1
Cryptocurrency balances are fundamentally controlled by secret keys that correspond to public addresses on a blockchain.
2
The UTXO (Unspent Transaction Output) model (used by Bitcoin) requires summing up all unspent outputs to determine an address balance, which is memory-efficient for miners.
3
The account-based model (used by Ethereum) explicitly tracks the value associated with every account on the blockchain, offering greater flexibility.
4
A crypto wallet is client-side software designed to store secret signing keys and facilitate sending and receiving funds.
5
MetaMask is a popular browser extension wallet used for the Ethereum network that manages user addresses, displays token balances, and signs transactions.