Revisiting Gas Matters: Eowyn Chen, Trust Wallet Team Member, Explains the Method FlexGas Uses to Reduce Web3 Hassles
Streamlining Crypto Transactions: Introducing FlexGas in Trust Wallet
In an effort to simplify the crypto world and make it as easy to navigate as the web, Trust Wallet has unveiled the FlexGas feature, enabling users to pay transaction fees using tokens like TWT, USDT, or BNB.
Gas fees have long been a source of frustration for crypto enthusiasts, persistently unpredictable and introducing unnecessary friction to an already complex system. The requirement to hold a specific network token just to complete a transaction can be confusing, especially for newcomers.
Aiming to address these issues, Trust Wallet, after the successful introduction of Stablecoin Earn, focusing on streamlining onchain transactions, presents FlexGas. This feature lets users pay gas fees using tokens they already have, such as USDT or TWT, thereby eliminating one of the biggest obstacles in everyday crypto use. FlexGas is built on top of a new Ethereum standard that enables smart contract-based gas abstraction, making Trust Wallet one of the first to implement it on the mainnet.
To understand how FlexGas aligns with Trust Wallet's broader vision for user-friendly experiences, we spoke with Eowyn Chen, the company's CEO.
1. Why is now the right time to tackle gas fees with a new approach?
Trust Wallet has always aimed for self-custodial experiences to rival, and even surpass, the usability of traditional apps. Gas fees have been a persistent blocker in that pursuit. With Ethereum's progress on EIP-7702 and the product momentum we gained from Stablecoin Earn, this seemed like the ideal opportunity to address a foundational user problem, not just superficial improvements, but deeper, infrastructure-level change.
2. What user pain points is FlexGas addressing?FlexGas aims to eliminate "silent restrictions" on the user experience. Today, even simple actions like sending crypto or minting an NFT can fail because a user lacks a small amount of the right gas token. This can be frustrating and confusing, especially for newcomers. FlexGas addresses this issue by allowing users to pay with tokens they already hold, like USDT or TWT, enabling them to focus on what they want to do, not how to do it.
3. How does FlexGas bring web3 closer to web2?Most people don't think about bandwidth when they browse the internet; they just expect things to work. That's the mindset we're bringing to web3 with FlexGas. The transaction still happens onchain, but the user doesn't need to manage the underlying logistics. They're not forced to swap or transfer just to cover a fee. We abstract the hard parts, preserving full control, full ownership, and seamless access.
4. Why was EIP-7702 chosen over existing solutions?EIP-7702 provided us with a path to introduce smart account behavior within standard EOAs, without requiring users to switch wallets or deploy contracts. This was a breakthrough. Many existing account abstraction models added overhead, complexity, or trust tradeoffs. We wanted something elegant, secure, and scalable, and 7702 gave us the foundation to build that, leveraging our in-house Paymaster, Relayer, and Bundler infrastructure.
5. How does FlexGas work?FlexGas is powered by a combination of Trust Wallet's onchain and offchain infrastructure. At its core, we built a custom Rust implementation of key ERC-4337 components, including our Paymaster and Bundler, which handle the conversion logic and execution flow when a user chooses to pay with something like USDT, TWT, and other non-gas tokens.
Behind the scenes, FlexGas routes the transaction through our audited 7702 smart contract. This contract acts as the foundation of our infrastructure and is designed with the highest security standards, fully resilient against major risks like the canonical EntryPoint contract exploit. It has been audited by Binance Security Team, Quantstamp, Halborn, and independently validated by Octane Security.
We're also actively working to expand the list of supported gas tokens, making the transaction experience smoother across chains.
Trust Wallet's FlexGas is groundbreaking, simplifying gas payments, and creating a more user-friendly crypto experience. This development is the first of many built on a modular, in-house account abstraction stack, aiming to enrich the wallet capabilities and seamlessly connect the user with the complex world of web3.
1. Trust Wallet's newly introduced FlexGas feature utilizes Ethereum's EIP-7702 progress and the success of Stablecoin Earn to tackle gas fees, aiming for a significant infrastructure-level change
2. FlexGas targets the issue of hidden restrictions in the crypto world, enabling users to pay transaction fees using their existing tokens like USDT or TWT, with the goal of enhancing the user experience for both newcomers and seasoned users
3. By implementing FlexGas, Trust Wallet brings web3 closer to web2, abstracting underlying logistics, allowing users to focus on activities rather than managing gas token requirements
4. EIP-7702 was chosen over existing solutions as it introduced the possibility of introducing smart account behavior within standard EOAs without necessitating users to switch wallets or deploy contracts
5. FlexGas operates through Trust Wallet's onchain and offchain infrastructure, with the use of a custom Rust implementation of key ERC-4337 components Like Paymaster and Bundler for handling conversions and execution flow when a user chooses to pay with non-gas tokens
6. The FlexGas transaction is routed through an audited 7702 smart contract that has undergone security audits from Binance Security Team, Quantstamp, Halborn, Octane Security, and is resilient against major risks
7. Trust Wallet is actively working to expand the list of supported gas tokens in FlexGas, aiming to provide a smoother transaction experience across various cryptocurrency networks and chains, including Ethereum, Binance Smart Chain, Tron, and more.
