CIP-???? | Wallet best practices

cip-wallet-best-practices/README.md

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+---
+CIP: ?
+Title: Wallet best practices
+Category: Wallets
+Status: Proposed
+Authors:
+    - Ryan Williams <[email protected]>
+Implementors: []
+Discussions:
+    - https://github.com/cardano-foundation/CIPs/pull/815
+Created: 2024-05-08
+License: CC-BY-4.0
+---
+
+## Abstract
+
+Cardano boasts a wide and competitive wallet ecosystem.
+Diversity brings advantages but can also lead to disperse functionalities.
+
+Here we describe a common set of best practices for wallet implementors that aim to improve wallet security and user experience across the ecosystem.
+While these recommendations cannot be enforced, by documenting them, we aim to bring awareness to them for all stakeholders.
+
+## Motivation: why is this CIP necessary?
+
+The Cardano ecosystem enjoys a wide range of wallets, this is great for users, affording them a range of options.
+Although this can bring challenges, ecosystem level standardization can be difficult.
+
+This proposal intends to improve the security and user experience base lines for all wallets in the Cardano ecosystem.
+
+The stakeholders of this proposal are wallet users and wallet implementors.
+
+### Security
+
+- documenting best practices ensures that all wallet implementors can at least be aware, first step to conforming
+- improve security baselines, no excuses
+- may help users choose *safer* wallets
+
+### Inconsistent user experience
+
+- inherently complex things, derivation/addresses are hard to explain
+- lead to a worse experience causing people to leave the ecosystem
+- can lead to confusion for users across wallets, could lead to mistakes
+
+## Specification
+
+### Meta
+
+- open source
+- should attempt to conform to standards/ formally describe
+- passcode protected
+- should allow users to do what they want, but can warn of dangerous situations
+
+### Derivation/ Addresses
+
+- single address wallets should be aware that other wallets are multi-address
+- be aware of relevant standards
+
+### Secrets
+
+- encrypted using user's passphrase
+- decrypted secrets are in-memory for the least possible amount of time
+- any references to secret objects should be overwritten with byte arrays with 0s
+- user must always be asked to be able to decrypt secret key
+- encrypted, as much as possible
+- only decrypted for signing and derivation operations
+
+### Transactions
+
+- inform of all assets being moved within a transaction
+- strong warnings when wallet cannot verify the inputs to a transaction
+- signing certificates with the wrong type of keys
+
+### Staking
+
+- should allow delegation to all
+
+### dApp Connector
+
+### Governance
+
+## Rationale: how does this CIP achieve its goals?
+
+A lot of these are already followed, but it is nice to have a formal list, for people to check against.
+
+## Path to Active
+
+### Acceptance Criteria
+
+- [ ]
+- [ ]
+- [ ]
+
+### Implementation Plan
+
+- [ ] Present this proposal to the Wallets Working Group
+- [ ] Seek input from at least five wallet implementors
+
+## Copyright
+
+This CIP is licensed under [CC-BY-4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode).