Visa has conducted experiments on the Goerli testnet of Ethereum using smart contracts to enable transaction-free payments with the help of account abstraction. The company deployed two sets of "Paymaster" smart contracts to expand the capabilities of such contracts to user accounts and allow wallets to autonomously perform complex tasks and manage transaction costs on behalf of other accounts. The primary objective of these contracts is to simplify user interaction with the Ethereum network by eliminating the need for end-users to hold ether (ETH) for transaction or “gas” fees or letting users pay with any token. Visa's move is the latest in a relationship with Ethereum that dates back to at least 2021 when it announced it was settling payments in the USDC stablecoin on the blockchain.