At its core, "intent" represents the expected outcome, while "transaction" outlines the precise steps required to execute the transaction.
The concept of "intent" recently proposed by Paradigm has gained popularity, and various projects based on this concept have attracted substantial funding due to the strong background of the financing parties. So, what is "What Are Intents?" Let's talk about "intent" and "intent-based transactions" today, as well as a transaction infrastructure based on intent, Bob the Solver.
How to Buy a Portion of Pig's Feet Rice through "Intent-Based Transactions"
Imagine that you want to buy a portion of pig's feet rice on Meituan. You need to open Meituan, find the restaurant, check for any coupons, stack discounts, pay 20 yuan, and then wait for your pig's feet rice to be delivered. This is the "execution" process explicitly stated when engaging in a transaction. "Intent," on the other hand, refers to the expected outcome of an operation. In the context of buying pig's feet rice, your "intent" is "I want to purchase a portion of pig's feet rice, and I am willing to spend 20 yuan." This instruction is then assisted by a third party to help you open Meituan, find the restaurant, stack discounts, and finally complete the purchase of pig's feet rice.
In the above example, the former belongs to "command-based transactions," where each parameter of the transaction needs to be specified by the user, while the latter belongs to "intent-based transactions." In this process, users only need to express the expected outcome to complete the transaction. Of course, in "intent-based transactions," in order to conveniently realize this outcome, the task of executing the operation needs to be outsourced to a third party.
At its core, "intent" represents the expected outcome, while "transaction" outlines the precise steps required to execute the transaction.
Differences in the Process of Intent and Intent-Based Transactions
The current standard method for users to interact with Ethereum is to manually create and sign transactions, sending specific format information to the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) to enable the EVM to execute state transitions. However, creating a transaction is a complex process, with low efficiency, and users may be forced to make decisions without sufficient access permissions or complex execution strategies in order to complete the transaction.
The purpose of intent is to alleviate these user burdens. Intent involves signing a set of declarative constraints, allowing users to outsource transaction creation to a third party without relinquishing complete control to the transacting party—effectively outsourcing the cumbersome operations to a authorized third party.
Let's consider a standard transaction process: in a transaction flow, your transaction signature allows validators to follow a computation path for a specific state, while incentives encourage validators to do so.
However, in intent, it becomes different. Intent-based transactions do not specify the computation path that must be taken, but rather allow any computation path that satisfies specific constraints. By signing and sharing intent, users can effectively grant permission to recipients to choose the computation path on their behalf.
Project Example: Bob the Solver
Now let's discuss an example (note: not for project promotion, for analysis purposes only).
Bob the Solver is an intent-based transaction infrastructure aimed at improving the user experience of wallets and decentralized applications (dapps). Let's see how it works.
Bob the Solver aims to simplify the transaction process and integrate it into wallets and decentralized applications (dapps).
The project emerged from the emerging paradigm shift in the abstract account field (we'll discuss abstract accounts later), delegating the transaction creation process to a third party. The focus is not to dictate the exact operations, but to execute the user's intent.
Essentially, it outsources the user's transaction creation and execution process, thereby changing the way users interact with blockchain transactions, making the entire experience more intuitive and user-friendly.
The implementation of Bob the Solver runs in two associated parts:
- A "solver" for creating transactions (txs);
- An "Account Abstract (AA) wallet" for executing these transactions.
Solver
Solver: Equipped with a machine learning (ML) model, the solver classifies the user's intent.
After classifying the intent, the optimizer scans potential transaction routes to find the most efficient path to achieve the expected outcome.
Once the optimal path is determined, the solver constructs the necessary transaction on behalf of the user and forwards it to the AA wallet.
Account Abstract (AA) Wallet
The AA wallet acts as the executor of the system. It includes a bundler and a paymaster.
The bundler's role is to collect and organize planned transactions sent by the solver.
Simultaneously, the paymaster is responsible for managing the gas fees associated with these transactions. This means that the paymaster pays the gas fees when necessary, ensuring smooth and uninterrupted transaction execution.
By deciphering user intent using an ML model, the solver eliminates the complexity involved in building transaction operations, while the AA wallet ensures the smooth execution of transactions.
The integration of these two parts simplifies the transaction steps. For example, when you want to make a transaction, such as "I want to buy a Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) at floor price," "Bob the Solver" can provide you with a seamless and efficient transaction experience.
Note: The viewpoints in this article are mostly based on my study of the article "Intent-Based Architectures and Their Risks" by Quintus Kilbourn and Georgios Konstantopoulos from Paradigm, along with some popular projects and personal understanding. For a more comprehensive understanding, you can refer to the original article by the authors at Paradigm.
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