---
title: Concepts
description: Core concepts behind the Private Channels protocol
---

These pages explain how Private Channels works under the hood. Developers
integrating against an existing instance should read **Channel Lifecycle**
first. Operators and anyone building operator tooling should also read the
**Sparse Merkle Tree** reference.

- **[Channel Lifecycle](/docs/tools/private-channels/concepts/channels)** -
  participants, roles, and the deposit-to-withdrawal flow
- **[Sparse Merkle Tree](/docs/tools/private-channels/concepts/smt)** - how
  withdrawal proofs are verified on-chain to prevent double-spend
- **[Authentication & Roles](/docs/tools/private-channels/concepts/auth)** - JWT
  authentication, RBAC, and wallet verification