Web3 Wallet Creation to Money Transfer Testing — First Blockchain Experience
Web3 From Wallet Creation to Money Transfer Testing — First Blockchain Experience
This article is a hands-on guide for those who are new to Web3 to experience "ETH acquisition and → remittance for wallet creation → test" without hesitation.
The intended reader is someone who participated in a Web3 study group or course and was told, "Please make a wallet," but is not sure where to start.Or someone who is interested in hearing about blockchain, but hasn't touched it themselves yet.
That's exactly what I was."Wallet", "Testnet", "Faucet", there were too many unfamiliar words, and even if I searched, the information was scattered, and I could not determine which procedure was correct.
If you move your hand as described in this article, you can experience the basic operation of Web3 in 30 minutes.I use the test money (zero value), so I don't lose anything I make mistakes with.Think of it as an article for "Let's touch it for now".
There are only three things to do.
- Make a wallet - Get money for testing - Try sending money
In everyday life, it's like this.
- Set up your own mailbox - Receive a test letter (with toy money) - Deliver the letter to a friend's mailbox
What is a wallet in the first place?
Start with the parable of everyday life.
When creating a bank account, go to the bank counter, verify your identity, and get the account number.It is because the bank will assume "I will manage this person's account".
A Web3 wallet is like putting a mailbox in front of your home.Even if you do not notify the public office, you can install it without permission from anyone.Anyone who knows the address (address) can deliver the letter (money).But only the person with the key can retrieve the contents.
- Address (a string starting with `0x...`) = the mailbox address.You can tell people.If you don't tell me, I can't get it delivered - Private key = mailbox key.I can't get the contents out without it.Never give it to anyone - Seed phrase (12 English words) = the pin used to make the key spare.For lost keys.You shouldn't teach this to people either.
The biggest difference from a bank account is that there is no administrator.The bank will reissue it if it says “I forgot my pin”, but in Web3, if you lose your private key, no one will help you.Self-responsibility comes in exchange for freedom.
What is a Testnet?
This time, we are using a test network called "Sepolia".It works exactly the same as real Ethereum, but the money is not worth it.
In everyday life, an arcade medal.The movement of the game console is exactly the same as when you put in real money, but if you take the medal outside, it will not be 1 yen.That's why it doesn't hurt to fail.Just in time to learn the controls.
| | Testnet (Sepolia) | Mainnet (Ethereum) | |---|---|---| | Everyday Parables | Geisen Medals | Real Money | | Value for money | None (for practice) | Genuine (1 ETH = hundreds of thousands of yen * fluctuates depending on the market) | | How to get it | Get it for free | Buy on an exchange | | How it Works | Same as Real | Same as |
Step 1: Install Rabby Wallet
In everyday life: Buy a mailbox and install it in front of the house.
There are several wallet apps, but here I use Rabby Wallet.The screen is easier to understand than MetaMask, and the testnet correspondence is also good.
For Chrome:
1. Search for "Rabby Wallet" in the Chrome Web Store 2. Click Add to Chrome 3. When Rabby opens, select “Create New Address” 4. Set a password (this password is for unlocking browser extensions)
If the seed phrase appears:
- Write on paper and store in a safe place - It is not recommended to save in screenshots or cloud notes - If this phrase leaks, you lose everything in your wallet
When setup is complete, addresses starting with `0x...` are displayed.This is your wallet address.The mailbox has been installed.
If you're already using MetaMask: Switching to Rabby is fine.If you import the same seed phrase or private key, you can access the same address and the same balance.This is a state of "Just changing the appearance of the mailbox, the address and the key are the same".The wallet app is only a "point of contact", and the assets are on the blockchain.
Step 2: Add the Sepolia Testnet
In everyday life: Put a sign in your mailbox that says, “I will also receive a test letter.”
Add a testnet to Rabby.
1. Click the ⚙️(Settings) icon in the top right corner of Rabby 2. Click “Add a custom network” 3. Type `11155111` in the search field (Sepolia chain ID) 4. Since "Sepolia" is displayed, select it and add it
When I did, I searched for “Sepolia” and there were more than 20 networks with similar names, such as “zkSync Sepolia” and “Binary Sepolia”.If you choose the one with chain ID `11155111', you can be sure.
Chain IDs are like zip codes."Shibuya-ku, Tokyo" and "Shibuya, Tokyo" are similar, but the delivery address is different.Even if the network name is similar, if the chain ID is different, it is in a different place.If I make a mistake here, I'm going to fly to another network with the intention of sending money.
Step 3: Get ETH for testing (Faucet)
In everyday life: Getting money for testing toys at a free distribution center.
The service that distributes free ETH for the test net is called "Faucet".Image of water (ETH for testing) coming out when twisting the faucet.
How to use Google Cloud Faucet
1. Open the following link `https://cloud.google.com/application/web3/faucet/ethereum/sepolia` 2. Log in with your Google Account 3. Paste your wallet address ('0x...') in 'Wallet address' 4. Click on “Get 0.05 Sepolia ETH” 5. Get 0.05 ETH to your wallet in seconds or minutes
If you get the error "minimum of 0.001 ETH on Ethereum Mainnet": Some Faucets cannot be used unless you have ETH on the mainnet.In that case, try the following alternative Faucet. Alternate: Alchemy Faucet - `https://www.alchemy.com/faucets/ethereum-sepolia` - You need to create an Alchemy account (free)
Check if it arrived
It can be found on Etherscan (a site that looks at blockchain transaction records).On a day-to-day basis, it's like a mail tracking service.Anyone can see what's in your mailbox right now.
`https://sepolia.etherscan.io/address/'
If the balance is displayed as "0.05 Ether", it is successful.
