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Week 4 - Solana Jargon, Programming
model, Tokens [23 Aug 2024]
Timing - Every Friday 8:00pm to 10:00pm IST
Class Slides - Programs, Accounts and the Token Program (100xdevs.com)
Class Video - Take your development skills from 0 to 100 and join the
100xdevs community
Assignment - Programs, Accounts and the Token Program (100xdevs.com)
- Token 22 with metadata (100xdevs.com)
Syllabus - Notion – The all-in-one workspace for your notes, tasks, wikis, and
databases. (100xdevs.com)
Goal of the Session
1. Introduction to Solana and Its Advantages Over Bitcoin and Ethereum
Understanding Solana's Purpose: Explore why Solana was introduced and how it
aims to improve upon the limitations of Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Comparative Analysis:
Bitcoin: Primarily a digital currency, focusing on decentralization and security.
Ethereum: Enhances Bitcoin's functionality by introducing smart contracts.
Solana: Further expands capabilities by offering a high-performance blockchain,
supporting thousands of transactions per second, with a unique architecture that
optimizes for scalability.
2. Architecture of Solana
Accounts on Solana: Explanation of the various types of accounts on Solana:
Wallet Accounts: Used to store and manage cryptocurrency.
Data Storage Accounts: Store various types of data on-chain, enabling more
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complex applications.
Scalability and Performance: How Solana's architecture allows for millions of
accounts and high transaction throughput.
3. Setting Up the Solana Development Environment
Installing Solana CLI: Step-by-step instructions on how to install the Solana
Command Line Interface (CLI) locally to interact with the blockchain and deploy
smart contracts.
4. Data Storage: Web2 vs. Solana
Web2 Data Storage: Overview of how data is traditionally stored in centralized
servers and databases.
Solana Data Storage: Understanding how data is stored on the blockchain in Solana
smart contracts, emphasizing the decentralized nature of storage.
5. Building Smart Contracts on Solana
Data Persistence in Smart Contracts: Discuss the necessity of data storage in smart
contracts (e.g., user data, first names, last names) and how it's handled in Solana.
Creating Your Own Token:
JavaScript: Instructions on how to create tokens using JavaScript.
Rust/Python/Go: Guidance on creating tokens using Rust, Python, or Go,
highlighting the versatility and support for multiple programming languages on
Solana.
6. Solana's Token Program: An Overview
Token 2022 Program: Explanation of the Token 2022 program, its features, and how
it expands the functionality and utility of tokens on the Solana blockchain.
Beyond Bitcoin
The Limitations of Bitcoin
Bitcoin primarily serves as a decentralized currency.
It was not designed to support complex applications or diverse use cases.
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It was not designed to support complex applications or diverse use cases.
The Rise of Alternative Blockchains
Post-2012 Developments: Various blockchains emerged, each tailored for specific
purposes, such as lending protocols or decentralized exchanges.
Challenges Faced:
Fragmentation: Each blockchain operated independently with its own set of miners and
consensus mechanisms.
Cold Start Problem: New blockchains struggled to gain traction and security, unable to
match Bitcoin's network size and robustness.
Ethereum: A Revolutionary Solution
Ethereum introduced the concept of smart contracts, allowing developers to build
decentralized applications (dApps) directly on the Ethereum network.
Advantages of Ethereum:
No Cold Start Problem: Developers could leverage Ethereum's existing decentralized
network, avoiding the initial growth challenges faced by standalone blockchains.
Flexibility and Innovation: Enabled a wide range of applications, from finance to gaming,
all on a single, secure blockchain.
Example: Counter Contract in Solidity
// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
pragma solidity ^0.8.0;
contract Counter {
uint public count;
// Constructor to initialize count
constructor() {
count = 0;
}
// Function to increment the count
function increment() public {
count += 1;
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// Function to decrement the count
function decrement() public {
require(count > 0, "Count cannot be negative");
count -= 1;
}
// Function to get the current count
function getCount() public view returns (uint) {
return count;
}
}
Solana: A New Frontier
Smart Contracts vs. Programs: What Ethereum calls smart contracts , Solana refers to as
programs .
