Understanding accounts and rent in Solana: a guide to beginners
Solana, a quick and scalable blockchain platform, allows users to create virtual accounts with an exclusive identifier known as the “Account Address”. These accounts allow users to store, manage and transform data into blockchain. However, one aspect of the use of an account in Solana that can be confusing for beginners is the concept of rent, also known as the “gas rate” or “transaction cost”.
In this article, we will deepen how accounts work in Solana, including how the rent works and what it means to have a “Phantom account”. We will explore the concepts behind account creation, storage data and rental deposits.
How accounts work in Solana
When you create a Solana account, you become a validator on the network. Validators are responsible for maintaining Blockchain’s integrity, resolving complex mathematical caves called “gas without gas” to validate transactions.
To be eligible to become a validator, you need to keep at least one token sun in your wallet and meet certain criteria established by Solana developers. Once validated, you gain rewards in the form of transaction rates for each block that passes your account.
Rental deposit: a concept in Solana
In Solana, an “Account” refers to an exclusive identifier used to store data in blockchain. When you create an account, you must pay a deposit known as Sol tokens rent. The amount of sun required depends on the size of the data stored in your account.
The rent is not paid directly to the validators, but to the network as a whole. This ensures that no single user or validator has excessive control over network resources.
How the rent works
To understand how the rent works, let’s consider an example. Suppose you store 1 GB of data in a Solana account. The total storage capacity for accounts on the Solana network is approximately 10 tb (100,000,000 GB). If you pay $ 0.01 sunshine as a deposit, your account would be eligible to receive a transaction fee per block.
However, if another user store more data than yours and pay a higher rent deposit ($ 0.05 sun), your ability to receive this transaction fee may be postponed or blocked for a prolonged period .
What is a ghost account?
A “Phantom” account in Solana refers to a zero balance account. In other words, this means that you paid the deposit you need to create an account, but you have not stored data on it yet.
Ghost accounts are often created by users who want to test their understanding of account concepts without actually storing data. As Phantom accounts do not store any data, they cannot be eligible for transaction rates or other benefits associated with the ownership of an account.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Solana’s account management system is designed to ensure the integrity and safety of the blockchain network. Rental deposits play a crucial role in this process, but it is essential to understand how they work and their implications on account property.
Understanding these concepts, you will be better equipped to navigate the account world and rent in Solana, and enjoy the complexities that make Solana a blockchain platform such exciting and rewarding.