WalletConnect

WalletConnect is the open connectivity protocol that enables crypto wallets to communicate securely with decentralized applications. Since 2018, it has grown from a simple QR-code bridge for Ethereum mobile wallets into a decentralized network processing over $1.14 billion in daily transaction volume, connecting 700+ wallets to 80,000+ applications across more than 100 blockchains—including Solana.

Origins and Architecture

Pedro Gomes founded WalletConnect in 2018 after receiving an Ethereum Foundation grant. The original protocol, v1, used a relay-based model that let users pair a mobile wallet with a desktop dApp by scanning a QR code—a significant UX improvement over copying long wallet addresses or using browser extensions. However, v1 was architected around a single Ethereum chain ID and had limited multi-chain support.

WalletConnect v2 addressed these constraints with a full protocol redesign. A single v2 session can now grant an application access to multiple networks simultaneously—Ethereum mainnet, Optimism, Solana, Cosmos, and others—each with distinct method permissions. The protocol uses standardized JSON-RPC methods to define what operations an application can request from a wallet, giving users fine-grained control over what they authorize. V1 was officially sunset, and all production traffic now runs on v2.

In 2024, the company behind the developer tooling—WalletConnect Inc.—rebranded to Reown, separating its product business from the decentralized WalletConnect Network and Foundation. The protocol itself, the WalletConnect Network, and the WCT token remain governed by the WalletConnect Foundation. The Reown brand covers developer-facing products, while "WalletConnect" continues to describe the protocol, the network, and the broader ecosystem.

Core Products

AppKit is the developer SDK for application builders. It provides pre-built UI components and authentication flows for React, Vue, Next.js, and vanilla JavaScript projects, reducing the integration overhead for connecting wallets to a new application. AppKit supports email and social login for Web2-style onboarding, fiat-to-crypto on-ramp through a Coinbase partnership, token swaps via a 1Inch collaboration, and on-chain messaging notifications. Developers integrate once and gain access to all wallets on the WalletConnect Network rather than building individual connectors.

WalletKit is the corresponding SDK for wallet developers. It exposes WalletConnect protocol features—session management, push notifications, Link Mode for streamlined mobile connections, and the Verify API for confirming application authenticity before approving requests. The current WalletKit generation represents a migration from the earlier Web3Wallet SDK.

WalletConnect Pay is a crypto payment infrastructure layer supporting stablecoin and cryptocurrency transactions. It provides merchant APIs, ecommerce checkout functionality, real-time webhook notifications, multi-currency settlement, and integrations with centralized exchange accounts for direct payment flows. In January 2026, Ingenico—a major global payments hardware company—launched a digital currency solution in collaboration with WalletConnect Pay, signaling adoption by traditional payment infrastructure providers.

WalletGuide is a curated wallet discovery directory that benchmarks wallets on UX standards, security, and feature completeness. It serves as a reference for users selecting a wallet and for developers choosing which wallets to prioritize in testing.

WalletConnect Network is the underlying decentralized relay infrastructure powered by 20+ independent node operators. The network processes messages between apps and wallets without a single point of failure or centralized custody of session data.

Solana Integration

WalletConnect's Solana support has deepened significantly since 2024. The v2 protocol added dedicated Solana JSON-RPC method support, and the WalletConnect documentation includes specific implementation guides for Solana wallet connections and payment integrations.

In September 2024, Reown (formerly WalletConnect) formally launched AppKit for Solana, announcing the toolkit with backing from major Solana ecosystem participants: Jupiter (the leading DEX aggregator), Marinade Finance, Drift Protocol, Solayer, and Backpack. The Solana AppKit gives application developers the same multi-login and on-ramp features available on EVM chains, applied to Solana-native development frameworks.

The WCT token further deepened WalletConnect's Solana presence. In May 2025, the WalletConnect Foundation announced WCT's expansion to Solana using Wormhole's Native Token Transfers (NTT) framework. NTT allows WCT to move natively across Ethereum, Optimism, and Solana through a burn-and-mint model rather than wrapping—burned on the source chain, minted on the destination—without altering the 1 billion token total supply. Trading on Solana is available via Jupiter. The Foundation earmarked 5 million WCT for a community claim targeting active Solana users, with Phantom, Backpack, and Solflare participating as distribution partners.

WCT Token

WalletConnect launched its native token, WCT, in September 2024 as part of a move toward decentralized network governance. The total supply is fixed at 1 billion WCT. The token became freely transferable on April 15, 2025.

WCT functions within the WalletConnect Network as the mechanism for staking (for node operators and participants), fee distribution, and rewards. Governance activation—giving WCT holders voting rights over protocol upgrades, fee structures, and network parameters—is planned for 2026. The Foundation has indicated plans to expand WCT availability to additional networks such as Polygon and Arbitrum after the initial Ethereum, Optimism, and Solana launches.

Scale and Ecosystem Position

As of 2025-2026, the WalletConnect Network reports:

• 54 million+ unique active wallets
• 380 million+ total connections processed
• 80,000+ integrated applications
• 700+ supported wallets
• $1.14 billion in daily network transaction volume
• A 2025 projection exceeding $400 billion in annual transaction volume

These figures position WalletConnect as one of the most widely adopted connectivity layers in crypto, spanning self-custody mobile wallets, hardware wallets, institutional wallet solutions, and browser extension wallets.

For Solana specifically, WalletConnect's presence spans the protocol layer (v2 JSON-RPC support), the developer tooling layer (AppKit for Solana), and the token layer (WCT on Solana via Wormhole NTT). Key Solana ecosystem integrations include Jupiter for token swaps and WCT trading, Phantom and Solflare for wallet distribution, and Marinade Finance, Drift Protocol, and Solayer as launch partners for the Solana AppKit.

WalletConnect describes its broader positioning as "the onchain UX ecosystem"—a network whose value is infrastructure rather than a single application, and whose growth compounds as wallets, apps, and blockchains all build on the same shared connectivity standard.