Solana offers similar capabilities to Ethereum but with significantly faster transaction speeds
and scalability, high throughput and low latency.
The design and operation of Solana’s programs differ from traditional blockchains, providing
a distinct approach to building and running decentralized applications.
Accounts in Solana
What is an Account?
In Solana, an account is a data structure that includes a public-private key pair (using the
ed25519 elliptic curve).
Types of Accounts:
Wallet Accounts: These accounts represent user wallets that can hold lamports
(Solana’s native currency).
Example: Wallet Account [Only Lamports]
Account DNp2hBynGWFWomptmxiSzhhTYjGxDsyu43RBrC6TzuMW | Solscan
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Data Accounts: These accounts store data on the blockchain and can be used for
various decentralized applications.
Example: Data Account [Data and Lamports]
Transaction History | 4GQsAP5jYi5ysGF1GEnWiV3zJHZLRcLWhLCSuim6aAkL |
Solana
Program Accounts: These are special accounts that store executable code, allowing
smart contracts (known as "programs" in Solana) to run on the blockchain.
Example: Program Account [Data, Lamports and Executable code]
Transaction History | TokenkegQfeZyiNwAJbNbGKPFXCWuBvf9Ss623VQ5DA |
Solana
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Rent on Solana
Purpose of Rent: To prevent the blockchain from being clogged with inactive or
unnecessary data, Solana charges rent for storing data.
Rent Calculation: Rent is based on the storage size and the duration the account
remains on the blockchain.
Rent Exemption: If an account maintains a balance above a certain threshold, it
becomes "rent-exempt," meaning it does not incur further rent charges. The rent paid is
refundable when the account is closed.
What is Rent on Solana and How to Calculate it | QuickNode
Efficient Storage Management
Incentivizing Minimal Storage: The rent model encourages users to store only the
necessary data, reducing blockchain bloat.
Removing Inactive Accounts: Accounts that fail to pay the required rent are eventually
removed from the ledger, ensuring efficient use of blockchain resources.
Calculating Rent-Exempt Threshold
Methods to Calculate:
1. Solana CLI: Command-line interface tools.
2. Solana Web3.js Library: JavaScript library for interacting with the Solana blockchain.
3. Anchor's Space Constraint: A framework-specific approach for calculating space
requirements for accounts.
Install Solana CLI
MacOS & Linux
The below commands run for WSL as well.
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Install the Solana CLI | Solana Validator (solanalabs.com)
Windows
Download the highlighted folder from - https://github.com/solana-labs/solana/releases
Unzip and you should see all the .exe files
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Confirm by running commands
Get Solana version
solana --version
Create your own keygen
solana-keygen new
Get your Solana address
solana address
Get your config file
solana config get
RPC URL, Testnet, Devnet, and Mainnet
What is an RPC URL?
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What is an RPC URL?
RPC (Remote Procedure Call) URLs allow applications like browsers, wallets, and users to
interact with the Solana blockchain.
By sending requests to an RPC URL, you can query the blockchain and perform various
operations.
How to Use RPC URLs:
Mainnet: https://api.mainnet-beta.solana.com
Devnet: https://api.devnet.solana.com
Testnet: https://api.testnet.solana.com
Clusters and Public RPC Endpoints | Solana
Changing RPC URLs
Use the following commands to set the appropriate RPC URL for your environment:
# Set RPC URL for Mainnet
solana config set --url https://api.mainnet-beta.solana.com
# Set RPC URL for Devnet
solana config set --url https://api.devnet.solana.com
# Set RPC URL for Testnet
solana config set --url https://api.testnet.solana.com
Solana Networks
Mainnet: The live Solana blockchain where real transactions occur. It’s secure and used for
deploying production applications.
Testnet: A testing environment that mimics the mainnet but is used for testing applications
before deploying them to the mainnet. It does not use real SOL.
Devnet: A development environment similar to the testnet but specifically for developers to
experiment and test applications. You can freely request SOL from the Solana Devnet Faucet
for testing purposes.
