Meri chabi, meri pehchan. My key, my identity. Sounds dramatic — until you realize it's literally how identity on Solana works.

Identity in Web2: The World You Know

Say there is a new social media app rolled out this week, and you plan to be a part of it. When you hop on, the first thing you are asked for is to create an account — "your identity" on the platform. You enter a username, set up a password, and voila, you are all set.

Next time you wish to access the platform, you use this combination and are allowed in. Now you can post a pic of your "Sunday Brunch" or share a clip of your "Bali Trip".

Identity on Solana: The Same, But Yours

Identity on a blockchain network such as Solana works similarly, but uses cryptography to let you generate your own username and password — what we call a Public Key and Private Key .

The public key, like a username or social media handle, acts as your identity on the Solana ecosystem, while your private key acts as the password — a proof of ownership of that…