From 75ee445ae411c1e99b19ed110fac8896c1b0251b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: ayesigaisaac Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2026 09:36:23 +0300 Subject: [PATCH] docs: fix EVM account model content for hollow and long-zero accounts --- evm/differences/accounts-and-keys.mdx | 16 +++++++++++++++- evm/quickstart/get-test-hbar.mdx | 6 +++++- 2 files changed, 20 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/evm/differences/accounts-and-keys.mdx b/evm/differences/accounts-and-keys.mdx index 187d1029..7335944e 100644 --- a/evm/differences/accounts-and-keys.mdx +++ b/evm/differences/accounts-and-keys.mdx @@ -1,5 +1,5 @@ --- -title: "Accounts, Signature Verification & Keys (ECDSA vs. ED25519)" +title: "Accounts, Signature Verification & Keys (ECDSA vs. ED25519)" description: "Compare Hedera and Ethereum account models, ECDSA vs ED25519 keys, alias handling, and ECRECOVER/isAuthorized signature verification on the EVM." --- @@ -14,6 +14,20 @@ This section helps you navigate ECDSA and ED25519 signature workflows, introduce Hedera’s account model supports both ED25519 and ECDSA keys by identifying accounts by aliases instead of static addresses. This allows dynamic key rotation without changing an account’s ID, unlike EVM's static ECDSA-only approach. Signature validation varies accordingly: ED25519 keys use `isAuthorized` or `isAuthorizedRaw`, while Hedera's ECDSA accounts with aliases can still rely on `ECRECOVER`. +### **Hollow Accounts and Long-Zero Addresses** + +Hedera can create a **hollow account** when an EVM alias is used for account creation and the account has an ID but no key material yet. A hollow account can receive HBAR and tokens, but it cannot sign transactions or modify its account properties until the matching ECDSA key signs a transaction and the account is completed. + +Hollow accounts are often created via auto account creation or when an account is initialized with an EVM address alias but no on-file key. Once the account is completed, it behaves like any regular Hedera account. For an example flow, see [Hedera Testnet Faucet](/evm/quickstart/get-test-hbar). + +Some Hedera accounts may also fall back to the **EVM Address from Account ID** when no public-key alias is set. This fallback is the “long-zero” form: 12 bytes of zero followed by the 8-byte account number. It is a valid 20-byte EVM address, but it is not derived from an ECDSA public key and therefore is not compatible with `ECRECOVER` the way a public-key-derived alias is. + +If you want full EVM tooling compatibility, prefer the **EVM Address from Public Key** by creating the account with an ECDSA alias or by completing a hollow account with the matching ECDSA key. Accounts created with `setKeyWithoutAlias()` or with no alias will be reachable via the long-zero EVM Address from Account ID instead. + + +A hollow account becomes complete when it is used as the transaction fee payer and the matching ECDSA private key signs the transaction. Until then, the account can only receive value or tokens. + + ### **Clarifying Account ID vs. EVM Address** Hedera accounts have a native **Account ID** (e.g., `0.0.xxxx`) and can also have an **EVM Address from Public Key** (a 20-byte address like Ethereum's, derived from the ECDSA public key). The EVM Address from Public Key makes the account compatible with `ECRECOVER` and other familiar EVM tools. For more details, see the [Smart Contract Addresses](/evm/development/addresses) page. diff --git a/evm/quickstart/get-test-hbar.mdx b/evm/quickstart/get-test-hbar.mdx index 42d4ce86..94c8bace 100644 --- a/evm/quickstart/get-test-hbar.mdx +++ b/evm/quickstart/get-test-hbar.mdx @@ -27,10 +27,14 @@ To use the faucet, head to the [faucet](https://portal.hedera.com/faucet) landin When you use an EVM wallet address for the first time, **Auto Account Creation** kicks in to establish a new Hedera account linked to your EVM address. -This process creates a **hollow account**, an account with an ID and alias but no key. Hollow accounts can receive HBAR and tokens, but it cannot transfer tokens from the account or modify any account properties until the account key has been added and the account is complete. +This process creates a **hollow account**, an account with an ID and alias but no key. Hollow accounts can receive HBAR and tokens, but they cannot transfer tokens or modify account properties until the account key has been added and the account is complete. To complete the account, use it as the **fee payer** in a transaction and sign with the **ECDSA private key** tied to the EVM address. Once completed, the account works like any regular Hedera account. +If the account is instead created without an alias, it falls back to the **EVM Address from Account ID** (the long-zero form). That long-zero address is still a 20-byte EVM address, but it is not derived from a public key and does not support `ECRECOVER` in the same way as the alias-based EVM Address from Public Key. + +For more detail, see [EVM account models and aliases](/evm/differences/accounts-and-keys). +