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EIP-712

EIP712

EIP712 is an Ethereum improvement proposal for implementing more secure, standardized structured data signing on the Ethereum blockchain. The EIP712 proposal defines a method for constructing and signing data through clearly defined structured data formats (human-friendly and readable), thereby reducing the risk of signing errors and enhancing user experience and security.

Tip: Background of the EIP712 Proposal

On the Ethereum blockchain, signing is a very common operation. Users need to sign transactions, authorizations, and other operations to prove their identity and authorize actions. However, in traditional signing methods, users typically need to sign a string of incomprehensible hash data, which leads to several problems:

Poor readability: The data users sign is a hash value or raw hexadecimal string, which is difficult for ordinary users to understand, increasing the risk of mis-signing or being deceived.

Security issues: Since users have difficulty understanding the signed data, malicious contracts or applications can trick users into signing unsafe or illegitimate transactions.

Development complexity: Developers need to repeatedly implement signing and verification logic across different applications and scenarios, increasing development complexity and potential error risks.

How EIP712 Works

  1. Define Domain: Specify the domain information to which the signed data belongs, including name, version, chain ID, and verifying contract address. Domain information ensures the uniqueness and tamper-resistance of signed data.
  2. Define Data Structure (Type Definitions): Clearly define the data types and structures to be signed. These types and structures are standardized through EIP712, ensuring consistency and readability of signed data.
  3. Generate Hash: Generate a data hash based on the defined data structure and domain information.
  4. Sign Data: Sign the generated hash value.

For usage instructions, refer to the EIP-712 specification at eips.ethereum.org.