> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.canton.network/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Concept Translation Tables > Comprehensive mapping of Ethereum concepts to Canton equivalents This reference provides detailed translations from Ethereum concepts to their Canton equivalents. Use this as a quick reference when you encounter familiar terms and need to understand their Canton counterpart. ## Core Protocol Concepts | Ethereum | Canton | Key Differences | | ---------------- | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Blockchain** | Synchronizer | Canton synchronizers coordinate without storing state | | **Block** | No direct equivalent | Transactions are ordered individually; participants receive only relevant views | | **Node** | Validator / Participant | Stores only hosted parties' data | | **Global state** | Distributed state | No global view; each party has their view | | **Finality** | Confirmation | Deterministic finality after confirmation | | **Reorg** | Not applicable | Canton has no chain reorganizations | ## Identity & Accounts | Ethereum | Canton | Key Differences | | -------------------- | ------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | | **EOA (Address)** | Party | Parties have explicit authorization semantics | | **Private key** | Party keys | Can be local (validator-held) or external | | **msg.sender** | Controller | Declared at compile-time, not runtime | | **Contract address** | Contract ID | Unique identifier, not derived from deployer | | **ENS name** | Canton Name Service (CNS) | Human-readable party identifiers | ### Party vs. Address Deep Dive ```mermaid theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}} flowchart TB subgraph Ethereum A1[Address: 0x1234...] A2[Derived from public key] A3[No on-chain creation cost] A4[Anonymous by default] end subgraph Canton B1["Party: alice::fingerprint"] B2[Registered with validator] B3[Creates state on validator] B4[Identity known to validator] end ``` **Implications:** * Don't create parties frivolously (unlike Ethereum addresses) * Party creation requires interaction with a validator * Parties are not pseudonymous in the same way as Ethereum addresses ## Smart Contract Concepts | Ethereum | Canton | Key Differences | | --------------------- | --------------- | --------------------------------------------- | | **Smart contract** | Template | Daml defines types and choices | | **Contract instance** | Contract | Immutable; state changes create new contracts | | **Function** | Choice | Choices are typed and authorized | | **Constructor** | `create` | Creates contract from template | | **Storage variables** | Contract fields | Immutable within a contract instance | | **ABI** | Daml types | Type-safe interface definition | ### State Model Comparison **Ethereum: Mutable State** ```solidity theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}} contract Token { mapping(address => uint256) balances; function transfer(address to, uint256 amount) public { balances[msg.sender] -= amount; // Mutate in place balances[to] += amount; } } ``` **Canton: Immutable Contracts** ```haskell theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}} template Token with owner : Party amount : Decimal where signatory owner choice Transfer : ContractId Token with newOwner : Party controller owner do -- Archive this contract (implicit) -- Create new contract with new owner create this with owner = newOwner ``` | Aspect | Ethereum | Canton | | ---------------- | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------ | | **Modification** | Update storage variables | Archive old, create new | | **History** | Implicit in state transitions | Explicit in contract lifecycle | | **Atomicity** | Per-transaction | Per-transaction | | **Rollback** | Revert state changes | Hidden as part of the protocol | ## Transaction Concepts | Ethereum | Canton | Key Differences | | -------------------- | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | | **Transaction** | Transaction / Command | Canton transactions are privacy-preserving | | **Transaction hash** | Transaction ID | Unique identifier | | **Gas** | Traffic | Paid in Canton Coin | | **Gas price** | Traffic cost | Based on transaction size and complexity | | **Nonce** | Not required | Canton handles ordering | | **Receipt** | Completion | Confirmation of command execution | ### Transaction Visibility | Ethereum | Canton | | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | | Transaction visible to all nodes | Transaction split into views | | Everyone sees