# Ethereum access lists: declaring accounts and storage in advance

An Ethereum access list declares addresses and storage keys to be treated as already accessed for gas accounting under the specified transaction rules. EIP-2930 charges for these entries up front. An access list is not an authorization list, and including one does not automatically make every transaction cheaper.

Evidence: [Optional access lists](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-2930)

Canonical: https://degreesofsatoshi.com/encyclopedia/ethereum-access-lists/
Published: 2026-10-02
Substantively modified: 2026-10-02
Independently verified by an automated reviewer: 2026-10-02T18:12:41.505Z
Data current through: 2026-10-02

AI-assisted research and drafting with a separate automated source-verification pass; no external expert or named human review is implied.

## Key facts

- **Contents:** An access list contains address and storage-key entries. ([Optional access lists](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-2930))
- **Cost:** The EIP-2930 schedule charges per listed address and storage key. ([Optional access lists](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-2930))
- **Duplicates:** Duplicate entries are permitted but charged repeatedly under the specification. ([Optional access lists](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-2930))

## Predeclare some execution accesses

The mechanism populates accessed-address and accessed-storage-key sets before execution. This changes the gas treatment of later accesses under the relevant rules.

It does not limit execution to only the listed contracts or slots. A contract can still access other locations, with their applicable gas costs.

Evidence: [Optional access lists](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-2930)

## Pay an upfront cost to change later costs

The original specification charges 2,400 gas per address and 1,900 per storage key, then applies warmed-access treatment. These figures describe the cited EIP schedule; a real estimate must use the network’s active rules.

Unused entries and duplicates can waste gas. Whether a list helps depends on the actual execution path and the costs it changes.

Evidence: [Optional access lists](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-2930)

## Do not confuse the list with an approval

Listing a token contract does not approve a spender. Listing a storage slot does not grant the sender permission to modify it. Authorization remains in signatures and contract logic.

Wallets should describe access lists as transaction execution data, separately from token allowances or account permissions.

Evidence: [Optional access lists](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-2930); [ERC-20 Token Standard](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-20)

## Questions

### Does an access list stop a transaction from calling unlisted contracts?

No. It affects gas accounting for declared accesses; it is not a sandbox that forbids other contract calls.

Evidence: [Optional access lists](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-2930)

## Claims and scope

### ethereum-access-lists-quick-answer

An Ethereum access list declares addresses and storage keys to be treated as already accessed for gas accounting under the specified transaction rules. EIP-2930 charges for these entries up front. An access list is not an authorization list, and including one does not automatically make every transaction cheaper.

Scope: {"collection":"ethereum","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null}

### ethereum-access-lists-fact-contents

Contents: An access list contains address and storage-key entries.

Scope: {"collection":"ethereum","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null}

### ethereum-access-lists-fact-cost

Cost: The EIP-2930 schedule charges per listed address and storage key.

Scope: {"collection":"ethereum","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null}

### ethereum-access-lists-fact-duplicates

Duplicates: Duplicate entries are permitted but charged repeatedly under the specification.

Scope: {"collection":"ethereum","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null}

## Sources

- [Optional access lists](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-2930) — Ethereum Improvement Proposals. Predeclared account and storage access sets with explicit gas charges. Locator: Specification. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T17:03:42.494Z.
- [ERC-20 Token Standard](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-20) — Ethereum Improvement Proposals. Token supply, displayed units and balance accounting. Locator: totalSupply; balanceOf; transfer; decimals; approve; allowance; transferFrom; Transfer. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T17:03:45.826Z.

## Revision history

- 2026-10-02: First publication after primary-source research and independent automated verification.

## Cite this entry

Degrees of Satoshi editorial project. “Ethereum access lists: declaring accounts and storage in advance.” Published 2026-10-02; updated 2026-10-02. https://degreesofsatoshi.com/encyclopedia/ethereum-access-lists/