-4337 introduced account abstraction to Ethereum through a system of bundlers, paymasters, and an EntryPoint contract. Tempo Transactions achieve the same goals through protocol-native features that require no additional infrastructure.
EIP-4337 Design Goals
EIP-4337 enables several key capabilities for Ethereum accounts:
- Fee sponsorship: Third parties can pay gas fees on behalf of users
- Batched operations: Multiple calls can execute atomically in one transaction
- Alternative signatures: Accounts can use signature schemes beyond secp256k1
- Custom validation: Accounts can define arbitrary validation logic
How Tempo Achieves These Goals
Tempo Transactions provide these capabilities at the protocol level.
Fee Sponsorship
EIP-4337 requires deploying a Paymaster contract, funding it with ETH, and running or paying for bundler infrastructure. The Paymaster validates sponsorship requests and the bundler aggregates UserOperations.
Tempo Transactions include a fee_payer_signature field directly in the transaction. A sponsor signs the transaction to agree to pay fees. The protocol validates both signatures and deducts fees from the sponsor. No contracts or infrastructure are required. See the fee sponsorship guide for implementation details.
Batched Operations
EIP-4337 bundles multiple UserOperations through an external bundler service. Each UserOperation can contain one call.
Tempo Transactions include a native calls array. Multiple contract calls execute atomically in a single transaction. The protocol handles execution directly without external services.
Alternative Signatures
EIP-4337 requires deploying a custom validation contract for each signature scheme. The contract must implement signature verification logic.
Tempo Transactions natively support secp256k1, P256, and WebAuthn signatures. The protocol verifies these signatures directly. Passkey authentication works without custom contracts. See the passkey accounts guide for implementation details.
Gas Token Flexibility
EIP-4337 Paymasters can accept alternative tokens but must convert them to ETH internally.
Tempo Transactions pay fees directly in any USD stablecoin that has liquidity on the Fee AMM. No conversion infrastructure is needed. See the stablecoin fees guide for implementation details.
Integration Comparison
| Aspect | EIP-4337 | Tempo Transactions |
|---|---|---|
| Contracts to deploy | EntryPoint, Paymaster, Account | None required |
| Infrastructure to run | Bundler service | None required |
| Fee payment | ETH via Paymaster | Any USD stablecoin |
| Signature verification | Custom validation contract | Protocol-native |
When to Use EIP-4337 on Tempo
Tempo has the ERC-4337 EntryPoint contract deployed for projects that require compatibility with existing 4337 tooling. Consider using native Tempo Transactions for lower gas costs and simpler integration.
Getting Started
To start using Tempo Transactions, see the Tempo Transactions guide for SDK integration in TypeScript, Rust, Go, and Python. For the full technical specification, see the Tempo Transaction Specification.