The Ethereum Foundation has introduced a new security standard called “Clear Signing” with support from several major crypto wallet developers. The aim is simple: show users what they are actually approving before they sign. The framework is built around the proposed ERC-7730 standard and a public registry designed to turn complex contract data into readable transaction descriptions.
For years, wallet signing screens have often presented long hexadecimal strings or dense contract details that only technical users could interpret. Clear Signing is meant to change that step. Before confirming a transaction, users would be able to see plain-language information describing what the transaction does, which assets are moving, who the recipient is, and what permissions are being granted.
Blind signing has remained a core weakness in wallet security
According to the Ethereum Foundation, many phishing attacks and wallet-draining incidents over the years trace back to the same problem: users approving transactions they do not understand. The article points to the Bybit hack as an example, saying attackers used blind signing techniques to get users to approve transactions filled with unreadable technical data, which led to major fund losses.
The current signing experience has been compared to clicking through terms written in a foreign language. Skilled users may recognize some fields. Most investors cannot. That leaves them exposed when interacting with fake apps, malicious links, or compromised websites. The issue is not only the signature process itself, but also the fact that wallets often present too little usable context before approval.
ERC-7730 and a public registry add reviewable transaction descriptions
Clear Signing relies on the proposed Ethereum standard ERC-7730 and a public registry model. Independent security researchers can review and verify transaction descriptions stored in that registry, while wallet developers can decide which sources they trust and use those descriptions in their interfaces.
The Ethereum Foundation’s Trillion Dollar Security Initiative will oversee the infrastructure behind the registry and encourage broader adoption across wallets and developer teams. The model is meant to make transaction explanations inspectable instead of leaving each wallet provider to handle the problem in isolation.
Trezor CTO says every wallet provider should adopt it
Tomáš Sušánka, CTO of hardware wallet maker Trezor, said in a statement to CoinDesk that he welcomes the Ethereum Foundation’s Clear Signing standard and described it as a key security advance for the industry. He said it addresses a long-standing root vulnerability: blind signing. If users cannot understand what they are signing, effective protection becomes extremely difficult.
The release reflects a broader shift in wallet security thinking. The focus is moving toward a basic but unresolved question: does the user clearly understand the action being approved? For Ethereum, reducing the technical barrier around transaction signing is being treated as a much more immediate priority.