Traditionally, sending stablecoins works like this: you have USD₮ and want to send it, but the network requires you to pay the fee in its native coin, which you need to get first. Your tokenized dollars are ready for a transfer, but you still have to take an extra step before sending.

But what if it worked another way? With EXTRA SAFE, you pay gas using the token you already have, and the fee is settled in that same token.

In this post, we'll explain how paying gas with the token you hold works, and why Avalanche is the default blockchain that enables it.

The Mechanism: Account Abstraction on ERC-4337

The main obstacle to easier payments is a default rule on most blockchains: fees must be paid in the native coin without exception. A regular wallet has to meet this requirement because it simply uses a fixed key pair and adheres to the network's rules.

Account abstraction, which is the idea behind the ERC-4337 standard, changes this. It turns the wallet into a smart account, where its behavior is set by code. Once the rules are in code, you can also change which token pays the fee.

EXTRA SAFE includes this change in its product by using UGTP (Universal Gateway Transaction Platform), which is the system behind its payments. Inside UGTP, a component called a paymaster (from ERC-4337) handles the fee, so you can pay it with the token you're sending instead of needing a separate native coin. For you, it's simple: you pay the fee with the same tokenized dollars you send.

Walking Through a Single Transfer in EXTRA SAFE Chat

On the surface, sending USD₮ takes just one tap. Behind the scenes, the request goes through a few clear steps:

• 1.

  You start the transfer by choosing a contact and an amount in USD₮, then send it just like you would share anything else in a chat.

• 2.

  The transaction is checked for safety. Before anything happens, UGTP runs the transfer through a security check that looks at the target, amount, and data for any known threats. If the transfer is flagged as unsafe, it stops here.

• 3.

  The smart account sets up the operation. ERC-4337 processes the transfer using your smart account, and the paymaster covers the fee, so it is settled in the token you are sending.

• 4.

  By default, the transfer settles on Avalanche. It is settled on the Avalanche C-Chain in less than a second, and the app updates the status from pending to confirmed.

Why This Runs Best on Avalanche

Letting users pay fees with the token they send requires a lot from the blockchain. Avalanche meets these needs in three key ways:

• •

  Avalanche C-Chain already has production-ready ERC-4337 support. The smart accounts and paymaster system are proven and have the right tools, so you can settle fees in the token you send instead of the native coin.

• •

  Transfers confirm in less than a second, so payments in chat arrive as quickly as the messages themselves.

• •

  Low, steady fees. The cost of a send remains small and predictable. Avalanche is also EVM-compatible, built on the same standard as Ethereum. This means stablecoins and contracts you already use work on Avalanche too. The wallet supports multiple chains, but Avalanche is the default for transfers and settlements.

We covered the full reasoning for Avalanche being the default blockchain for EXTRA SAFE in a separate post: The Chain Behind Money in a Chat: Why We Chose Avalanche.

What Does This Change for the Sender

When you look past the technical details, only one thing changes for you: the stablecoin you hold is all you need. You open a chat, send USD₮, and the fee is taken from it.
The chain, smart account, and paymaster handle everything in the background, so sending money feels as easy as sending a message.

That’s the goal: to make sending tokenized dollars feel normal. The closed beta starts in June, and the product launches in July. You can be one of the first to try it.

JOIN THE BETA →