Web3

Wallet

Software or hardware that manages cryptographic keys and enables users to sign transactions, view balances, and interact with dApps. Hot wallets (Phantom, Solflare, Backpack) are internet-connected for convenience. Cold wallets (Ledger, Trezor) store keys offline for security. Wallets don't actually 'hold' tokens—they hold the private keys that control on-chain accounts.

IDwallet-generalAliasCrypto Wallet

Plain meaning

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Software or hardware that manages cryptographic keys and enables users to sign transactions, view balances, and interact with dApps. Hot wallets (Phantom, Solflare, Backpack) are internet-connected for convenience. Cold wallets (Ledger, Trezor) store keys offline for security. Wallets don't actually 'hold' tokens—they hold the private keys that control on-chain accounts.

Mental model

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Technical context

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Wallets, signing flows, dApps, and key management concepts.

Why builders care

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Wallet (wallet-general)
Category: Web3
Definition: Software or hardware that manages cryptographic keys and enables users to sign transactions, view balances, and interact with dApps. Hot wallets (Phantom, Solflare, Backpack) are internet-connected for convenience. Cold wallets (Ledger, Trezor) store keys offline for security. Wallets don't actually 'hold' tokens—they hold the private keys that control on-chain accounts.
Aliases: Crypto Wallet
Related: Keypair, Wallet Adapter
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Concept graph

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Branch

Keypair

A pair of a 32-byte Ed25519 private key and its corresponding 32-byte public key. Keypairs are used to sign transactions and derive account addresses. They are stored as 64-byte arrays (private + public concatenated) in JSON files by the Solana CLI. The private key should never be shared or exposed.

Branch

Wallet Adapter

A TypeScript/JavaScript library maintained by Solana Labs (now under the Anza umbrella) that provides a unified interface and React context for connecting to and interacting with browser extension wallets (Phantom, Backpack, Solflare, etc.) using the Wallet Standard. It abstracts wallet-specific APIs behind a common connect/disconnect/signTransaction/sendTransaction interface, allowing dApps to support all compliant wallets without custom per-wallet integration code.

Next concepts to explore

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Programming Model

Keypair

A pair of a 32-byte Ed25519 private key and its corresponding 32-byte public key. Keypairs are used to sign transactions and derive account addresses. They are stored as 64-byte arrays (private + public concatenated) in JSON files by the Solana CLI. The private key should never be shared or exposed.

Infrastructure

Wallet Adapter

A TypeScript/JavaScript library maintained by Solana Labs (now under the Anza umbrella) that provides a unified interface and React context for connecting to and interacting with browser extension wallets (Phantom, Backpack, Solflare, etc.) using the Wallet Standard. It abstracts wallet-specific APIs behind a common connect/disconnect/signTransaction/sendTransaction interface, allowing dApps to support all compliant wallets without custom per-wallet integration code.

Web3

Wash Trading

Practice of simultaneously buying and selling the same asset to artificially inflate trading volume. Common in NFT markets where traders trade between their own wallets to fabricate activity metrics, manipulate collection rankings, or farm airdrop eligibility. Solana's low fees make wash trading cheaper than on other chains.

Web3

WAGMI

Acronym for 'We're All Gonna Make It.' An expression of collective optimism and community solidarity used during bull markets, protocol milestones, and positive announcements. WAGMI reinforces group cohesion and shared belief in long-term success. The counterpart to NGMI, it originated from bodybuilding culture and was adopted by crypto communities during the 2021 bull cycle.

Commonly confused with

Terms nearby in vocabulary, acronym, or conceptual neighborhood.

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Web3wagmi

WAGMI

Acronym for 'We're All Gonna Make It.' An expression of collective optimism and community solidarity used during bull markets, protocol milestones, and positive announcements. WAGMI reinforces group cohesion and shared belief in long-term success. The counterpart to NGMI, it originated from bodybuilding culture and was adopted by crypto communities during the 2021 bull cycle.

AliasWAGMI
Web3web3

Web3

The vision of a decentralized internet built on blockchain technology, where users own their data, identity, and digital assets. Web1 was read-only (static pages), Web2 is read-write (platforms like social media), Web3 is read-write-own (permissionless, user-sovereign). Web3 applications use wallets instead of logins and smart contracts instead of centralized servers.

Web3whale

Whale

An individual or entity holding a very large amount of a particular cryptocurrency or token, enough to potentially influence market prices through their trading activity. On Solana, whale movements can be tracked on-chain by monitoring large token transfers or wallet balances via explorers and analytics tools. Whale activity is closely watched because large buys or sells can cause significant price swings, especially in tokens with lower liquidity.

Related terms

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Programming Modelkeypair

Keypair

A pair of a 32-byte Ed25519 private key and its corresponding 32-byte public key. Keypairs are used to sign transactions and derive account addresses. They are stored as 64-byte arrays (private + public concatenated) in JSON files by the Solana CLI. The private key should never be shared or exposed.

Infrastructurewallet-adapter

Wallet Adapter

A TypeScript/JavaScript library maintained by Solana Labs (now under the Anza umbrella) that provides a unified interface and React context for connecting to and interacting with browser extension wallets (Phantom, Backpack, Solflare, etc.) using the Wallet Standard. It abstracts wallet-specific APIs behind a common connect/disconnect/signTransaction/sendTransaction interface, allowing dApps to support all compliant wallets without custom per-wallet integration code.

More in category

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Web3

Web3

The vision of a decentralized internet built on blockchain technology, where users own their data, identity, and digital assets. Web1 was read-only (static pages), Web2 is read-write (platforms like social media), Web3 is read-write-own (permissionless, user-sovereign). Web3 applications use wallets instead of logins and smart contracts instead of centralized servers.

Web3

dApp (Decentralized Application)

An application with its backend logic running on a blockchain as smart contracts rather than centralized servers. dApps typically have a traditional web frontend that interacts with on-chain programs via RPC. Users authenticate with wallets instead of username/password. Examples: Uniswap (Ethereum DEX), Jupiter (Solana DEX), Magic Eden (NFT marketplace).

Web3

Seed Phrase (Mnemonic)

A 12 or 24-word human-readable backup of a wallet's master private key, generated using BIP-39 standard. The seed phrase can deterministically regenerate all derived keypairs (BIP-44 derivation paths). Losing the seed phrase means permanently losing access to all associated accounts. Never share, photograph, or store seed phrases digitally in plain text.

Web3

DeFi (Decentralized Finance)

Financial services built on blockchain smart contracts that operate without traditional intermediaries (banks, brokers). DeFi includes lending, borrowing, trading, insurance, and derivatives. Key properties: permissionless (anyone can participate), composable (protocols can be combined), transparent (open-source, auditable). Solana DeFi TVL has exceeded $5B, led by Jupiter, Raydium, Marinade, and Kamino.