Week 1 of #100DaysOfSolana has been an amazing learning experience!

Jay Gurav — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 17:46:52 +0000

This week I generated my first Solana CLI keypair, explored different wallet types, connected a browser wallet, and even built a small wallet connection app using Solana Labs tools and the Phantom wallet.

One of the biggest mindset shifts coming from Web2 was realizing that on Solana, your identity is just a cryptographic keypair. No usernames, no passwords, no centralized account system — ownership is completely tied to your private key.

I also experimented with:

Creating and managing wallets using the Solana CLI
Viewing balances in SOL and lamports
Checking transaction history on devnet
Connecting browser wallets to a frontend app
Understanding the difference between CLI wallets, browser wallets, and mobile wallets

What surprised me the most was how simple yet powerful the wallet system is. A wallet is not really a “container” for tokens — it’s proof of ownership on the blockchain.

Excited to keep building and learning more about smart contracts, dApps, and on-chain development in the coming days! 🔥

solana #web3 #blockchain #100DaysOfSolana #beginners

From Usernames to Wallets: Understanding Identity on Solana for Web2 Developers

Jay Gurav — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 17:38:17 +0000

If you are a Web2 developer stepping into Web3, one of the biggest mindset shifts is understanding identity. In traditional applications, identity is controlled by platforms. In Solana and other blockchain ecosystems, identity is controlled by cryptography.

At first, this idea sounded confusing to me. After spending time learning about wallets, keypairs, and Solana accounts, I realized that blockchain identity is actually very similar to tools developers already use every day — especially SSH authentication.

In this blog, I’ll explain how identity works on Solana using concepts familiar to Web2 developers.

How Identity Works in Web2

In Web2 applications, identity usually depends on centralized systems.

When you create an account on a website, you typically provide:

A username
An email address
A password

That information is stored inside the company’s database.

Whenever you log in, the platform checks whether your credentials match the stored records. If they do, you gain access.

This means your identity is controlled by the platform itself.

For example:

GitHub controls your GitHub account
Google controls your Gmail account
Your bank controls your banking account

If the company decides to suspend or delete your account, you can lose access instantly.

Your identity is fragmented across different services, and each platform owns its own authentication system.

Solana Takes a Different Approach

On Solana, identity starts with something called a keypair.

A keypair contains:

A public key
A private key

The public key acts like your address or identity on the blockchain.

The private key proves ownership of that identity.

If you have ever used SSH keys, this concept becomes much easier to understand.

With SSH:

You generate a public/private keypair
The server stores your public key
Your private key proves that you are authorized to connect

Solana works in a similar way, except instead of authenticating with one server, you authenticate with the entire blockchain network.

Your wallet address is your identity everywhere on Solana.

Example of a Solana public key:

14grJpemFaf88c8tiVb77W7TYg2W3ir6pfkKz3YjhhZ5

This is not just a username stored in a database. It is a cryptographic identity recognized across the network.

Why Solana Uses Public Keys Instead of Usernames

In Web2, usernames are controlled by companies.

On Solana, your identity is mathematically tied to your cryptographic keys.

Solana addresses are based on Ed25519 public keys and encoded using Base58 encoding.

Base58 is used because it removes confusing characters like:

0 (zero)
O (capital O)
I (capital i)
l (lowercase L)

This reduces mistakes when copying wallet addresses.

Unlike usernames, public keys are globally usable across applications.

One wallet can connect to many decentralized applications (dApps) without creating separate accounts for each one.

That means:

No repeated signups
No password reuse
No dependency on centralized authentication systems

Your wallet becomes your universal identity.

Ownership Without Permission

One of the most powerful ideas in Solana is self-custodied ownership.

In Web2, you only “own” your account because a company allows you to access it.

On Solana, ownership depends entirely on the private key.

If you control the private key, you control the account.

No administrator can reset your password.

No support team can recover your account.

No company can freeze your identity without access to your keys.

This creates true digital ownership, but it also creates responsibility.

If you lose your private key or recovery phrase, you may permanently lose access to your assets.

That is why wallets are extremely important in Web3.

For example:

CLI wallets are useful for development and scripting
Browser wallets like Phantom are convenient for daily dApp interactions
Hardware wallets provide stronger security for storing valuable assets

Each wallet type makes different tradeoffs between convenience and security.

Identity Is More Than Logging In

On Solana, identity is not only used for authentication.

Your wallet identity connects to everything you do on-chain:

Holding tokens
Owning NFTs
Voting in governance systems
Interacting with smart contracts
Building on-chain reputation

Because this identity is shared across the ecosystem, applications can recognize your wallet without needing permission from each other.

This is very different from Web2 platforms where identity systems are isolated and controlled separately.

Final Thoughts

Learning about identity on Solana completely changed how I think about authentication and ownership online.

In Web2, identity is platform-owned.

In Solana, identity is cryptographically owned by the user.

Your wallet is not just a storage tool for crypto assets. It is your authentication system, your proof of ownership, and your portable identity across the blockchain ecosystem.

For developers entering Web3, understanding this concept is essential because it changes how applications are designed and how users interact with them.

The biggest lesson I learned is this:

In Web3, you do not rely on a company to prove who you are. Your cryptographic keys do that for you.

100DaysOfSolana#solana#web3#blockchain#beginners

DEV Community: Jay Gurav

Week 1 of #100DaysOfSolana has been an amazing learning experience!

solana #web3 #blockchain #100DaysOfSolana #beginners

From Usernames to Wallets: Understanding Identity on Solana for Web2 Developers

100DaysOfSolana#solana#web3#blockchain#beginners