Architecture

This section explains how Drift works under the hood, from Solana program internals to SDK architecture and core trading mechanisms.

Why understand the architecture?

Whether you’re building integrations, running high-performance bots, or contributing to the protocol, understanding Drift’s architecture helps you:

Build better integrations - know which data sources to use and how they relate
Optimize performance - understand subscription patterns, account dependencies, and transaction construction
Debug effectively - trace issues from SDK calls through to onchain state changes
Contribute confidently - understand the system well enough to propose improvements

Drift’s architecture spans three layers:

Protocol Layer - Solana program accounts and onchain logic. See Concepts for program structure and account models.

SDK Layer - Client libraries for interacting with the protocol. See SDK Internals for subscription patterns and transaction construction.

Trading Layer - Orderbook, auctions, and matching engine. See Market Makers for DLOB, JIT, and liquidity mechanisms.