An entry in Ethereum’s state, identified by an address.
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A game record might track a player’s score and settings. An account similarly has fields the protocol uses to track its state.
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From a public address to a verified signatureStep 1 / 4
An address is public receiving information. It is not the private key that authorizes actions.
An address is public receiving information. It is not the private key that authorizes actions.The local signing system uses secret authorization material. It produces a signature; the private key is not sent along with it.A verifier checks the signed request under the account’s rules. A valid signature does not by itself prove that the action is safe.Balances belong to network state. A wallet is an interface and signing system, not a box containing coins.
Animated local teaching model. No wallet, RPC or live blockchain data. Some labels and hashes are abbreviated for readability.
An address identifies state
An account can have an ETH balance, nonce and associated code and storage information under Ethereum’s account model. A wallet address is the readable identifier, not a container file holding physical coins.
Different ways to authorize actions
A traditional externally owned account uses a private key to authorize transactions. A contract account follows code when invoked. Modern account mechanisms can make capabilities more flexible, so avoid assuming that every address has exactly one simple owner key.
Wallet and account are different
A wallet is an interface and signing system. An account is part of the network model. One wallet app can manage several accounts, while multiple compatible interfaces can access the same account with the appropriate authorization.
Reading an account locally has limits
Our address checker verifies address format and checksum only. To see an actual balance or deployed code, you need network data. This site’s tools intentionally avoid that dependency.
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Are a wallet app and an Ethereum account the same thing?
A wallet helps manage access. An account is an entry in network state.