The Ethereum Foundation unveils new 'Clear Signing' standard to stop users from approving malicious crypto transactions
Key takeaways
- The initiative, called “Clear Signing,” aims to replace the confusing walls of code users currently see when approving Ethereum transactions with simple, human-readable explanations of what they’re actually agreeing to.
- The effort comes after years of phishing attacks and wallet drains that often boil down to the same issue: users unknowingly approving malicious transactions they don’t understand.
- Right now, signing a crypto transaction can feel like clicking “accept” on a terms-of-service page written in another language.
The move comes after billions in losses from phishing attacks and wallet drains, with Ethereum pushing to make transaction approvals safer and easier to understand.By Margaux Nijkerk|Edited by Nikhilesh De May 12, 2026, 5:31 p.m. 2 min read Make preferred on What to know: The Ethereum Foundation and major wallet developers launched “Clear Signing,” a new standard designed to stop users from unknowingly approving malicious crypto transactions by replacing confusing code with human-readable explanations. The move comes after billions in losses from phishing attacks and wallet drains, with Ethereum pushing to make transaction approvals safer and easier to understand as the network courts mainstream and institutional users.The Ethereum Foundation and a group of major crypto wallet developers are rolling out a new security standard designed to stop users from accidentally signing away their funds, a problem that has fueled some of the industry’s biggest hacks and scams.
The initiative, called “Clear Signing,” aims to replace the confusing walls of code users currently see when approving Ethereum transactions with simple, human-readable explanations of what they’re actually agreeing to.
The effort comes after years of phishing attacks and wallet drains that often boil down to the same issue: users unknowingly approving malicious transactions they don’t understand. The Ethereum Foundation pointed to incidents like the Bybit hack as examples of how attackers exploit “blind signing,” where users approve transactions filled with unreadable technical data.