Wallet-API vs Wallet-Widget

This guide explains the difference between our Wallet-API solution and our Wallet-Widget solution.

Both solutions offer a similar feature set:

Create Wallets for your users
Retrieving the native balance of these wallets
Retrieving the (non-)fungibles (ERC-1155, ERC-721 and ERC-20) of these wallets
Performing transfers of native and fungible tokens on these wallets
Performing NFT-transfers on these wallets
Performing contract calls on these wallets
Signing messages with these wallets
Importing / Exporting wallets

However, there are several key conceptual differences between the Wallet-API and the Wallet-Widget solution. These are explained below.

Technical Differences

	Wallet-API	Wallet-Widget
Technical Architecture / Integration	The Wallet-API is a pure REST backend-to-backend integration.	The widget is an SDK that is integrated in your frontend / browser application. The SDK will take care of all the (backend) calls to the Venly-services.
Authentication / Security	You will receive a `clientId` and `secret`. This `secret` needs to be securely stored and used. API-calls therefore need to be done from your own backend to the Venly-services.	You will receive a `clientId` that is linked to your specific domain (URI). Only calls initiated from this whitelisted domain (in combination with the `clientId)` will be accepted.
Development	Requires backend development.	Requires frontend development.
UI flexibility	As the Wallet-API is a purely API-solution, you have full control over the frontend in your app.	The Widget provides out-of-the-box screens for your endusers: login, create wallet, sign for a transaction, etc. These screens are Venly-branded and are not customizable.

Functional / Conceptual Differences

	Wallet-API	Wallet-Widget
User login	User login has to be provided by yourself. You are in full control of the authentication mechanism of your users.	The Venly-Widget offers an authentication mechanism for the wallet-users. Moreover, authentication of the user at Venly is mandatory, before any blockchain functionality can be triggered on the wallet of the user. The authentication mechanism can be used as Identity provider (IdP) in your app.
User	The user is not known at Venly. Every API-call performed is done in your name (clientId). No end-user information needs to be supplied.	The user is known/authenticated at Venly. Your app can retrieve the user's profile (email, firstname, etc.). Every functionality triggered through your app (e.g. perform a transfer) will be done in the name of the user.
Wallet ownership	From Venly's perspective, the created wallets are owned by you (as we do not know the end-user).	The created wallets are owned by the end-user.
User interaction	(OPTIONALLY) You can have full control over the created wallets. No user interaction is needed to access them.	User interaction is always needed to perform actions on the user's wallet. The user has to confirm every action by supplying a PIN code.
https://wallet.venly.io/	Users are not able to use the created wallets in the Venly Wallet interface (we do not know them).	Users can login into the Venly Wallet interface and manage the created wallets.
User support	Users have to contact you. You can contact Venly support with the necessary information (e.g. `walletID`)	Users can contact Venly support immediately.

Legal / compliancy differences

	Wallet-API	Wallet-Widget
Custodial?	For Wallet-API, Venly is considered the "technology provider". As a client, you have two options. OPTION 1: Custodial You create custodial wallets (where you become the custodial and therefore need to comply with the necessary regulations). You have full control over the created wallets. Example Use Case. OPTION 2: Non-custodial You create non-custodial wallets. In this case, you will require user interaction, whenever a user wants to perform an action on a wallet (e.g. they need to provide a PIN code). Example Use Cases. In this case, Venly is also not able to access the wallets: they are considered UNRECOVERABLE unless your user has an emergency signing method. If a user loses their PIN code, they can reset it using their emergency signing method. Read more.	Venly is considered the non-custodial wallet provider. Venly conforms to all the Compliancy / AML / MiCa regulations (e.g. we will perform KYC for every user and monitor transactions). We however have no control over the funds in the wallets. Funds will stay in the sole ownership of the user. See Terms&Conditions.