Solana Token Creation Glossary

• Account size: 165 bytes
• Rent-exempt minimum: ~0.00203 SOL
• Derived using: findProgramAddress([walletPubkey, TOKEN_PROGRAM_ID, mintPubkey])
• Program: ATokenGPvbdGVxr1b2hvZbsiqW5xWH25efTNsLJA8knL

ATAs simplify token transfers by providing a predictable address for each token per wallet. Without ATAs, users would need to manually create and manage separate token accounts, making the UX more complex.

Wallet: 7xKXtg2CW87d97TXJSDpbD5jBkheTqA83TZRuJosgAsU
Token Mint: EPjFWdd5AufqSSqeM2qN1xzybapC8G4wEGGkZwyTDt1v (USDC)
→ ATA: Derived deterministically, always the same address

• Mint Authority: Public key that can mint additional tokens. Can be revoked to create fixed supply.
• Freeze Authority: Public key that can freeze/unfreeze individual token accounts.
• Close Authority: Permission to close a token account and reclaim rent.
• Update Authority: (For metadata) Permission to update token metadata.

• Trustless: Both authorities set to null (cannot mint more, cannot freeze)
• Governed: Authorities controlled by multisig or DAO
• Centralized: Single wallet controls all authorities

• Consensus: Proof of History (PoH) + Proof of Stake (PoS)
• Block time: ~400-800ms
• Theoretical max TPS: 65,000+
• Actual average TPS: 2,000-4,000
• Average transaction cost: $0.00025
• Launch date: March 2020

• 9 decimals (Standard): 1 token = 1,000,000,000 base units. Like SOL, divisible to 0.000000001
• 6 decimals (Stablecoin): 1 token = 1,000,000 base units. Like USDC, divisible to 0.000001
• 2 decimals (Cents): 1 token = 100 base units. Like USD cents, divisible to 0.01
• 0 decimals (NFT/Whole): 1 token = 1 base unit. Cannot be divided (tickets, certificates)

• Decimals CANNOT be changed after token creation
• More decimals allow micro-transactions but increase supply display complexity
• For NFTs or tickets, use 0 decimals with supply of 1 (or low number)
• Standard is 9 for maximum Solana compatibility

• RPC endpoint: https://api.devnet.solana.com
• Free SOL available from faucets (airdrop command)
• Same programs and features as mainnet
• Tokens have no monetary value
• Periodically reset (data not permanent)

• First-time token creators testing the process
• Testing token configurations before mainnet deployment
• Developing integrations without risk
• Learning Solana development

• Jupiter: Aggregator that routes through multiple DEXs for best prices
• Raydium: AMM and liquidity provider, integrated with Serum order book
• Orca: User-friendly AMM with concentrated liquidity pools
• Serum: On-chain order book DEX

1. Create your SPL token using CreateMyCoin
2. Create a liquidity pool on Raydium or Orca
3. Provide initial liquidity (your token + SOL or USDC)
4. Token becomes tradeable immediately
5. Submit to Jupiter for aggregator listing

• Regulatory Compliance: Freeze accounts involved in illegal activity
• Security: Freeze compromised accounts to prevent theft
• Stablecoins: Comply with sanctions and regulations (e.g., USDC)
• Controlled Tokens: Restrict transfers for vesting or lockup periods

• Freezing affects individual token accounts, not the entire token supply
• Frozen accounts cannot send or receive tokens
• Most community tokens should NOT have freeze authority (set to null)
• Cannot be partially revoked (either you have it or you don't)

• Official name: mainnet-beta
• RPC endpoint: https://api.mainnet-beta.solana.com
• Real SOL required for transactions (costs real money)
• Permanent and immutable (cannot undo transactions)
• All major wallets and exchanges connect here

• Name: Full token name (e.g., "My Project Token")
• Symbol: Ticker symbol (e.g., "MPT")
• URI: Link to JSON file with extended metadata
• Logo: Token image (stored off-chain, linked in JSON)
• Description: Project details and information
• External Links: Website, Twitter, Discord, Telegram

• Program ID: metaqbxxUerdq28cj1RbAWkYQm3ybzjb6a8bt518x1s
• Metadata account size: 679 bytes (variable based on data)
• Rent cost: ~0.01 SOL
• Update authority: Can modify metadata after creation

{
  "name": "My Token",
  "symbol": "MTK",
  "description": "A revolutionary token on Solana",
  "image": "https://arweave.net/abc123.png",
  "external_url": "https://mytoken.com",
  "attributes": [],
  "properties": {
    "files": [
      {
        "uri": "https://arweave.net/abc123.png",
        "type": "image/png"
      }
    ],
    "category": "currency"
  }
}

• Fixed Supply (No Mint Authority): Set mint authority to null during creation. Supply can never be increased. This is preferred for most community tokens and memecoins to build trust.
• Flexible Supply (Keep Mint Authority): Retain ability to mint more tokens. Useful for reward tokens, staking incentives, or inflationary tokenomics. Can revoke later by setting authority to null.

• DAO tokens that mint based on governance decisions
• Staking rewards that distribute new tokens over time
• Inflationary tokenomics (e.g., 5% annual inflation)
• Gradual token distribution (vesting schedules)

Once you've minted all desired tokens, you can revoke mint authority by setting it to null. This is permanent and irreversible—no one can ever mint more tokens.