In my case, it arrived within seconds of pressing the Faucet button.Compared to bank transfers, which take a few hours to a few days, I was honestly surprised at the speed.
As a reminder, this 0.05 ETH is on the testnet and cannot be exchanged for cash or used as real ETH.It is only a "currency for practice", and if it is Japanese yen, it will be 0 yen.It is different from mainnet ETH (1ETH = hundreds of thousands of yen).Don't worry, even if you see a number on your wallet balance, you don't have the money.
Step 4: Try sending money
In everyday life: Delivering a toy money letter to a friend's mailbox.However, unlike ordinary mail, the records delivered will remain in the books that everyone in the town has.
This is the most interesting part.Try to actually send ETH.
What you need to send money
- Remittance address (ask your study buddy) = Shipping address - Transfer amount (0.001 ETH is sufficient) = the amount to put in the envelope
How to send money from Rabby
1. Open Rabby 2. Make sure your network is "Sepolia" 3. Click the "Submit" button 4. Paste the remittance address 5. Enter an amount (e.g. `0.001`) 6. An estimate of gas costs (fees) is displayed 7. Review and click Confirm
Transfer money in seconds or minutes.
What happens with money transfers
It looks like "I just pressed a button", but this kind of thing is happening on the back side.For example, in everyday life, the town hall circulation board.
You write "Please deliver 0.001 ETH to a friend" on the paper and press Hanko
↓
Spinning all over town with a circular board
↓
The residents of the town will check
- Is Hanko real?(Signature Verification)
- Does this person have that much money?(Check Balance)
-Isn 't the same request rolling in ahead?(Prevention of double remittance)
↓
If everyone accepts "OK", it will be recorded on everyone's books
↓
Money arrives in your mailbox (no one can rewrite it anymore)
The big difference with banks is that instead of one organization maintaining the books, thousands of computers around the world have the same books.Therefore, even if one is broken or someone tries to cheat, it will be different from everyone else's books and cannot be tampered with.
About gas price
There is a gas fee for transferring money.On a daily basis, the postage of the courier.Since the person who delivers it (validator) does not work for free, the user pays the delivery fee.
- ETH transfer: approx. 0.000021 ETH (simplest process = shipping cost for 1 small envelope) - Complex handling (e.g. issuing NFTs): higher (shipping costs for larger packages) - Testnet gas cost: zero value so don't worry
Completion check
You should have completed the following by now:
- [] Installed Rabby Wallet (= installed mailbox) - [] I have a wallet address ('0x...') (= I have an address) - [] Added Sepolia Testnet (= ready to receive test letter) - [] Got 0.05 Sepolia ETH from Faucet (= received toy money) - [] Tested sending money to someone (= delivered to a friend's mailbox)
Now I can experience the basic operation of Web3.
For those who want to know a little more
Why we need blockchain
You might think a normal bank would be enough.It certainly feels that way as long as I'm in Japan.
However, when you look at the world, the scenery changes.
- More than 1.4 billion adults do not have a bank account, according to a World Bank survey (as of 2021) - If you send 30,000 yen from Japan to the Philippines, the fee will be thousands of yen, and it will take several days to arrive - During the Cyprus Crisis (2013) and the Lebanon Financial Crisis (2019-), the government restricted the withdrawal of deposits
Banks manage accounts as “trusted administrators,” but there is a risk that administrators will crash or be stopped for their own convenience.
Blockchain is trying to solve this problem by the idea of “not putting an administrator”.If you have a smartphone and the Internet, you can create an "account".Transferring money takes seconds and costs dozens of yen.There is no administrator, so no one can stop it.
What is NFTs?
NFTs are unavoidable while learning Web3.I will summarize the content taught in the lecture.
NFTs are like digital data with a backside.The information of who is the creator and who is the current owner is linked to the digital data.
Digital data can be easily copied, but NFTs have made it possible to prove “who is the original owner of this data” on the blockchain.
It is close to the image of "appraisal certificate" (this is my interpretation).Anyone can copy a picture of a painting, but an appraisal can only be authentic.The image is that the NFT realized the appraisal certificate digitally.
For those who want to know more, the concept of NFTs became clear for the first time in this article.
[What is NFT (Non Fungible Token)] (https://note.com/tksarahweb3/n/n923a0402a37a)
Token type
| Types | Features | Everyday Parables | |------|------|----------| | FT (Fungible Token) | Same type can be exchanged | Money (all 10,000 yen bills are the same value) | | NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) | Each one is unique | Exclusive merchandise (with serial number) | | SBT (Soulbound Token) | Unique and non-transferable | Diploma (cannot be bought or sold in association with the individual) |
Security Considerations
Finally, I want you to remember this.
- Never share your private key or seed phrase with anyone.100% scam if someone asks.On a daily basis, it's the same as saying, "Please tell me your bank pin." - Don't connect your wallet on an unfamiliar site.In daily life, it is the same as "handing the key of the house to a stranger".If you connect to a malicious site, all your assets will be stolen - Always check the remittance address.There is no “undo” button on the blockchain.On a daily basis, it is the same as "If you send the cash registered mail to the wrong address, you will get the delivery person" - Practice on the testnet before going to the mainnet.Repeat what you did this time over and over again on the test net, get used to the operation, and move on to production
I used a test net (worthless ETH) this time, so it's okay to make any mistakes.I want you to move your hands with peace of mind.
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*Machine-translated (MyMemory API) from a Japanese original at [nomuraya-hub.pages.dev](https://nomuraya-hub.pages.dev/). Pre-review draft. I am the same author writing under different pen names — "nomuraya / shimajima / 中翔" — depending on the medium.*