What’s ERC-7512? A New Standard Proposed By Ethereum Developers

In the first half of 2023, DeFi scams and hacks drained an estimated $667 million from digital wallets. Smart contracts, the backbone of decentralized applications (dApps), are often exploited, spotlighting the pressing need for enhanced security measures. 

Significantly, a new proposal, ERC-7512, has come to the forefront. Developed by a consortium of blockchain experts from Safe, Ackee Blockchain, OtterSec, ChainSecurity, OpenZeppelin, and Hats Finance, this proposal standardizes how audit reports are presented directly on the Ethereum blockchain.

Richard Meissner’s Take

Richard Meissner, the co-founder of Safe and a primary author of the ERC-7512 standard, accentuates the urgency for a robust framework to verify the security of interacting contracts. Meissner notes,

“The blockchain ecosystem focuses extensively on security at the consensus layer. However, a glaring gap in smart contract security arises due to the lack of on-chain audit visibility.” 

Hence, ERC-7512 emerges as a promising solution to this challenge by offering a standardized method for making audit details verifiably accessible on the blockchain.

How ERC-7512 Changes the Game

Smart contract audits function as crucial safeguards against bugs and potential exploits. However, a significant drawback has been the need for a unified method for showcasing these audits. ERC-7512 aspires to resolve this by introducing a standardized format to represent and verify audit reports directly on the blockchain. 

Consequently, the proposal goes beyond providing a singular fix since it catalyzes ongoing enhancements in smart contract security.

In addition to facilitating rigorous audits by credible auditors, ERC-7512 could lay the foundation for a robust on-chain reputation system. This new layer of trust would allow both dApps and users to confirm the integrity of smart contract audits effortlessly. 

Furthermore, the standard is designed for future iterations to extend its capabilities, thereby augmenting its ability to minimize risks and thwart vulnerabilities.

While ERC-7512 has garnered significant attention and endorsement, whether the core Ethereum developers will adopt it as a standard remains to be seen. Earlier efforts, such as the still-under-development ERC-7265 proposal, also aimed to bolster dApp security but have yet to reach full implementation.