As you explore the WalletConnect docs, you’ll come across two distinct providers that may leave you wondering: which one is the best fit for my specific needs? Deciding between the two can be quite the task, but don’t worry!
In this blog post, I’ll guide you through both options and shed light on their differences.
By the time you reach the end of this article, you’ll have a clear and comprehensive understanding of each provider, helping you to make an informed decision about which one suits your dapp perfectly!
Before we begin, it’s important to emphasize that WalletConnect v2.0 is chain-agnostic, thanks to its adherence to CAIP-25.
Chain Agnostic Improvement Proposals are like Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs), but for various chains. This means that your dapp is not limited to the Ethereum Ecosystem. In fact, as of the time of writing, WalletConnect v2.0 supports 300+ chains! You can check them all out here.
Now that we know what CAIP-25 is and how that affects your requirements, let’s discuss what Universal Provider is.
Universal Provider
Imagine this. You’re a developer creating a multi-platform messaging app that supports various messaging services like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and iMessage.
Universal Provider acts as a bridge that connects your app to these messaging platforms. With an app like this, users can communicate seamlessly across multiple messaging services without the need to switch between different apps.
This integration theoretically makes the messaging experience smoother and more efficient for everyone, as users can conveniently send messages to their friends and family on different platforms, all from within your unified messaging app.
Now coming back to Universal Provider, it allows you to connect and communicate with multiple chains, making your development journey smoother and more efficient.
Great! Now that we know what it is and why you might need it, it’s time to jump to Ethereum Provider and shed light on the title of this post.
Ethereum Provider
Ethereum Provider is essentially an abstraction over Universal Provider specifically for Ethereum-based chains. Remember CAIP-25 and how it makes multi-chain possible? Well, Ethereum Provider is Universal Provider preconfigured for Ethereum and chains built on Ethereum.
In fact, you can check the source code and see how it uses Universal Provider under the hood.
Ethereum Provider eliminates the need for manual configurations, seamlessly enabling exclusive support for Ethereum chains without hassle.