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Using Devnet and Testnet
Airdrop SOL: On Devnet, you can use the faucet to receive free SOL for testing.
Local Testing: Use the Solana Test Validator to start a local validator for testing applications
without relying on external networks.
solana-test-validator
Solana Explorer
Explorer Tool: You can view transactions, account balances, and more on the Solana
blockchain using the Solana Explorer, which supports Devnet, Testnet, Mainnet, and custom
RPC URLs.
Web2 Data Model vs. Solana Data Model
Web2 Data Model
Applications are typically deployed on cloud providers with backend code and data storage
separated.
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Databases: Use SQL or NoSQL databases to store user data.
Data Management: Adding or deleting a user involves simply adding or removing a row in
the database.
Solana Data Model
Smart Contracts: In Web3, smart contracts are equivalent to backend applications in Web2.
These are deployed on the blockchain.
Program Storage: On Solana, smart contracts (called "programs") are stored in executable
accounts.
Data Storage: Unlike Ethereum, where data and smart contract code are stored together,
Solana separates them:
Data Accounts: Store data independently from programs.
Executable Accounts: Store the smart contract code (programs).
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Key Differences and Implications
User Account Management:
In Solana, each user requires a separate account, which adds complexity compared to
simply adding a row in a Web2 database.
User-Paid Fees: The responsibility for creating and funding these accounts, including
paying for data rent, is delegated to the user.
Decentralized Fees: Users pay the fees for their individual accounts, not the program
itself. If an account is closed, any remaining rent is refunded to the user.
Token Program on Solana
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Creating Tokens: Ethereum vs. Solana
Ethereum:
To create a token, you must deploy your own smart contract.
Ethereum provides a standard template (ERC-20), but each token requires its own
contract to be deployed on the blockchain.
Solana:
Solana simplifies this process with a single, pre-deployed Token Program.
Instead of deploying a new contract, you only need to create a token account under this
program.
This significantly reduces complexity and deployment costs.
Understanding Tokens
Tokens represent one of the primary use cases of blockchain technology, acting as digital
assets or currencies that can be transferred or traded on the blockchain.
Examples: USDC and USDT are popular stablecoins that have found significant market
adoption. These tokens do not have their own blockchain; instead, they operate as smart
contracts on existing blockchains like Ethereum and Solana.
Why Use Existing Blockchains?
Tokens like USDC and USDT leverage the security and infrastructure of established
blockchains such as Solana and Ethereum. This allows them to function without
maintaining their own blockchain or miners.
The Token Program is essentially a mapping from an account to a number, representing the
balance of tokens held by an account.
Explore various tokens and their market data on CoinMarketCap.
Solana's Token Program
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Solana's Token Program
Centralized Token Program:
Solana engineers recognized the importance of tokens and created a dedicated Token
Program.
This program is pre-deployed on the Solana blockchain, simplifying token creation.
Mint Accounts:
When creating a token on Solana, you establish a mint account under the Token
Program.
A mint account functions like a bank for your token, overseeing its supply but without
executing any code. It does not run transactions or logic on its own; instead, it is
responsible for managing the minting and overall supply of tokens.
Associated token account:
Associated Token Account is a token account whose address is deterministically derived
using the owner's address and the mint account's address.
When you created an associated token account , you actually created a PDA.
https://github.com/solana-labs/solana-program-library/blob/master/associated-
token-account/program/src/lib.rs#L71
JS - https://github.com/solana-labs/solana-program-
library/blob/ab830053c59c9c35bc3a727703aacf40c1215132/token/js/src/state/m
int.ts#L171
Program derived accounts (PDAs) -Programming on Solana |
Program Derived addresses and Cross Program Invocation -
YouTube
Solana program library: solana-labs/solana-program-library: A collection of Solana
programs maintained by Solana Labs (github.com)
Creating a Token using CLI
Create a new CLI wallet, you can continue with your wallet as well
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solana-keygen new
Set the RPC URL
# Set RPC URL for Devnet
solana config set --url https://api.devnet.solana.com
Airdrop yourself some SOL
solana airdrop 2
Check your balance
solana balance
Create token mint
spl-token create-token
Will get an output something like this,
Decimals: 1 coin can be broken down in 109 parts. If the decimal is 0, it creates a non-
fungible token which cannot be broken in parts and sent.
