Biconomy, a blockchain infrastructure company that builds developer tools for decentralized applications, has introduced a new Ethereum standard called ERC-8211. Proposed on Tuesday, the standard is designed to allow AI agents and applications to carry out complex decentralized finance transactions in a single step rather than through multiple separate actions. The system, which Biconomy refers to as smart batching, enables several blockchain operations to execute together while resolving transaction values in real time.
The proposal addresses a persistent challenge in DeFi: many blockchain transactions depend on outputs that cannot be determined in advance. When a user swaps one token for another, the final amount received may shift due to price fluctuations or trading fees. In existing Ethereum batch systems, transaction parameters must be fixed before execution begins, leaving developers to either hard-code values or find workarounds for dynamic outputs.
ERC-8211 solves this by allowing each step in a transaction to reference the result of the previous one rather than relying on numbers set at the time of signing. Biconomy co-founder Ahmed Al-Balaghi explained that this means a single signed transaction could withdraw funds from a lending protocol, swap the exact amount received, and deposit the result into another protocol. Each step resolves its value at execution time and must satisfy predefined conditions before the next step proceeds.
Al-Balaghi noted that the standard also includes controls that can restrict what an AI agent is permitted to do within a transaction. He added that the system runs on existing Ethereum infrastructure and compatible networks without requiring changes to the core protocol or a hard fork. Developers can implement the standard directly, and it does not require the broader stakeholder consensus that an Ethereum Improvement Proposal would demand. ERCs, or Ethereum Requests for Comment, define technical rules for applications and tokens on Ethereum without altering the underlying protocol.
“What we’ve built lets developers just say: Whatever the balance is of the user, just compose that with the next action. And it’s done,” Al-Balaghi said. He added that this approach allows developers to create complex transaction flows without writing new smart contracts, using TypeScript instead. Should the standard gain widespread adoption, Al-Balaghi said it could eventually be incorporated into the core protocol itself.
The proposal has drawn support from the Ethereum Foundation, whose research scientist Barnabé Monnot said ERC-8211 aligns with the organization’s strategic priority to improve blockchain usability. Monnot said the collaboration began during a 2025 workshop organized by the Foundation’s Improve UX initiative. He described the agentic execution angle as a new but fitting development given the rapid growth of AI agents in recent months, calling ERC-8211 a suitable platform for orchestrating complex cross-chain interactions.
According to Al-Balaghi, the Ethereum Foundation chose to collaborate because it had not explored this particular area in its own work and recognized the value of partnering with external teams to move more quickly. He said the Foundation’s willingness to engage with the builder community reflects a shift in approach compared to two years ago, pointing to a series of changes the Foundation made last year. He described the organization as more competitive and action-oriented, calling the increased level of collaboration with the broader ecosystem a promising development.
Originally reported by Decrypt.
