WalletConnect

WalletConnect is an open-source communication protocol that creates secure, encrypted connections between decentralized applications (dApps) and cryptocurrency wallets. Before WalletConnect, dApps and wallets each had to build proprietary integration layers for every counterpart they wanted to support—a fragmented approach that stalled the broader ecosystem. WalletConnect replaced that fragmentation with a single standard: a dApp integrating WalletConnect gains connectivity to every compatible wallet, and a wallet adding WalletConnect becomes reachable from every compatible dApp.

Founded in 2018 by Pedro Gomes, WalletConnect grew into the dominant connectivity standard across EVM chains and has since expanded to non-EVM ecosystems including Solana, Bitcoin, Cosmos, and Polkadot. The company that builds and maintains the developer SDKs—originally WalletConnect Inc.—rebranded to Reown in late 2024, signaling a broader mission to own the full onchain user experience. The open-source WalletConnect protocol itself remains under the WalletConnect Foundation.

How It Works

At its core, WalletConnect operates through an encrypted relay network. When a dApp requests a wallet connection, it generates a session request and broadcasts it through a relay node—typically surfaced to the user as a QR code or deep link. The wallet scans the code or taps the link, establishes an encrypted session using a shared secret derived through public-key exchange, and all subsequent messages flow through the relay encrypted end-to-end. Neither the relay server nor any third party can read the payload; decryption keys never leave the user's device or wallet.

The protocol exposes two core APIs:

• Sign API: allows dApps to request that users sign transactions or arbitrary messages without private keys ever leaving the wallet.
• Auth API: enables sign-in with wallet, verifying wallet address ownership with a cryptographically signed challenge—an onchain identity primitive that replaces username/password flows.

The relay network has evolved from a single server run by the founding team to a decentralized set of 20+ independent node operators, each required to stake WalletConnect Tokens (WCT) as collateral to participate.

Key Products

Reown ships two primary developer SDKs on top of the WalletConnect protocol:

AppKit targets dApp developers. It provides a configurable UI component that handles wallet selection, connection flow, chain switching, session management, embedded wallets (email and social login), crypto swaps, and fiat on-ramp. AppKit supports React, Next.js, Vue, Nuxt, Svelte, React Native, Flutter, Android, iOS, and Unity, enabling teams to drop in production-ready wallet connectivity without building underlying infrastructure. It connects to 500+ wallets and works across Ethereum, Solana, Bitcoin, Cosmos, Polkadot, and custom networks.

WalletKit targets wallet developers. It is the counterpart SDK that wallet teams embed to make their product compatible with 70,000+ WalletConnect-integrated apps. WalletKit handles session negotiation, message signing, authentication, and native support for WalletConnect Pay.

WalletConnect Pay is the platform's payment product—an end-to-end crypto payment layer for merchants, payment service providers (PSPs), and wallets. Merchants integrate once to accept payments from any compatible wallet on any supported chain; PSPs receive a headless SDK; wallets natively receive and process payment requests. As of May 2026, Solana is the sixth supported chain alongside Ethereum, Polygon, Base, Optimism, and Arbitrum.

WalletGuide is a curated directory of onchain wallets, applying security and UX quality benchmarks to help users identify reputable self-custody, mobile, hardware, and custodial options.

Network Scale

By mid-2026 the WalletConnect Network processed more than 1.14 billion USD in daily volume, supported 54 million+ unique active wallets, and had facilitated 380 million+ connections across 700+ wallets and more than 70,000 applications. The network surpassed 400 billion USD in annualized volume as of late 2025.

WCT Token

The WalletConnect Token (WCT) is the native utility and governance token of the WalletConnect Network, with a fixed total supply of 1 billion. WCT serves three main functions: staking collateral for relay node operators (participation requires staked WCT); governance, giving token holders votes on protocol upgrades, fee structures, and network parameters (planned for activation in 2026); and user and application incentives.

WCT launched first on Ethereum and Optimism's OP Mainnet, then expanded to Solana in late May 2025 using Wormhole's Native Token Transfers (NTT) framework. NTT means WCT moves natively across chains rather than as a wrapped asset. A 5 million WCT airdrop was distributed to active Solana community members, with eligibility centered on wallets using Phantom, Jupiter, Backpack, and Solflare. Jupiter DEX enabled native WCT trading on Solana shortly after launch.

Solana Integration

WalletConnect's Solana presence is multi-layered. AppKit supports Solana dApps natively, giving developers the full wallet connection stack. WalletConnect Pay's May 2026 Solana integration added SOL, USDC, and USDT as accepted merchant payment assets—the same merchant portal used for EVM chains. According to WalletConnect's own network data, approximately 4 billion USD in Solana value moved through the WalletConnect Network in the first half of 2026.

Team and Funding

WalletConnect was founded in 2018 by Pedro Gomes, who serves as Director of the WalletConnect Foundation. Reown, the company building and maintaining the developer SDKs, raised 13 million USD in a Series B round led by Union Square Ventures (USV) and 1kx.

Security

The relay architecture ensures that WalletConnect's relay servers cannot read message payloads—all session data is encrypted end-to-end with keys derived from a shared secret that never leaves the user's device or wallet. Decentralization of the relay network through 20+ independently operated nodes (secured by WCT staking) reduces single-point-of-failure risk. The protocol's core cryptographic design has been subject to extensive community review since its 2018 launch, and the open-source codebase is publicly auditable on GitHub.