Solana is a blockchain built for mass adoption. It's a high-performance networkthat is utilized for a range of use cases, including finance, NFTs, payments,and gaming. Solana operates as a single global state machine and is open,interoperable and decentralized.
Getting started #
Dive right into Solana to start building or setting up your local environment.
- Quick Start - Build and deploy your first on-chainSolana program, directly in your browser using Solana Playground
- Setup Local Environment - Install the Solana cl*to get your local development environment setup
Start learning #
Build a strong understanding of the core concepts that make Solana differentfrom other blockchains.
- Accounts - Data and state storage mechanism for Solana
- Fees on Solana - Various costs associated with using thenetwork.
- Transactions - Collection of instructions for theblockchain to execute
- Programs - The executable code used to perform actionson the blockchain
- Programs Derived Address - Deterministically generatedaddresses that allow Solana programs to programmatically "sign" transactions.
- Cross Program Invocation - Core of the "composability" ofSolana, this is how programs can "call" each other.
Understanding the architecture #
Get to know the underlying architecture of how the proof-of-stake blockchainworks.
- Validators - the individualnodes that are the backbone of the network
- Clusters - a collection of validators that worktogether for consensus
Running a validator #
Explore what it takes to operate a Solana validator and help secure the network.
- System Requirements -Recommended hardware requirements and expected SOL needed to operate avalidator
- Quick Start -Setup a validator and get connected to a cluster for the first time
Why Solana? #
Designed to scale, Solana is purpose-built for blockchain applications to reachmillions of users. Instead of worrying about optimizing for the blockchainlayer, developers can focus on building their applications to reach productmarket fit. Not only can it scale now for blockchain application needs, but thenetwork continues to be optimized with user experience in mind.
Building the best user experience in an application is a top priority fordevelopers. With blockchains, the user experience is often limited by theunderlying technology, causing slow response times and high fees. Solana's lowfees and 400ms confirmation times enable developers to build applications thatare user-friendly and accessible to everyone.
Solana Features #
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Onchain Program Development | The ability to develop and deploy programs onchain. Users can interact with these programs permissionlessly, removing the need for middleman servers to build applications. |
| 400ms Slot Times | Every transaction sent by users on Solana is confirmed in a block. With a target slot time of 400ms for each block, interactions by users do not have to wait, providing the best in class user experience of any blockchain. |
| Low Fees | Fees on Solana are well known to be low. With a median fee of 0.00064 SOL per transaction, Solana enables building for users across the world regardless of background. |
| High Throughput | Scaling to thousands of transactions per second, Solana is built to scale with your application's user needs. |
How to Use These Docs #
On the left, you will find the docs sidebar. This lists the documentation inorder from basic to more advanced information. If you are new to Solana, werecommend starting from the top and working your way down. However, you'rewelcome to read them in any order that you like.
Once you're ready to start building, check out theQuick Start guide.
Need Help? #
Get help from the Solana community on theSolana StackExchange.
