A user downloads Phantom Wallet to manage Solana tokens and Ethereum assets, approves a few transactions, and then wonders: who can see what I’ve done? The answer depends on what “see” means. Phantom itself cannot see transaction details because the wallet is self-custodial—it manages private keys locally and never holds user credentials on central servers.

A common misconception is that a Phantom install is simply a way to “store” SOL. It is not. A browser wallet is better understood as a signing interface: it connects a user-controlled account to decentralized applications, displays transaction requests, and authorizes changes on a blockchain. The coins do not sit inside the extension in the

A user connects their Phantom wallet to a decentralized exchange, approves a swap of Solana for Ethereum, and receives a notification that the transaction succeeded. The amount that arrives in their wallet, however, is noticeably less than what the interface quoted. Understanding that gap requires tracing through three distinct fee layers: blockchain network fees, swap