• Supply: Current total supply in circulation
• Decimals: Number of decimal places (0-9)
• Mint Authority: Public key that can mint more tokens (or null)
• Freeze Authority: Public key that can freeze accounts (or null)
• Is Initialized: Flag indicating account is active

• Account size: 82 bytes
• Rent-exempt minimum: ~0.00144 SOL
• Owner program: Token Program (TokenkegQfeZyiNwAJbNbGKPFXCWuBvf9Ss623VQ5DA)
• Can never be closed (permanent on blockchain)

Important distinction:

• Mint Address: Identifies the token itself (like "USDC contract address")
• Token Account: Holds tokens for a specific wallet (like "your USDC balance")

• No private key exists (not controlled by any user directly)
• Only the program can sign transactions for this address
• Derived deterministically (always the same for same inputs)
• Falls "off the curve" of Ed25519 (cryptographically impossible to have private key)

Associated Token Accounts (ATAs) are PDAs derived from:

• Your wallet public key
• Token Program ID
• The token's mint address

This ensures each wallet has one predictable token account per token type.

• Mint Account (82 bytes): ~0.00144 SOL
• Token Account (165 bytes): ~0.00203 SOL
• Metadata Account (~679 bytes): ~0.01 SOL

• Rent is calculated based on account size: larger accounts cost more
• All CreateMyCoin accounts are automatically rent-exempt
• You can close token accounts to reclaim rent (if balance is 0)
• Mint accounts cannot be closed (permanent)

• Mainnet: https://api.mainnet-beta.solana.com
• Devnet: https://api.devnet.solana.com
• Testnet: https://api.testnet.solana.com

Public RPC endpoints have rate limits. For production apps, consider:

• QuickNode (paid, high limits)
• Alchemy (paid, reliable)
• Helius (paid, specialized for Solana)
• GenesysGo (paid, high performance)

• Launch Date: March 2020
• Theoretical Max TPS: 65,000+
• Actual Average TPS: 2,000-4,000
• Block Time: ~400-800ms
• Average Transaction Cost: $0.00025
• Consensus: Proof of History + Proof of Stake
• Native Currency: SOL

• 417-1,250x cheaper than Ethereum
• 15-150x faster transaction finality
• Growing ecosystem of DEXs and DeFi protocols
• Native token standard (SPL) with broad support

• Program ID: TokenkegQfeZyiNwAJbNbGKPFXCWuBvf9Ss623VQ5DA
• Decimals: Configurable 0-9 (9 is standard)
• Supply: Can be fixed or inflationary based on mint authority
• Authorities: Optional mint and freeze authority
• Metadata: Optional Metaplex metadata support

• Fungible: Each unit identical and interchangeable (can also be non-fungible with supply=1, decimals=0)
• Transferable: Can be sent between wallets (unless frozen by freeze authority)
• Divisible: Can be split into smaller units based on decimals
• Programmable: Can be used in smart contracts and DeFi protocols

• DeFi protocol tokens and governance tokens
• Stablecoins (USDC, USDT on Solana are SPL tokens)
• Memecoins and community tokens
• Gaming currencies and in-game assets
• Reward and loyalty tokens
• NFTs (using 0 decimals and supply of 1)

• Initial Supply: Amount created when token is first deployed
• Circulating Supply: Tokens actively trading (excluding locked/vested)
• Total Supply: All tokens currently in existence
• Max Supply: Maximum tokens that can ever exist (if mint authority revoked)

• Fixed Supply: Total supply capped and mint authority revoked (like Bitcoin's 21M)
  • Deflationary pressure (scarcity increases value)
  • Maximum trust (impossible to dilute holders)
  • Good for: Community tokens, memecoins
• Inflationary Supply: New tokens minted over time
  • Inflation rate: X% per year
  • Good for: Staking rewards, ecosystem growth
  • Example: Ethereum transitioned from inflationary to deflationary
• Elastic Supply: Supply adjusts based on market conditions (advanced)
  • Algorithmic rebase mechanisms
  • Good for: Stablecoins, experimental economics

Common patterns:

• 1 million: Small community token
• 1 billion: Standard for most projects
• 1 trillion: Memecoin with large numbers
• 21 million: Bitcoin-like scarcity narrative

Remember: With 9 decimals, actual divisibility is high regardless of total supply number

• Transfer Fees: Automatically collect fees on every transfer
• Confidential Transfers: Zero-knowledge proof privacy for transactions
• Permanent Delegate: Wallet that can always transfer tokens (for compliance)
• Transfer Hooks: Execute custom programs on every transfer
• Interest-Bearing Tokens: Token balance grows over time
• Non-Transferable: Soulbound tokens (cannot be transferred)
• Metadata Extension: Store metadata directly on-chain (vs Metaplex)
• Default Account State: New accounts start frozen

• Program ID: TokenzQdBNbLqP5VEhdkAS6EPFLC1PHnBqCXEpPxuEb
• Launched: 2023
• Backward compatible with Token Program
• Optional extensions (use only what you need)

• You need transfer fees for protocol revenue
• Regulatory compliance requires special controls
• Building advanced DeFi with interest-bearing tokens
• Creating soulbound tokens for identity/credentials

• Simple fungible token (no special features needed)
• Maximum compatibility with all wallets/exchanges
• Memecoins and standard community tokens
• You want the most battle-tested, proven standard

• Phantom: Most popular Solana wallet, browser extension and mobile app
• Solflare: Advanced features, supports hardware wallets
• Backpack: New wallet with integrated DEX and apps
• Ledger: Hardware wallet for maximum security

• Public Key: Your wallet address (safe to share, like bank account number)
• Private Key: Secret key that controls your wallet (like PIN/password, never share)
• Seed Phrase: 12-24 word backup phrase that can recover your wallet

You need at least 0.5 SOL in your wallet for:

• Token creation fees (~0.2 SOL)
• Initial testing and transfers
• Creating liquidity pools (if listing on DEX)