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What is an ERC?
An ERC (Ethereum Request for Comments) is a kind of EIP that sets an application-level standard: a shared interface for tokens, wallets or contracts, such as ERC-20 for interchangeable tokens. ERCs do not change Ethereum's rules; contracts and apps choose to follow them.
What it means for you
An ERC label on a token tells you which functions it promises, so wallets and apps know how to show and move it. It does not tell you the token is honest: the contract behind the interface can still add fees, freezes or owner powers that the label does not reveal.
How it works
EIP-1 places ERCs in the Standards Track as the category for application-level standards and conventions, including token standards and name registries. Unlike Core EIPs, an ERC needs no network upgrade and nodes do not enforce it; it takes effect only as contracts, wallets and tools implement its interface. An ERC keeps its EIP number, so ERC-2612 is the proposal that adds a signed 'permit' function to ERC-20 tokens, and ERC-4337 defines account abstraction without consensus changes.
Sources: ethereum.org glossary, EIP-1: EIP Purpose and Guidelines, ERC-2612: Permit extension for EIP-20 signed approvals · checked 4 October 2026
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