Verify token mint on chain
Transaction History | HDLXuxjbXsrE7Dqecjb3EkGh13u4X2J9Fp3ouo9x6nBs | Solana
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Postman Request
{
"jsonrpc":"2.0",
"id":1,
"method":"getAccountInfo",
"params":["HDLXuxjbXsrE7Dqecjb3EkGh13u4X2J9Fp3ouo9x6nBs"]
}
Postman Response
{
"jsonrpc": "2.0",
"result": {
"context": {
"apiVersion": "2.0.5",
"slot": 322383646
},
"value": {
"data": "DK9N43Ug1H5x5LobZTrRuV3t3pHKC4jctCgnGHUZRZ37dycwrzK8of8voCGRURpw
"executable": false,
"lamports": 1461600,
"owner": "TokenkegQfeZyiNwAJbNbGKPFXCWuBvf9Ss623VQ5DA",
"rentEpoch": 18446744073709551615,
"space": 82
}
},
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"id": 1
}
Explore Solana program library: solana-labs/solana-program-library: A collection of
Solana programs maintained by Solana Labs (github.com)
Check the supply of the token
spl-token supply HDLXuxjbXsrE7Dqecjb3EkGh13u4X2J9Fp3ouo9x6nBs
Create an associated token account
spl-token create-account HDLXuxjbXsrE7Dqecjb3EkGh13u4X2J9Fp3ouo9x6nBs
Output:
Created an associated token account -
CARa5swSHzqgxeLAL3WZMFFtB5PuRYeuzF4Pta4HfCxa for the mint address -
HDLXuxjbXsrE7Dqecjb3EkGh13u4X2J9Fp3ouo9x6nBs
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Explore on Solana explorer - Transaction History |
CARa5swSHzqgxeLAL3WZMFFtB5PuRYeuzF4Pta4HfCxa | Solana
Mint some tokens to yourself
spl-token mint HDLXuxjbXsrE7Dqecjb3EkGh13u4X2J9Fp3ouo9x6nBs 100
By default, the minted token goes to associated token account -
CARa5swSHzqgxeLAL3WZMFFtB5PuRYeuzF4Pta4HfCxa
Explore on - Transaction History | CARa5swSHzqgxeLAL3WZMFFtB5PuRYeuzF4Pta4HfCxa |
Solana
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Import the token in Phantom and see the balances
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Creating a Token using JavaScript
Create a new CLI wallet, you can continue with your wallet as well
solana-keygen new
Set the RPC URL
# Set RPC URL for Devnet
solana config set --url https://api.devnet.solana.com
Create an empty JS file
npm init -y
touch index.js
Install dependencies
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Install dependencies
npm install @solana/web3.js @solana/spl-token
Write a function to airdrop yourself some Solana
const {Connection, LAMPORTS_PER_SOL, clusterApiUrl, PublicKey} = require('@solana/web
const connection = new Connection(clusterApiUrl('devnet'));
async function airdrop(publicKey, amount) {
const airdropSignature = await connection.requestAirdrop(new PublicKey(publicKey)
await connection.confirmTransaction({signature: airdropSignature})
}
airdrop("GokppTzVZi2LT1MSTWoEprM4YLDPy7wQ478Rm3r77yEw", LAMPORTS_PER_SOL).then(signat
console.log('Airdrop signature:', signature);
});
Check your balance
solana balance
Create token mint
const { createMint } = require('@solana/spl-token');
const { Keypair, Connection, clusterApiUrl, TOKEN_PROGRAM_ID } = require('@solana/we
const payer = Keypair.fromSecretKey(Uint8Array.from([102,144,169,42,220,87,99,85,100,
const mintAthority = payer;
const connection = new Connection(clusterApiUrl('devnet'));
async function createMintForToken(payer, mintAuthority) {
const mint = await createMint(
connection,
payer,
mintAuthority,
null,
6,
TOKEN_PROGRAM_ID
);
console.log('Mint created at', mint.toBase58());
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return mint;
}
async function main() {
