Ethereum Foundation Launches “Clear Signing” Standard to Replace Unreadable Transaction Approvals

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The Ethereum Foundation and a group of major crypto wallet developers have launched a new security standard called “Clear Signing,” designed to replace the opaque, code-heavy transaction approval screens that have enabled phishing attacks and wallet drains across the industry. The initiative introduces human-readable transaction summaries in place of raw technical data, and is built on a proposed Ethereum standard known as ERC-7730.

Clear Signing Targets “Blind Signing,” the Vulnerability Behind Major Crypto Hacks

The Ethereum Foundation identified “blind signing” as the core problem the initiative addresses. Under the current system, users approving Ethereum transactions are typically shown long strings of code that only highly technical users can interpret, a condition the Foundation said has been routinely exploited by attackers. 

The Foundation cited incidents including the Bybit hack as examples of how blind signing has been exploited. In those cases, the Foundation said, attackers presented users with transaction data they could not interpret, concealing what was actually being approved. 

ERC-7730 Standard and a Public Registry Form the Technical Backbone of the Framework

The Clear Signing framework is built around ERC-7730, a proposed Ethereum standard that governs how transaction data is translated into plain language. Alongside the standard, the initiative establishes a public registry where transaction descriptions can be reviewed and verified by independent security researchers. 

Wallets participating in the system can select which verified sources within the public registry they draw from when displaying transaction details to users. Rather than displaying raw code, participating wallets would show users specific details before they approve a transaction, including what assets are moving, who is receiving them, and what permissions are being granted.

Ethereum Foundation Initiative to Oversee Public Registry Infrastructure 

The Ethereum Foundation’s Trillion Dollar Security Initiative said it plans to oversee the infrastructure underpinning the public registry while encouraging wallets and developers across the ecosystem to adopt the standard. 

The Foundation said the initiative is part of its broader effort to make transaction approvals safer and easier for all users to understand. The Foundation has not announced a timeline for mandatory adoption across the Ethereum ecosystem. 

Trezor Among Wallet Providers Backing the Clear Signing Standard 

The new standard drew support from Trezor, one of the hardware wallet providers involved in the rollout. Tomáš Sušánka, chief technology officer of Trezor, said in an email to CoinDesk: 

“We welcome the Ethereum Foundation’s Clear Signing standard as a critical security advancement for our entire industry. This addresses a fundamental vulnerability that has plagued cryptocurrency users for years, blind signing.” 

Sušánka added that when users can’t understand what they’re signing, security becomes much more difficult. According to him, this standard changes that, and every wallet provider should embrace it.