Standardizing EVM accounts on Flow Wallet: COA to EOA Migration

The latest release of the Flow Wallet Extension introduces a critical update for EVM users on Flow: migration from Cadence Owned Accounts (COA) to Externally Owned Accounts (EOA).

This update aligns Flow Wallet with broader industry standards, ensuring full interoperability with the wider EVM ecosystem while maintaining the security and performance users expect.

Understanding the Update: COA vs. EOA

To provide better compatibility across networks, Flow Wallet is transitioning account architecture from a Flow-specific model to the standard used by Ethereum and other EVM chains.

• COA (Cadence Owned Account): The initial account model for EVM on Flow. As a smart contract-based account unique to Flow, it lacks native support on other EVM networks or third-party wallets.
• EOA (Externally Owned Account): The industry standard for Ethereum and compatible networks. EOAs are controlled directly by a private key (recovery phrase), enabling universal compatibility.

Benefits of Migrating to EOA

The transition to EOA architecture unlocks significant benefits regarding asset portability and network interoperability.

Cross-Chain Compatibility

Migrating to an EOA ensures that your Flow Wallet recovery phrase functions as a universal key. Unlike the COA model, which locked assets to Flow’s specific smart contract architecture, an EOA allows you to use the same recovery phrase across other wallets (such as MetaMask) to manage assets on Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum, and other networks.

The Migration Workflow

This feature is currently exclusive to the Flow Wallet Extension, with support for mobile arriving in a future update. The process is designed to be automated and secure.

Automatic Detection

Upon unlocking the extension, the wallet scans for legacy COAs containing assets (tokens or NFTs). Users with active COAs will receive a prompt to initiate the migration workflow.

The Migration Wizard

The automated wizard handles the technical transition:

1. Account Creation: A new EOA address is generated using the user's existing recovery phrase.
2. Asset Transfer: A transaction is initiated to move all assets from the legacy COA to the new EOA.

Depending on the volume of assets, the transfer typically completes in a few seconds to minutes.

Post-Migration

Once finalized, all assets will appear under the new EOA address. To prevent confusion, the legacy COA address is automatically hidden from the main wallet interface.

Accessing Legacy Accounts

While the migration moves assets to the new EOA, the legacy COA is not deleted. The wallet includes specific features to ensure continued access if necessary:

• Auto-Reappear: If the legacy COA receives new assets after migration, the wallet will detect the incoming funds and automatically unhide the account.
• Developer Mode: Users requiring access to the legacy COA for development or specific technical purposes can manually unhide it by enabling Developer Mode in the Settings menu.

Availability

The COA to EOA migration workflow is live now on the Flow Wallet Extension. Users are encouraged to update their extension to ensure their EVM accounts are standardized for full cross-chain compatibility.