> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.safefoundation.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Glossary

> Definitions of terms and concepts used throughout the Safe documentation.

## Account Abstraction

Account Abstraction is a paradigm aimed at improving the blockchain user experience by replacing the reliance on [externally-owned accounts](#externally-owned-account) (EOAs) with programmable [smart accounts](#smart-account).

Key benefits of Account Abstraction include:

* Elimination of seed phrase reliance
* Improved multi-chain interactions
* Account recovery mechanisms
* [Gasless transactions](#gasless-transaction)
* Transaction batching

See also:

* [Ethereum Account Abstraction roadmap](https://ethereum.org/en/roadmap/account-abstraction)
* [ERC-4337: Account Abstraction](https://www.erc4337.io)

***

## Bundler

Bundlers are specialized nodes defined by the [ERC-4337](#erc-4337) standard. They collect [UserOperation](#useroperation) objects from a dedicated mempool, bundle them together, and submit them to the blockchain via the [EntryPoint](#entrypoint) contract.

Bundlers initially pay the transaction fees and are later reimbursed by the user’s smart account or a [Paymaster](#paymaster).

See also:

* [ERC-4337 bundling process](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-4337#bundling)
* [Bundlers documentation](https://docs.erc4337.io/bundlers)

***

## ERC-1271

[ERC-1271](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-1271) defines a standard interface that allows smart contracts to validate signatures. A contract implementing ERC-1271 exposes an `isValidSignature(hash, signature)` function that returns whether a given signature is valid for that contract.

This enables smart accounts to participate in signature-based authentication flows.

***

## ERC-712

[ERC-712](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-712) specifies a standard for hashing and signing typed structured data, making signed messages more readable and secure compared to raw bytestring signing.

***

## EntryPoint

The EntryPoint is a singleton smart contract defined by [ERC-4337](#erc-4337). It is responsible for validating and executing bundles of [UserOperation](#useroperation) objects submitted by [Bundlers](#bundler).

See also:

* [EntryPoint specification](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-4337#entrypoint-definition)

***

## ERC-4337

[ERC-4337](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-4337) introduces Account Abstraction without requiring changes to Ethereum’s consensus layer. It defines a new pseudo-transaction object called `UserOperation` and a dedicated mempool.

[Bundlers](#bundler) aggregate UserOperations and submit them to the blockchain via the [EntryPoint](#entrypoint) contract.

See also:

* [ERC-4337 documentation](https://www.erc4337.io)

***

## Externally-Owned Account

An externally-owned account (EOA) is one of the two Ethereum account types. EOAs are controlled by a private key, contain no executable code, and initiate transactions by signing them directly.

See also:

* [Ethereum accounts](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/accounts)
* [Ethereum whitepaper – accounts](https://ethereum.org/en/whitepaper/#ethereum-accounts)

***

## Gasless Transaction

Gasless transactions (also called meta-transactions) allow users to interact with the blockchain without directly paying gas fees. Instead, a third party-commonly a [Relayer](#relayer) or a [Paymaster](#paymaster)-submits and pays for the transaction on the user’s behalf.

Users sign a message describing the desired action, while the relayer constructs and executes the on-chain transaction.

***

## Multi-signature

A multi-signature account is a type of [smart account](#smart-account) that requires approvals from multiple owners to execute transactions. Owners can be [externally-owned accounts](#externally-owned-account) or other smart accounts.

### Common configurations

* **0/0 Safe**
  An account with no owners, fully controlled by [Safe Modules](#safe-module). Commonly used for automation.

* **1/1 Safe**
  A single-owner account. Simple to manage but requires a recovery plan in case the owner loses access.

* **N/N Safe**
  All owners must approve each transaction. Offers strong shared control but requires careful key management.

* **N/M Safe**
  Only a subset of owners must approve transactions, balancing security and flexibility.

### How it works

* Owners and thresholds are stored on-chain.
* Transactions include signatures from the required owners.
* The Safe contract verifies signatures before execution.

