Identity & Authentication
On Solana, your identity is a keypair. You prove ownership by signing, not by logging in.
Learning Objective
- Explain how keypairs replace passwords
- Describe what a signature proves
- Understand the role of RPC nodes in authentication flow
What to Expect
- Keypair basics: private key signs, public key verifies
- Why key generation happens off-chain
- An animation of the signing and submission flow
Passwords vs Signatures
Traditional systems store your password (or a hash). Blockchains can't do that because every validator shares data. Instead, your private key signs a message and anyone can verify the signature with your public key.
Step 1: Generate a keypair
Private key stays secret. Public key can be shared.
Public Key (Solana format)
Not generated
Private Key (Base64)
Not generated
Step 2: Encrypt (Sign) the message
Public key:
Not generated
Encrypted Data (Signature)
Not signed
Triple (Public Key + Raw Data + Encrypted Data)
Not constructed
Step 3: Verify the triple
Use the public key to validate the encrypted data.
Triple (Public Key + Raw Data + Encrypted Data)
Not constructed
Complete step 2 to verify.
You can prove identity without revealing your secret. That's why blockchain authentication is censorship resistant.
Signing Flow (Interactive)
Watch how a transaction is created, signed, submitted, and confirmed. The "Sign" step is the authentication moment.
Off-Chain Key Generation
Keypairs are generated locally on your machine, not on-chain. The blockchain only sees signatures and public keys.