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Ethereum developers have scheduled a new transaction system that could let users transact without keeping ETH in their wallets for gas. EIP-8141, known as Frame Transactions, is planned for the Hegotá upgrade in 2027, although the proposal remains a draft and its specifications could still change.
Frame Transactions Scheduled for Hegotá
Core developers moved EIP-8141 to “Scheduled for Inclusion” during the All Core Developers Execution call on Aug. 27. Ethereum’s updated roadmap now lists Frame Transactions among the main features scheduled so far for Hegotá.
The change would introduce a new transaction type that separates transaction validation, gas payment and execution into individual frames. The EIP was authored by Vitalik Buterin and nine other Ethereum developers.
Ethereum’s roadmap cautions that Hegotá’s scope is not final. The upgrade is targeted for 2027, after Glamsterdam, which is currently planned for the fourth quarter of 2026.
Users Could Avoid Keeping ETH for Gas
Ethereum currently requires transaction fees to ultimately be paid in ETH. Frame Transactions would separate the account performing an action from the account responsible for covering its gas costs.
That structure could allow an application or another account to sponsor a user’s transaction. It could also support arrangements where users pay with ERC-20 tokens while another account handles the underlying ETH payment to Ethereum.
Users therefore would not necessarily need to hold ETH themselves. The network would still receive its transaction fee in ETH from whichever account assumes responsibility for the gas.
Ethereum Already Supports Sponsored Transactions
Gas sponsorship is not entirely new to Ethereum. Account-abstraction systems such as ERC-4337 already allow applications to cover transaction costs or accept other tokens through paymasters.
Ethereum data cited in the roadmap shows more than 26 million ERC-4337 smart accounts and over 170 million UserOperations. Those figures are cumulative and can continue changing as ERC-4337 usage grows.
EIP-8141 would move some account-abstraction-style capabilities into Ethereum’s standard transaction flow rather than relying on the separate ERC-4337 architecture. The two systems use different designs and are not direct replacements for one another.
Frames Add Batching and Flexible Authentication
EIP-8141 would also allow several related actions to be bundled into one atomic transaction. If part of the sequence fails, connected actions could revert together rather than leaving only part of the operation completed onchain.
The proposal could allow Ethereum accounts to use different authentication methods over time, including key rotation and future post-quantum signature schemes. Users could gain those authorization options without necessarily moving assets to a new address.
Frame Transactions are not available on Ethereum today. EIP-8141 remains in draft status, and implementation details or the Hegotá timetable could change before the upgrade reaches mainnet.
