Ethereum Foundation Launches Service to Prevent Blind Signing of Transactions

The Ethereum Foundation has launched the Clear Signing initiative to combat the risks associated with blind signing of transactions. This effort, developed alongside wallet creators and cybersecurity experts, aims to make blockchain operations more transparent and user-friendly.

Central to this initiative is the introduction of ERC-7730, a new open standard for transaction descriptions, proposed by Ledger. Additionally, a dedicated public registry at clearsigning.org will allow developers to publish smart contract descriptions, while an independent verification system will ensure the reliability of this information.

Typically, wallets show transaction confirmations using technical hash codes, which can mislead users into signing potentially malicious contracts. ERC-7730 aims to change this by implementing a "what you see is what you sign" approach, providing clearer, structured descriptions for blockchain actions.

The Ethereum Foundation will serve as a neutral operator of the newly created descriptor registry, with independent experts responsible for verifying entries through a certification process. This project has garnered support from leading industry players, including Ledger, MetaMask, and Trezor, who are encouraged to adopt ERC-7730 as the standard for transaction clarity on the Ethereum network.