"Unlike when you are used to building full-stack applications; a Next.js frontend, connected to a Laravel backend, and modeling state in MySQL or PostgreSQL; moving to Solana requires rewiring how you think about data."
I've been exploring blockchain development with Solana, and the biggest hurdle initially is the phrase: "Everything is an account."
solana account $(solana address)
The output of the CLI command above maps out exactly how traditional Web2 database concepts translate to the Solana runtime.
Here is the side-by-side comparison I put together:
The Web2 vs. Solana comparison table
| Concept | Web2 | Solana |
|---|---|---|
| Data Storage | MySQL/PostgreSQL rows or MongoDB docs | A "flat" byte array in an Account |
| Logic vs. State | Your Laravel/Node code is the logic; the DB is the state | Both are Accounts; logic is just an account with executable: true
|
| Primary Keys | Auto-increment IDs or UUIDs (e.g., user_id: 101) |
Base58 Public Keys (32 bytes) or PDAs |
| Security/Auth | Middleware checks (e.g., $request->user()) |
The Runtime checks: only the "Owner" program can write |
| Filtering/Joins |
SELECT * FROM table WHERE... (Server-side) |
No Joins. You fetch the account by address or filter off-chain via RPC |
| Infrastructure | AWS/DigitalOcean monthly bills | "Rent": A lamport deposit you get back when you close() the account |
| Deployment | CI/CD pushes code to a server | Deploying a Program creates an account owned by the BPF Loader |
The Biggest Takeaway
In a traditional setup, you deploy your code to a server, and that code orchestrates database transactions. On Solana, both your application logic (programs) and your user data live as accounts in the exact same global space.
There are no native queries, no joins, and no backend middleware guarding your tables. You pay upfront for the bytes you store via rent, and the runtime itself physically blocks unauthorized writes. Your database instincts around data modeling still matter, but the architectural execution is completely flipped.
#100DaysOfSolana