sender, recipient, data | Each party sees only their view | | Public mempool | Encrypted submission | | Block explorer shows everything | Block explorer shows your transactions only | ## Authorization Concepts | Ethereum | Canton | Key Differences | | ------------------ | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------ | | **msg.sender** | Controller | Compile-time vs. runtime check | | **require()** | Signatory/controller declarations | Enforced by protocol | | **Ownable** | Signatory pattern | Built into the language | | **Access control** | Observer/controller declarations | Explicit visibility control | | **Multi-sig** | Multiple signatories | Native multi-party support | ### Authorization Example **Ethereum: Runtime Check** ```solidity theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}} function transfer(address to, uint256 amount) public { require(msg.sender == owner, "Not authorized"); // ... transfer logic } ``` **Canton: Compile-Time Declaration** ```haskell theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}} choice Transfer : ContractId Asset controller owner -- Only owner can exercise this choice do -- No runtime check needed; protocol enforces create this with owner = newOwner ``` ## Event & Data Concepts | Ethereum | Canton | Key Differences | | ---------------------- | ------------------------- | --------------------------------- | | **Events** | Transaction tree | Structured record of actions | | **emit** | Implicit in transaction | All creates/archives are recorded | | **Indexed parameters** | Contract fields | Queryable via Ledger API/PQS | | **Logs** | Active Contract Set (ACS) | Current state queryable | | **eth\_getLogs** | GetTransactionTrees | Historical transaction data | ## Network Concepts | Ethereum | Canton | Key Differences | | ------------------------- | ---------------------- | -------------------------- | | **MainNet** | Canton Network MainNet | Production with real value | | **Testnet (Sepolia)** | DevNet / TestNet | Test environments | | **Local (Hardhat/Anvil)** | LocalNet | Development environment | | **RPC endpoint** | Ledger API | gRPC or JSON interface | | **Infura/Alchemy** | Validator service | Hosted infrastructure | | **Chain ID** | Synchronizer ID | Network identifier | ### Environment Comparison | Environment | Ethereum | Canton | | --------------------- | ----------------------- | ----------------------------- | | **Local development** | Hardhat, Anvil, Ganache | LocalNet (Daml SDK) | | **Shared testing** | Sepolia, Goerli | DevNet (requires sponsorship) | | **Pre-production** | Sepolia | TestNet (requires approval) | | **Production** | MainNet | MainNet (full onboarding) | ## Development Tooling | Ethereum | Canton | Notes | | --------------------- | ------------------------ | --------------------------------------------- | | **Solidity** | Daml | Different paradigm: functional vs. imperative | | **Hardhat/Foundry** | dpm + daml build | Build and test toolchain | | **Remix** | VS Code + Daml extension | IDE support | | **ethers.js/web3.js** | Ledger API (gRPC/JSON) | Application integration | | **MetaMask** | Wallet SDK | User wallet integration | | **Etherscan** | Scan API | Network exploration | | **The Graph** | PQS | Indexed data queries | ## Common Patterns | Ethereum Pattern | Canton Equivalent | | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **ERC-20** | Token Standard ([CIP-0056](https://github.com/global-synchronizer-foundation/cips/blob/main/cip-0056/cip-0056.md)) | | **ERC-721/ERC-1155** | dApp Standard ([CIP-0103](https://github.com/mjuchli-da/cips/blob/cip-dapp-standard/cip-0103/cip-0103.md)) | | **Proxy pattern** | Smart Contract Upgrade (SCU) | | **Factory pattern** | Template instantiation | | **Pull payments** | Propose/accept pattern | | **Access control lists** | Observer lists | | **Pausable** | Contract lifecycle choices | | **Reentrancy guard** | Not needed (sequential execution) | ## What Doesn't Translate Some Ethereum concepts have no direct Canton equivalent: | Ethereum | Canton Reality | | -------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | | **Public by default** | Private by default | | **Any node can query any state** | Query only your parties' data | | **Anonymous participation** | Parties have identity | | **Permissionless contract deployment** | Packages vetted by validators | | **Flash loans** | Different execution model | | **MEV/front-running** | Transactions are encrypted | ## Next Steps Deep dive into Canton's privacy model vs. Ethereum. Understand the Daml vs. Solidity programming model.