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Below are some of the key concepts and terms used in the Byzantine API. Some of these relate to blockchain technology. Basic knowledge of blockchain will be helpful in understanding Byzantine, but it is not required. Integrating Byzantine is 100% API-based.

Key terms

ConceptExplainer
User accountEvery individual user of Byzantine has a user account, associated with a unique user_id. User accounts can be tied to legal entities.
EntityA legal entity. At least one user account needs to be tied to each legal entity to be able to make transactions.
WalletA wallet is the digital access point to the blockchain - it is where user assets are stored and how they make transactions. Every entity has one wallet.
VaultByzantine products, like Byzantine Prime USDC, are smart contracts known as vaults. These smart contracts are blockchain-based code that automatically handles all administration work surrounding a client’s deposit. These vaults are what make Byzantine’s high security and non-custodial nature possible.

Wallet authentication

Even if the client accesses the blockchain through an integrator’s interface and Byzantine’s API, the client is **sole owner and controller **of their assets. Each time a transaction is to be made, the client must themselves approve it with one of the available signature methods. Without this signature tied to the client device or the client’s identity, nobody could physically make transactions. In this way, client ownership and control are programatically guaranteed.

Two-step transactions

Since the user is the sole controller of the wallet, they need to sign every transaction themselves. Therefore, making a transaction via the Byzantine API is split into two steps:
  1. Requesting the transaction body
  2. Submitting the signed transaction
For details on how this process works, see Wallet authentication.

Non-custodiality

At no point in any interaction does Byzantine take custody or hold control over user funds.
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