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Key Concepts for Web2 Developers

If you’re new to blockchain development, here are the key terms you’ll encounter, explained using familiar web2 concepts:

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Wallet

Web2 Equivalent: Bank account or user account A wallet is like a bank account on the blockchain. It has:
  • An address (like an account number) - where you receive funds
  • A private key (like a password) - used to authorize transactions
  • A public key (like a username) - derived from the private key, can be shared
Unlike a bank account, users control their wallet directly—there’s no bank in the middle.

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Signer

Web2 Equivalent: Authentication/Authorization system A signer is what proves you own a wallet and authorizes transactions. Think of it like:
  • OAuth tokens - prove you’re logged in
  • API keys - authorize API calls
  • Digital signatures - prove you authorized a transaction
The SDK supports different signer types:
  • Private Key Signer - Like storing a password locally (for servers only)
  • Privy Signer - Like OAuth, keys managed by a service
  • Cartridge Signer - Like social login, keys managed by Cartridge

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RPC (Remote Procedure Call)

Web2 Equivalent: API endpoint An RPC endpoint is like a REST API endpoint, but for blockchain operations. It’s how your app communicates with the blockchain network to:
  • Read data (like checking balances)
  • Submit transactions (like sending tokens)
  • Query the network state
Think of it like calling fetch() to a blockchain API instead of your own backend.

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Network / Chain

Web2 Equivalent: Environment (production, staging, development)
  • Mainnet = Production - Real money, real transactions
  • Testnet (Sepolia) = Staging - Fake money for testing
  • Devnet = Local development - Your own test blockchain
Just like you have production, staging, and localhost environments.

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Gas / Transaction Fees

Web2 Equivalent: Credit card processing fees or API usage costs Gas is the fee paid to process transactions on the blockchain. Think of it like:
  • Credit card processing fees (2-3% per transaction)
  • AWS API Gateway costs (pay per request)
  • Stripe transaction fees
With the SDK, you can:
  • User pays - User covers the gas fee (like normal)
  • Sponsored - You pay the gas fee for users (like offering free shipping)

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Address

Web2 Equivalent: Account number, email address, or user ID An address is a unique identifier for a wallet on the blockchain. It’s like:
  • A bank account number (where you send money)
  • An email address (where you send messages)
  • A user ID in your database
Example: 0x04718f5a0fc34cc1af16a1cdee98ffb20c31f5cd61d6ab07201858f4287c938d

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Private Key

Web2 Equivalent: Password or secret key A private key is a secret that proves you own a wallet. It’s like:
  • A password for your bank account
  • An API secret key
  • A JWT signing key
⚠️ Never share your private key! It’s like sharing your password—anyone with it can control your wallet.

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Public Key

Web2 Equivalent: Username or public identifier A public key is derived from a private key and can be shared. It’s like:
  • A username (public, can be shared)
  • An email address (public identifier)
  • A user ID (public reference)
Unlike a private key, sharing your public key is safe.

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Transaction

Web2 Equivalent: API request or database operation A transaction is an operation on the blockchain, like:
  • Sending tokens (like a bank transfer)
  • Calling a smart contract function (like an API call)
  • Deploying a contract (like deploying a service)
Transactions are:
  • Immutable - Once confirmed, can’t be changed (like a database commit)
  • Public - Anyone can see them (like public API logs)
  • Atomic - Either fully succeed or fully fail (like database transactions)

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Deploy

Web2 Equivalent: Creating an account or provisioning a service On Starknet, wallets are smart contracts that need to be “deployed” (created on the blockchain) before they can be used. It’s like:
  • Creating a new user account in your database
  • Provisioning a new AWS service
  • Setting up a new bank account
The SDK handles this automatically with deploy: "if_needed".

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Token / ERC20

Web2 Equivalent: Currency or digital asset A token is like a currency or digital asset on the blockchain. Think of it like:
  • Bitcoin - A cryptocurrency
  • USDC - A stablecoin (like digital dollars)
  • STRK - Starknet’s native token
  • Custom tokens - Like loyalty points or in-game currency
The SDK makes it easy to send and receive any token, just like sending money via Venmo or PayPal.

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Staking

Web2 Equivalent: Savings account or investment Staking is like putting money in a savings account that earns interest. You:
  • Lock up tokens (like depositing money)
  • Earn rewards over time (like interest)
  • Can withdraw later (like closing the account)
The SDK handles all the complexity—you just call wallet.enterPool().

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Smart Contract

Web2 Equivalent: Backend service or API A smart contract is code that runs on the blockchain. Think of it like:
  • A backend API endpoint
  • A microservice
  • A database stored procedure
Unlike traditional code, smart contracts:
  • Run on the blockchain (decentralized)
  • Can’t be changed once deployed (immutable)
  • Execute automatically when called

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Account Preset

Web2 Equivalent: Account type or user role An account preset defines what type of wallet account to create. It’s like:
  • Choosing between “Personal” vs “Business” account types
  • Selecting a user role (admin, user, guest)
  • Picking a subscription tier
Different presets have different features and security models (like OpenZeppelin, Argent, Braavos).

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Common Patterns

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Checking a Balance

Web2 Equivalent: SELECT balance FROM accounts WHERE user_id = ? 
const balance = await wallet.balanceOf(STRK);
// Like: const balance = await db.query('SELECT balance...');

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Sending Tokens

Web2 Equivalent: UPDATE accounts SET balance = balance - amount WHERE user_id = ? 
await wallet.transfer(STRK, [{ to: recipient, amount }]);
// Like: await paymentService.sendMoney(userId, recipientId, amount);

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Waiting for Confirmation

Web2 Equivalent: Polling an API until a job completes 
const tx = await wallet.transfer(...);
await tx.wait(); // Wait for blockchain confirmation
// Like: await pollUntilComplete(jobId);

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Still Confused?

If you’re still unsure about a term, think of it this way:
  • Blockchain = A distributed database that everyone can read/write
  • Wallet = A user account on that database
  • Transaction = A write operation to that database
  • Token = A number in that database representing value
The SDK abstracts away most of the complexity—you mostly just need to know:
  1. Connect a wallet (like logging in)
  2. Check balances (like querying a database)
  3. Send tokens (like making an API call)