This proposal outlines a trustless EOA inheritance mechanism using EIP-7702, enabling key recovery for lost keys (not stolen) while preserving the familiar EOA and hardware wallet UX. This 7702 contract allows any EOA (including hardware wallets) to opt-in for a trustless inheritance solution.
The core principle is the “proof of unchanged nonce” over a pre-configured inactivity period. Any transaction from the original private key during this period invalidates the inheritance process. This means that even if the inheritor account is quietly stolen, regular activity from the original private key is sufficient to cancel any rogue inheritance attempt.
The main convenience of this solution is that it only requires a single 7702 delegate transaction for preparation. Any inheritance or recovery work can be done AFTER the key is lost.
Inheritable7702 Contract
This contract, delegated by the EOA owner with an EIP-7702 transaction, enables the two-step recovery process over a configurable delay period.
config
Records a DELAY time and an inheritor account; both can be changed later by the account owner.
mark
Accepts a Merkle proof to prove the account’s recent nonce, which is then recorded in storage.
claim
After the DELAY time, accepts another Merkle proof to prove that the account’s new nonce is still the same as the one recorded in storage.
From now on, the inheritor account will be the sole admin of the account and can send any transaction from it, effectively inheriting or recovering the account from key loss (not key stolen).