Why 4337 and 3074 Authors are Disagreeing, and Who Got it Right

EIP-3074 vs. ERC-4337: The Battle Over Ethereum's Future

This article analyzes the fundamental disagreement between the authors of EIP-3074 and ERC-4337 (and its native form, EIP-7560), arguing that the conflict is rooted in differing visions for the Ethereum roadmap rather than technical rivalry.

(Note: This discussion explains the context that led to the creation of EIP-7702, which replaced 3074.)

Core Disagreements and Priorities

The two sides clashed over two main philosophical points:

1. AA Endgame: The 4337 camp believes their design (based on validation-execution separation) is the only official, censorship-resistant AA endgame for the community to rally around. The 3074 camp views 4337 as merely one possible path.
2. Urgency: The 4337 camp prioritizes Censorship Resistance (CR), suggesting UX improvements should be delayed if they conflict with CR efforts (like EIP-7547 Inclusion Lists). The 3074 camp argues that User Experience (UX) is the more urgent problem, as Ethereum needs adoption and ease-of-use.

The Author's Stance

The author concludes that both sides are partially right:

• 4337 is the necessary AA endgame: The core 4337 design elements (validation-execution separation) are essential for building a truly decentralized, censorship-resistant mempool for smart accounts.
• UX is the urgent priority: Delaying features like 3074 means stifling adoption. The current state of CR is "good enough" for the short term, and "what’s the point of making something censorship-resistant if no one uses it?" Shipping UX improvements now is critical for providing value.

Why 3074 Created Technical Conflict

The main technical issue was that EIP-3074 conflicts with EIP-7547 (Inclusion Lists).

• 3074 introduces the possibility of "mutually exclusive transactions" that could make an Inclusion List impossible to satisfy, potentially stalling the blockchain.
• This conflict led to the argument that 3074 should be delayed so CR efforts (7547) could be merged first.

Conclusion and Resolution (EIP-7702)

The debate highlights the complex, non-hierarchical nature of Ethereum governance. The author supported seeing EIP-3074 through or replacing it immediately with a similar UX-focused EIP.

Ultimately, the process resulted in EIP-7702, which replaced EIP-3074. This outcome is viewed as positive, as EIP-7702 delivers the needed UX benefits to EOAs while incorporating changes to satisfy the technical concerns raised by the 4337 community regarding future CR compatibility.

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