The Ethereum wallet and client interface
An Ethereum client refers to any node which can parse and verify the Ethereum blockchain and execute smart contracts on top of it. As we have seen in the early sections of this chapter, the main purpose of user-faced clients is to authorize user credentials and provide an interface to conduct various operations. They also provide interfaces to create transactions and mine blocks, which is crucial for blockchain interaction. Figure 2.16 illustrates the classification of Ethereum client interfaces:
A wallet provides a service of sending, storing, and receiving funds. The main parameters of a good wallet service are security and trust. Users must feel that their funds are secure and the administrator of the wallet will not steal the funds. Such wallets are known as hot wallets, because they are always connected to the network and are often vulnerable to hacks and exploits. More secure wallets include paper wallets and hardware wallets, which are often called cold wallets. These basically store the tokens in offline mode. A paper wallet is stored as scanned QR codes representing the receiving address, along with a passcode, which must be remembered. In simple words, you print your keys on a paper so that they do not get hacked. Hardware wallets have hardwired encryption over a USB enabled device, which opens only with a passcode.
Figure 2.17 represents a classification of wallets for clarity:
Among all these Ethereum clients, light Ethereum mobile wallet (LETH) by Inzhoop deserves a special mention, because it not only has a wallet service but also a DApps browser store hosting quite a few working DApps. The Android-based alpha release also has a group chat, as well as personal chat tabs, which are entirely based on whisper. The chat history persists for 24 hours. As of now, picture files can be sent with generated bzzkey. It is presently hosted on the testnet Ropsten with the wallet on mainnet. So, to chat or play games or even open an account after installation, you do not have to spend any valuable ether. You need zero programming knowledge to operate this app, and it is available on the Google Play Store. Beginners are very much encouraged to try this mobile-based app to get a feel of how DApps, whisper, and swarm work together to create a good browser plus wallet platform. They also have a full working app for desktop.
Figure 2.18 shows a few snapshots on LETH (alpha release):
This brings us to the end of our chapter. I hope this chapter helped you to gain the necessary theoretical base to embark on the journey of Ethereum blockchain and smart contract development in the later sections.
Roll up your sleeves, grab some hot coffee, and put your device on charge. We are going to get our hands dirty soon with some solidity smart contracts. See you in Chapter 3, Hello World of Ethereum Smart Contract.