const mint = await createMintForToken(payer, mintAthority.publicKey);
}
main();
Verify token mint on chain
Transaction History | ChNkv9iW5pZJ1YAsNswC2CrdMUkFJBUbRWinjdLvKpXA | Solana
Postman Request
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"jsonrpc":"2.0",
"id":1,
"method":"getAccountInfo",
"params":["ChNkv9iW5pZJ1YAsNswC2CrdMUkFJBUbRWinjdLvKpXA"]
}
Postman Response
{
"jsonrpc": "2.0",
"result": {
"context": {
"apiVersion": "2.0.5",
"slot": 322396843
},
"value": {
"data": "DK9N6t1cUKGeS149Gnfgg5MqwXAQHFZk6MbQeL2bQjqtKBrGBoNyZxCE8UxmREvx
"executable": false,
"lamports": 1461600,
"owner": "TokenkegQfeZyiNwAJbNbGKPFXCWuBvf9Ss623VQ5DA",
"rentEpoch": 18446744073709551615,
"space": 82
}
},
"id": 1
}
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Create an associated token account , mint some tokens
const { createMint, getOrCreateAssociatedTokenAccount, mintTo } = require('@solana/sp
const { Keypair, Connection, clusterApiUrl, TOKEN_PROGRAM_ID, PublicKey } = require(
const payer = Keypair.fromSecretKey(Uint8Array.from([102,144,169,42,220,87,99,85,100,
const mintAthority = payer;
const connection = new Connection(clusterApiUrl('devnet'));
async function createMintForToken(payer, mintAuthority) {
const mint = await createMint(
connection,
payer,
mintAuthority,
null,
6,
TOKEN_PROGRAM_ID
);
console.log('Mint created at', mint.toBase58());
return mint;
}
async function mintNewTokens(mint, to, amount) {
const tokenAccount = await getOrCreateAssociatedTokenAccount(
connection,
payer,
mint,
new PublicKey(to)
);
console.log('Token account created at', tokenAccount.address.toBase58());
await mintTo(
connection,
payer,
mint,
tokenAccount.address,
payer,
amount
)
console.log('Minted', amount, 'tokens to', tokenAccount.address.toBase58());
}
async function main() {
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const mint = await createMintForToken(payer, mintAthority.publicKey);
await mintNewTokens(mint, mintAthority.publicKey, 100);
}
main();
Check your balance in the explorer
Import the token in Phantom and see the balances
Equivalent code in rust/python/go
Solana has libraries similar to @solana/web3.js in Rust, Python that would let you do the same
thing.
In the end, they all are sending requests to an RPC server.
Token 22 program
A token program on the Solana blockchain, defining a common implementation for fungible
and non-fungible tokens.
The Token-2022 Program, also known as Token Extensions, is a superset of the functionality
provided by the Token Program.
https://spl.solana.com/token-2022
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https://spl.solana.com/token-2022
Create token mint
spl-token create-token --program-id TokenzQdBNbLqP5VEhdkAS6EPFLC1PHnBqCXEpPxuEb
Create an associated token account
spl-token create-account 8fTM5XYRaoTJU9PLUuyakF3EypQ4RXL5HxKtiw2z9pQQ
Mint the tokens
spl-token mint 8fTM5XYRaoTJU9PLUuyakF3EypQ4RXL5HxKtiw2z9pQQ 100
Token 22 with metadata
Metadata - https://cdn.100xdevs.com/metadata.json
Create a token with metadata enabled
spl-token --program-id TokenzQdBNbLqP5VEhdkAS6EPFLC1PHnBqCXEpPxuEb create-token --ena
Create metadata
spl-token initialize-metadata pXfZ6Hg2s78m1iSRVsdzos9TmfkqkQdv5MmQrr77ZQK 100xx 100xx
Create associated token account
spl-token create-account pXfZ6Hg2s78m1iSRVsdzos9TmfkqkQdv5MmQrr77ZQK
Mint
spl-token mint 1000
Check out the token in your wallet
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