Glossary: ERC

ERC stands for Ethereum Request for Comment. It is a proposal format used to suggest new standards for Ethereum, including token standards, smart contract rules, and other developer guidelines.

What is ERC?

ERC stands for Ethereum Request for Comment. It is a proposal format used to suggest new standards for Ethereum, including token standards, smart contract rules, and other developer guidelines.

ERC Explained

ERC is a way for Ethereum developers to suggest and agree on shared rules.

Think of it like a school rule proposal. Someone writes down an idea, explains how it should work, and others review it before it becomes widely accepted.

In Ethereum, ERCs help apps and tokens work together. If many projects follow the same ERC, wallets, exchanges, and tools can understand them more easily.

ERC20 and ERC721 are two famous examples. ERC20 is used for regular tokens, while ERC721 is used for NFTs.

What ERC Means For

Audience	Use Case
Blockchain developers	Understand and follow shared Ethereum standards when building smart contracts or apps.
Protocol teams	Propose, review, or adopt standards that make products easier to integrate with the Ethereum ecosystem.
Crypto users and analysts	Understand what token standards like ERC20, ERC721, and ERC1155 mean and why they matter.

Examples

ERC20 defines a common standard for fungible tokens, so wallets and exchanges can support many tokens in a similar way.
ERC721 defines a standard for unique tokens, making it useful for NFTs, collectibles, memberships, and tickets.
ERC1155 allows a single smart contract to manage both fungible and non-fungible tokens, often used in games and marketplaces.
A developer proposes a new ERC to solve a recurring problem in Ethereum apps, such as account behavior, permissions, or token handling.