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---
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title: Solana Wallet Guide
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---
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2020-03-26 12:42:05 -07:00
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This document describes the different wallet options that are available to users
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of Solana who want to be able to send, receive and interact with
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SOL tokens on the Solana blockchain.
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## What is a Wallet?
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A crypto wallet is a device or application that stores a collection of keys and
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can be used to send, receive,
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and track ownership of cryptocurrencies. Wallets can take many forms.
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A wallet might be a directory or file in your computer's file system,
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a piece of paper, or a specialized device called a _hardware wallet_.
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There are also various smartphone apps and computer programs
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that provide a user-friendly way to create and manage wallets.
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A _keypair_ is a securely generated _private key_ and its
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cryptographically-derived _public key_. A private key and its corresponding
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public key are together known as a _keypair_.
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A wallet contains a collection of one or more keypairs and provides some means
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to interact with them.
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The _public key_ (commonly shortened to _pubkey_) is known as the wallet's
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_receiving address_ or simply its _address_. The wallet address **may be shared
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and displayed freely**. When another party is going to send some amount of
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cryptocurrency to a wallet, they need to know the wallet's receiving address.
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Depending on a blockchain's implementation, the address can also be used to view
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certain information about a wallet, such as viewing the balance,
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but has no ability to change anything about the wallet or withdraw any tokens.
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The _private key_ is required to digitally sign any transactions to send
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cryptocurrencies to another address or to make any changes to the wallet.
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The private key **must never be shared**. If someone gains access to the
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private key to a wallet, they can withdraw all the tokens it contains.
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If the private key for a wallet is lost, any tokens that have been sent
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to that wallet's address are **permanently lost**.
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Different wallet solutions offer different approaches to keypair security,
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interacting with the keypair, and signing transactions to use/spend the tokens.
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Some are easier to use than others.
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Some store and back up private keys more securely.
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Solana supports multiple types of wallets so you can choose the right balance
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of security and convenience.
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**If you want to be able to receive SOL tokens on the Solana blockchain,
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you first will need to create a wallet.**
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## Supported Wallets
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2020-07-27 19:39:42 -07:00
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Solana supports several types of wallets in the Solana native
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command-line app as well as wallets from third-parties.
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For the majority of users, we recommend using one of the
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[app wallets](wallet-guide/apps.md) or a browser-based
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[web wallet](wallet-guide/web-wallets.md), which will provide a more familiar
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user experience rather than needing to learn command line tools.
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2020-07-29 22:06:04 -07:00
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For advanced users or developers, the [command-line wallets](wallet-guide/cli.md)
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may be more appropriate, as new features on the Solana blockchain will always be
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supported on the command line first before being integrated into third-party
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solutions.
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