In this track: Wallets without mystery
beginner · 3 MIN READ

Read a wallet confirmation screen

Check what you authorize, including details a friendly button can hide.

LET’S PICTURE IT

Before signing a delivery instruction, inspect the destination, contents and any permission for future deliveries.

SEE IT FOR YOURSELF
A transaction moves from Maya’s wallet through signing, node verification, peer sharing, a mempool, block inclusion and finality. Maya’s instructionTOLeo’s public addressAMOUNT0.01 ETHPretend transactionFirst, the wallet prepares a request. Maya’s walletSignature added ✓Private key stays in wallet 🔒Signed request WalletSigned requestNode AChecks ✓Node BChecks ✓Node CChecks ✓Node DChecks ✓NODE C’S LOCAL MEMPOOLVerify.Then share. Pending requestsProposed blockMaya → Leo · 0.01A proposer includes it. Nodes check the result. BlockIncludedCheckpointAgreementFinalizedValidator checkpoint votes support finality.Simplified model · not one vote per transaction
Illustration · no network calls
Prepare
→
Sign
→
Share
→
Include
→
Finalize

Maya prepares an instruction: send 0.01 pretend ETH to Leo.

A local simulation. Nothing is signed or sent to a network.

Begin with the chain and account

Confirm the network and which account will authorize the request. An account selected in the website may not be the one you expected. If the request changes networks, understand why before proceeding.

Separate value, destination and fee

For a native transfer, inspect the recipient and ETH value. For a contract call, the transaction destination may be a contract while the ultimate recipient appears in calldata. The execution fee is separate from the amount being transferred.

Look for permissions as well as payments

An approval can authorize future token spending without immediately sending that token amount. A typed-data signature can also represent important permissions. A “no gas” label does not automatically make a request harmless.

Treat previews as helpful interpretations

A wallet can simulate effects or decode an interface, but the result depends on available data and assumptions. If important details are unclear, identify the exact function and permission before signing. The ABI lab lets you practice reading those shapes locally.

TURN UNDERSTANDING INTO PRACTICEOpen the Calldata decoder →
QUICK CHECK · NO PRESSURE

Is a zero-ETH contract call necessarily harmless?

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Original explanations by EtherTools. Examples are educational and source-linked; this site is independent of the Ethereum Foundation. Our approach.