As a Web2 developer, I always thought of identity as an email, username and password. Each app had its own login system and companies controlled my account access.
Learning Solana totally changed that perspective.
On Solana, your identity begins with a cryptographic keypair. Your public key is your wallet address, which is visible to everyone, and your private key is used to prove ownership when signing transactions. No usernames, no passwords, no central database controlling your account.
The best analogy I could draw was SSH keys. You prove your identity to a server with a private key, and Solana does the same for your wallet to the blockchain.
The difference is that you authenticate with the entire network instead of a single server.
Another realisation was that a wallet is more than just a place to hold SOL. The same identity works across decentralised apps, so you can own tokens, interact with smart contracts, and participate in governance without creating a new account for every platform.
There is no “Forgot Password” option here, unlike Web2. If you lose your private key or recovery phrase, there is no company that can restore access for you. That is all your responsibility and control
This shift from company-controlled identity to cryptographic ownership has been one of the most interesting concepts I’ve learned so far in my #100DaysOfSolana journey. It totally changes my perspective on digital identity and ownership.
