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Paymaster

1 min read
Pronunciation
[pay-mas-ter]
Analogy
Like a concierge covering your taxi fare, letting you ride without carrying cash.
Definition
A smart contract or service that sponsors gas fees for users—often in meta‑transaction systems—by paying transaction fees on behalf of users based on predefined policies.
Key Points Intro
Paymasters abstract gas payment away from end users to simplify UX.
Key Points

Sponsorship policy: Defines which transactions are funded.

Budget control: Caps per-user or total sponsorship.

Verification: Ensures user intent before paying.

Meta‑transaction: Integrates with relayers and forwarders.

Example
A dApp’s paymaster contract covers gas for token transfers under 10 USD equivalent for new users.
Technical Deep Dive
In ERC‑4337, paymaster implements `validatePaymasterUserOp()` to check user staking balance, then `postOp()` to reimburse the bundler for gas used.
Security Warning
Open paymaster can be drained by malicious users; enforce strict validation.
Caveat
Sponsorship costs must be budgeted; monitor usage.
Related Terms
Gas Abstraction

Paymaster - Related Articles

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