> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.theblockchainlibrary.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Safe Whitepaper

> The Safe Whitepaper (formerly Gnosis Safe) details the architecture and design philosophy of one of the most widely used smart contract wallet frameworks in the

# Safe Whitepaper

The Safe Whitepaper (formerly Gnosis Safe) details the architecture and design philosophy of one of the most widely used smart contract wallet frameworks in the

## Abstract

The Safe Whitepaper (formerly Gnosis Safe) details the architecture and design philosophy of one of the most widely used smart contract wallet frameworks in the Ethereum ecosystem. The paper outlines the need for a non-custodial, highly secure multi-signature wallet that allows users to manage assets collectively and with customizable rules. The core innovation of Safe is its modular and extensible architecture, which separates the ownership logic (who can sign) from the execution logic (how the transaction is executed). It provides a mechanism for adding 'guardians' and 'modules,' which allows for advanced features like social recovery, daily spending limits, and automated policy enforcement. The whitepaper documents the importance of a 'minimalist' core contract to minimize the attack surface, while allowing for complex functionality to be built on top. This work was a significant milestone in demonstrating the viability of smart contract wallets as a primary method for secure asset management, and it remains a foundational document for understanding the practical implementation of account abstraction and multisig security in decentralized finance.

**Authors:** Stefan George, Richard Meissner, Lukas Schor

**Publication:** Project Whitepaper

**Publication date:** 2018-01-01

## Key findings

* Establishes the standard for multisig smart contract wallet security.
* Demonstrates a modular architecture for wallet customization and extensibility.
* Focuses on a minimalist core to minimize smart contract attack vectors.
* Provides a framework for social recovery and policy-based asset management.

## Citation

Stefan George, Richard Meissner, Lukas Schor (2018). Safe Whitepaper. Project Whitepaper. [https://github.com/safe-global/safe-contracts/blob/main/docs/whitepaper.md](https://github.com/safe-global/safe-contracts/blob/main/docs/whitepaper.md)

## Related knowledge

* [“Hide the Wires”: Why Web3 Is Getting Invisible](/generated/v2/topics/hide-the-wires-why-web3-is-getting-invisible) — article
* [“Hide the Wires”: Why Web3 Is Getting Invisible](/generated/v2/topics/hide-the-wires-why-web3-is-getting-invisible) — related-article
* [Account Abstraction](/generated/v2/glossary/account-abstraction) — glossary
* [Account Abstraction](/generated/v2/glossary/account-abstraction) — related-glossary
* [Beacon Chain](/generated/v2/glossary/beacon-chain) — glossary
* [Beacon Chain](/generated/v2/glossary/beacon-chain) — related-glossary
* [Browser Wallet](/generated/v2/glossary/browser-wallet) — glossary
* [Browser Wallet](/generated/v2/glossary/browser-wallet) — related-glossary
* [Decentralized Identity: How Blockchain is Solving the Digital Identity Crisis](/generated/v2/topics/decentralized-identity-how-blockchain-is-solving-the-digital-identity-crisis) — article
* [Decentralized Identity: How Blockchain is Solving the Digital Identity Crisis](/generated/v2/topics/decentralized-identity-how-blockchain-is-solving-the-digital-identity-crisis) — related-article
* [HD Wallet](/generated/v2/glossary/hd-wallet) — glossary
* [HD Wallet](/generated/v2/glossary/hd-wallet) — related-glossary
* [LP Token](/generated/v2/glossary/lp-token) — glossary
* [LP Token](/generated/v2/glossary/lp-token) — related-glossary
* [Modifier](/generated/v2/glossary/modifier) — glossary
* [Modifier](/generated/v2/glossary/modifier) — related-glossary

***

**Canonical knowledge ID:** `research:safe-whitepaper`