The first time I sent a Solana transaction, I expected it to behave like a normal API request: Send request → wait → success/failure. But after debugging failed transactions on devnet, inspecting logs in Solana Explorer, and manually tracking confirmations, I realised Solana transactions behave much more like database commits than HTTP calls . That mental model shift finally made blockchain development click for me. A Solana Transaction Is More Than a Request A transaction contains: signatures (authorization) instructions (operations) account keys (state involved) a recent blockhash (replay protection) Unlike a typical API request handled by one server, every validator in the network verifies and executes the transaction independently before agreeing on the final state change. That’s a completely different architecture from most Web2 systems. Failed Transactions Taught Me the Most What surprised me most was that failed transactions still exist on-chain.…