starter.wiki

Identity

Wallet Login

Decide whether wallet-based identity is needed and, if so, whether the product needs a managed identity platform or only wallet connection.

Recommendation

Do not add wallet login unless a wallet is part of the product's actual identity or transaction model.

Defer wallet login when wallet control is not part of the product's identity or transaction model; Privy, Dynamic, and RainbowKit solve different wallet requirements.123

For: Applications evaluating wallet-based sign-in, embedded wallets, or external-wallet connection

Main trade-off

Managed products bundle identity and wallet functions; a connection library leaves authentication and lifecycle implementation to the application.234

Why there is no single default: Wallet login introduces signature verification, account linking, recovery, chain support, and session-security concerns. A wallet is not a universal replacement for conventional identity, and connection-only libraries are not full authentication platforms.

Decision criteria

First validate the need for wallet identity, then choose the product boundary.

  1. Product necessity

    Require wallet identity only when ownership, signing, or onchain actions are central to the user journey.1

  2. Wallet model

    Distinguish external-wallet connection from embedded or application-provisioned wallets.234

  3. Identity linking

    Decide whether email, social, passkey, and multiple wallet accounts must resolve to one user.23

  4. Security ownership

    Define nonce, domain binding, replay prevention, session invalidation, recovery, and signing responsibilities.1

Wallet identity routes

The first route intentionally selects no wallet product.

Wallet identity is not essential

Use conventional authentication and defer wallet login.

This avoids wallet-specific recovery, linking, signature, and support complexity when the product does not need it.

Verify: Revisit only when an onchain action or wallet-held asset must identify or authorize the user.1

Managed wallet identity and embedded wallets

Evaluate Privy or Dynamic.

Both cover a broader identity and wallet surface than a connection library, including managed authentication paths and wallet capabilities.

Verify: Compare custody model, chain support, account linking, policy controls, export, pricing, and recovery requirements directly.23

External-wallet connection in a React dapp

Use RainbowKit as the wallet connection layer.

It provides a focused wallet-selection and connection experience for React applications.

Verify: The application still needs a verified sign-in protocol such as SIWE, secure sessions, account linking, and authorization.14

Official resources

Validate authentication semantics against ERC-4361 and product boundaries in current official documentation.

DocumentationPrivy documentation

Starter stacks

Sources

Primary sources supporting the defer, managed-platform, and connection-library routes.

  1. 1
    ERC-4361: Sign-In with Ethereum

    Ethereum Improvement Proposals · Accessed Official

  2. 2
    Privy documentation

    Privy · Accessed Official

  3. 3
    Dynamic documentation

    Dynamic · Accessed Official

  4. 4
    RainbowKit introduction

    RainbowKit · Accessed Official