Why Do Some Wallets Need “Activate” or “Top-Up” Before Use?

That’s true for wallets on chains like Bitcoin or Ethereum — you can receive funds instantly, no setup needed.

But on some blockchains like Solana, Starknet, Sui, or Fuel, you might see this instead:

“Please top up your wallet to activate it.”
“Deploy your account before sending/receiving tokens.”

So what’s going on here?

Account Models: EOAs vs. Smart Wallets

To understand this, you need to know there are two types of wallets in crypto:

1. EOAs (Externally Owned Accounts)

• Simple wallets controlled by private keys
• Examples: MetaMask (Ethereum), TrustWallet
• No code on-chain — just an address
• No need to “activate” — always exists once generated

2. Smart Contract Wallets

• Wallets powered by on-chain code
• Have features like multisig, 2FA, social recovery
• Must be deployed on-chain first before use

Chains like Starknet and zkSync use smart wallets by default. So when you create a wallet there, it doesn’t truly exist until it's deployed.

Why Top-Up or Pay First?

Deploying a smart wallet costs gas — even if you haven’t done anything yet.

You may need to:

• Deposit ETH/SOL to fund the initial deployment
• Cover storage rent (like on Solana)
• Pay gas to register your address on-chain

Until that’s done:

• You can’t receive tokens
• Others may not see your wallet
• Smart contract functions won’t work

Real-World Examples

🔸 Solana

• Uses a system called “Rent”
• You need to pay rent to keep data stored (like token balances)
• Your token account doesn’t exist until you “create” it by paying rent

🔹 Starknet

• Uses Account Abstraction
• Wallet = Smart Contract
• You need to deploy your account before it can interact with the chain

🔸 Fuel, Sui, etc.

• Also use advanced models where wallets must be “initialized” or “deployed” to function

Why Do Chains Do This?

It's not just to be annoying. These chains are:

• Built for modularity and scalability
• Using advanced account models for better UX and security
• Enabling features like gasless transactions, social recovery, or multi-device control

The tradeoff? A little friction upfront.

Conclusion: Not All Wallets Are Born Ready

If your new wallet says “Top-Up to Activate,” don’t panic — it just means:

• You’re on a smart contract-based chain
• Your wallet needs to be deployed on-chain
• You need a bit of gas to make it real

It’s like opening a digital bank account that only becomes “live” once you fund it.

Welcome to the future of programmable wallets