🔌 WalletConnect: Bridge Web & Mobile
Learn how dApps connect to mobile wallets via QR codes
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0 / 5 completed🔌 The Gateway to Web3
Wallet connection is the authentication mechanism for Web3. Unlike Web2 (username/password), users connect their crypto wallet (MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, WalletConnect) to prove ownership of an Ethereum address. No passwords, no email, no database. The wallet holds private keys and signs messages/transactions to verify identity. This is how dApps know "you are 0x742d35Cc6634C0532925a3b844Bc9e7595f0bEb".
🎮 Interactive: Connection Flow Simulator
Click through the 6 steps of a wallet connection. See what happens at each stage from user click to connected state.
1. User Clicks "Connect Wallet"
● ActiveUser initiates connection on your dApp
Code: <button onClick={connectWallet}>Connect Wallet</button>
2. Wallet Detection
dApp checks for window.ethereum (MetaMask, Coinbase, etc.)
3. Permission Request
Wallet prompts user to approve connection
4. User Approves
User clicks "Connect" in wallet popup
5. Account Access
Wallet returns account address to dApp
6. Connected State
dApp displays address and "Connected" status
🔑 Why Wallet Connection Matters
Your wallet address (0x...) IS your identity. No username, no password, no email. Just cryptographic proof of key ownership. Sign a message = prove you control that address.
Private keys never leave the wallet. dApps request signatures, wallet signs locally, then returns signature. Your keys stay safe in MetaMask/hardware wallet, never exposed to websites.
No account creation, no email verification, no 2FA setup. Click "Connect", approve in wallet, done. One wallet works across ALL dApps—Uniswap, OpenSea, Aave, etc.
dApps interact with YOUR assets on-chain. Trade tokens, mint NFTs, vote in DAOs—all using your wallet. No deposits, no custodial accounts. You always own your crypto.
🛠️ Connection Methods
How: Extension injects window.ethereum object. dApp calls ethereum.request({ method: 'eth_requestAccounts' })
Pros: Fast, desktop-friendly, most common. Cons: Requires browser extension install.
How: QR code or deep link bridges dApp to mobile wallet. Encrypted connection via relay server.
Pros: Works with ANY wallet (Trust, Rainbow, Argent). Mobile-friendly. Cons: Extra step (scan QR).
How: Similar to WalletConnect but Coinbase-specific. QR or deeplink to Coinbase mobile wallet.
Pros: Optimized for Coinbase users. Cons: Limited to Coinbase Wallet only.
💡 Key Insight
Wallet connection is Web3's "Sign in with Google" moment—but better. Instead of trusting a company with your data, you prove ownership of an address via cryptographic signatures. No middleman, no account database, no password leaks. The wallet is your universal passport to all dApps. One connection, infinite applications. This is the future of authentication: self-sovereign identity where YOU control the keys, not the platform.