EIP / ERC

An EIP documents a proposal for Ethereum. Documents can describe protocol changes, interfaces or processes. An ERC addresses application standards: for example, ERC-20 defines a fungible-token interface. The names EIP-20 and ERC-20 refer to the same historical document.

Application standards are maintained in ethereum/ERCs, while protocol changes and processes are maintained in ethereum/EIPs. The process distinguishes statuses such as Draft, Review, Last Call and Final, alongside withdrawn or stagnant proposals. Final status does not establish the security of every implementation.

Sharing an interface makes integration between contracts, wallets and applications easier. It does not require a platform to list a token or guarantee compatibility with every extension. The specification, its status and the concrete implementation should be distinguished.