Exploring Solana: How It’s Different from EVM-Based Blockchains
You’re probably familiar with Ethereum or other networks that work in a similar way — like BNB Chain or Polygon. These EVM-based blockchains share a common structure, so tools, apps, and user experiences often feel the same across them.
But not all blockchains follow this model. Some are built differently from the ground up. While some of these networks may add features to make things feel more familiar to EVM users, the core technology often works in its own unique way. And for users bridging assets or interacting across chains, those differences can matter.
This article is part of a series focusing on non-EVM blockchains supported by Allbridge Core — specifically Solana, Tron, Stellar, and Sui. Each one has its own architecture and approach, and in this piece, we’ll take a closer look at Solana and how it’s different from the EVM chains you might be used to.
Solana’s Unique Architecture: Programs, Accounts, and Parallelism
Solana takes a very different approach compared to EVM-based chains. Instead of contracts storing everything inside themselves, Solana splits responsibilities between programs and accounts:
- Programs are Solana’s version of smart contracts. They contain the logic but don’t store user data inside them.
- Accounts are storage units on-chain that hold data or tokens. Every interaction with a program happens through accounts.
- Associated Token Accounts (ATAs) are a special type of account where tokens like USDC or USDT are stored for your wallet.
This design makes Solana quite powerful. Splitting storage among many accounts allows processing many transactions in parallel — something EVM chains can’t do easily because they execute transactions sequentially. That’s why Solana can reach such high throughput and low fees.
For developers, these differences are important when building apps. For regular users, though, you don’t really notice the complexity. Wallets and dApps (including Allbridge Core) handle most of it behind the scenes. For those familiar with EVM blockchains, like Ethereum or Polygon, it’s useful to know that Solana’s architecture is structured differently, even if your day-to-day experience looks similar.
SPL Tokens and the Account Model
On Solana, tokens are managed a little differently than what you might be used to on EVM chains.
On Ethereum or Polygon, an ERC-20 token contract keeps a record of how many tokens each address owns. Your wallet doesn’t store the tokens directly — it just shows the balance that the contract reports for your address.
Solana works differently. Instead of balances being stored inside a contract, each token you hold gets its own Associated Token Account (ATA) on-chain. For example, if you want to hold both USDC and USDT, your wallet will have one account for USDC and another account for USDT. These accounts belong to your wallet and store the actual token data.
When you receive a token for the first time, the ATA for that token needs to be created. This creation step requires a small amount of SOL — not as a fee you lose, but as a deposit that keeps the account active and rent-free. That’s why, even if you’re only bridging stablecoins, you’ll still need a little SOL in your wallet to cover this one-time setup.
Once the ATA exists, transfers into it are cheaper, and you won’t need to pay the setup cost again for that token.
Managing Token Accounts: Rent and Reclaiming SOL
Every account on Solana — whether it’s your wallet account or an ATA for tokens like USDC — needs to maintain a small balance of SOL to stay active. This is called being rent-exempt. Instead of paying ongoing rent fees, you lock up a little SOL in the account. As long as that SOL stays there, the account remains available for use.
For most users, this isn’t something you’ll need to manage day-to-day. Wallets and dApps like Allbridge Core automatically handle account creation when needed. But it does explain why your first transfer of a new token costs slightly more — part of it goes toward funding the token account so it stays rent-free forever.
What if you no longer need a token account? On Solana, you can actually close unused accounts and reclaim the SOL that was locked inside them. For example, if you tried out a token once and don’t plan to use it again, closing that ATA returns the deposit back to your wallet. Many wallets (like Phantom and Solflare) let you do this with just a couple of clicks.
This system keeps Solana efficient, while also giving you a way to recover SOL from accounts you don’t need anymore.
No Allowance on Solana: Understanding Program Access
On Ethereum and other EVM chains, tokens use an allowance system: before a smart contract can move your tokens, you must explicitly approve it for a certain amount. This creates a safeguard — even if a contract is malicious, it can only spend the tokens you approved.
Solana’s SPL token standard does include a similar feature called delegation, which lets you grant another account permission to transfer a limited number of your tokens. However, this mechanism isn’t always involved in day-to-day use.
The key difference is that if you sign a transaction directly, the program you’re interacting with can access any of the token accounts (and SOL) included in that transaction. In other words: on Solana, your signature itself is the main permission.
That’s why it’s especially important to double-check what you’re approving in your wallet. Phantom, Solflare, and other Solana wallets will show you the program you’re interacting with. If you don’t recognize it or trust it, don’t confirm the transaction.
When you use Allbridge Core, you’re always interacting with its audited program, so you can approve with confidence. But as you explore the wider Solana ecosystem, keep in mind: unlike EVM chains where allowances act as a buffer, on Solana your signature is the ultimate authority.
Final Thoughts on Solana and Allbridge Core
Solana’s design is quite different from EVM chains — with programs and accounts, SPL tokens, and its unique approach to permissions. For developers, these details matter a lot. For end users, most of it is handled behind the scenes, but it helps to know why you need SOL for the first transfer, or why wallet confirmations look a bit different.
With Allbridge Core, the complexity is abstracted away. Once your token accounts are set up, you can enjoy Solana’s strengths: fast confirmations, low fees, and a smooth experience moving stablecoins across chains.
