Wallet Contracts on Ethereum

Abstract

On the blockchain, cryptocurrencies play a role similar to cash, while cryptographic tokens are a universal tool for handling rights and assets. Software wallets interact with blockchains in general and with smart contracts (on-chain programs) in particular. Some wallets are realized (partly) as smart contracts with the intent to increase trust and security by being transparent and by offering features like daily limits, approvals, multiple signatures, and recovery mechanisms. Ethereum is the most prominent platform for both, tokens and smart contracts, and thus also for wallet contracts. We discuss several methods for identifying wallet contracts in a semi-automatic manner by looking at the deployed bytecodes and their interaction patterns. Furthermore, we differentiate characteristics of wallets in use, and group them into six types.