### Benefits

* **Enhanced security** through reduced single points of failure
* **Flexible ownership** and threshold configuration
* **Broad wallet compatibility**, including:
  * Hardware wallets (Ledger, Trezor)
  * Software wallets (MetaMask, Trust Wallet)
  * MPC wallets (Fireblocks, Zengo)
  * Other smart accounts
  * Social login or passkey-based wallets
* **Upgradability**, including owner and threshold changes
* **Auditability** of all executed transactions

***

## Network

A blockchain network is a distributed system of nodes that maintain a shared ledger using a consensus mechanism. Networks enable decentralized transaction execution without a central authority.

See also:

* [Ethereum networks](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/networks)

***

## Owner

A Safe owner is an account authorized to manage a Safe and approve transactions. Owners can be EOAs or smart accounts. The [threshold](#threshold) determines how many owner approvals are required.

See also:

* [OwnerManager.sol](https://github.com/safe-fndn/safe-smart-account/blob/main/contracts/base/OwnerManager.sol)

***

## Paymaster

Paymasters are smart contracts that sponsor gas fees for users under [ERC-4337](#erc-4337). They can enable gasless experiences or allow gas payments using ERC-20 tokens.

See also:

* [ERC-4337 Paymasters](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-4337#extension-paymasters)
* [Paymasters documentation](https://docs.erc4337.io/paymasters)

***

## Relayer

A relayer is a third-party service that submits transactions to the blockchain on behalf of users, often paying gas costs upfront.

See also:

* [What is relaying?](https://docs.gelato.network/developer-services/relay/what-is-relaying)

***

## Safe\{DAO}

Safe\{DAO} is a decentralized autonomous organization that governs and supports the Safe ecosystem through grants, governance, and ecosystem investments.

See also:

* [Safe\{DAO} Forum](https://forum.safe.global)
* [Governance process](https://forum.safe.global/t/how-to-safedao-governance-process/846)
* [Proposals on Snapshot](https://snapshot.org/#/safe.eth)

***

## Safe\{Wallet}

[Safe\{Wallet}](https://app.safe.global) is the official interface for creating and managing Safe accounts.

See also:

* [Getting started with Safe\{Wallet}](https://help.safe.global/en/collections/9801-getting-started)

***

## Safe Apps

Safe Apps are third-party web applications integrated into the Safe Apps marketplace. They interact with Safe accounts via the Safe Apps SDK and are not owned or audited by Safe.

See also:

* [Safe Apps SDK](https://github.com/safe-global/safe-apps-sdk)

***

## Safe Guard

A Safe Guard is a smart contract that adds pre- and post-execution checks to Safe transactions.

See also:

* [Safe Guards documentation](/smart_account/guards)
* [Zodiac Guards](https://zodiac.wiki/index.php%3Ftitle=Introduction:_Zodiac_Protocol.html#Guards)

***

## Safe Module

A Safe Module is a smart contract that extends Safe functionality while keeping core contracts minimal.

See also:

* [Safe Modules documentation](/smart_account/modules)
* [Safe Modules repository](https://github.com/safe-fndn/safe-modules)
* [Zodiac Modules](https://zodiac.wiki/index.php%3Ftitle=Introduction:_Zodiac_Protocol.html#Modules)

***

## Smart Account

A smart account is a smart-contract-based account that provides enhanced security and programmability compared to EOAs. Transactions are executed according to on-chain logic rather than a single private key.

Common features include:

* [Multi-signature](#multi-signature)
* Transaction batching
* Account recovery
* [Gasless transactions](#gasless-transaction)

Safe is a widely adopted implementation of smart accounts.

***

## Transaction

A transaction updates blockchain state and is typically initiated by an [externally-owned account](#externally-owned-account).

A Safe transaction is executed via the Safe contract’s `execTransaction` function.

See also:

* [Ethereum transactions](https://ethereum.org/developers/docs/transactions)

***

## Threshold

The threshold defines how many owner approvals are required to execute a Safe transaction.

***

## UserOperation

`UserOperation` is a pseudo-transaction type introduced by [ERC-4337](#erc-4337). UserOperations are sent to a dedicated mempool and executed through the [EntryPoint](#entrypoint) contract.

See also:

* [UserOperation specification](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-4337#useroperation)
* [UserOperation mempool](https://docs.erc4337.io/bundlers/userop-mempool-overview)

***

## Wallet

A wallet is an application or interface that allows users to manage blockchain accounts, sign messages, and submit transactions.

See also:

* [Ethereum wallets](https://ethereum.org/wallets)