Mint and Freeze Authority
What you'll learn
Every Solana token has two settings baked into its code: a mint authority and a freeze authority. These two settings can make the difference between a normal token and one that can quietly wipe out your investment. By the end of this lesson you'll know what each one does and why "revoked" is the word you want to see.
What is mint authority?
The mint authority is the wallet address allowed to create new tokens out of thin air. Think of it like a printing press. If a project's mint authority is still active, the team (or anyone holding that key) can create millions of new tokens at any time.
Why does this matter to you? Because new tokens dilute the supply. If you own 1,000 tokens out of a total supply of 1,000,000, you own 0.1%. If the mint authority creates another 9,000,000 tokens, your share drops to 0.01% — without you doing anything wrong. Your tokens didn't move, but their value could collapse because there are suddenly far more of them in circulation.
Legitimate projects usually "revoke" this authority once the initial supply is set, meaning nobody — not even the original creators — can ever mint more. This is a permanent, on-chain action you can verify.
What is freeze authority?
The freeze authority is different. It doesn't control supply — it controls your ability to move your own tokens. If a wallet holds an active freeze authority over a token, it can freeze individual token accounts, including yours. Once frozen, you cannot sell, transfer, or trade that token until it's unfrozen (if it ever is).
This is sometimes used legitimately by regulated stablecoin issuers who need to freeze accounts for compliance reasons. But in the context of a random new token, an active freeze authority is a major red flag. It means someone else has a switch that can trap your funds.
A concrete example
Imagine a new token launches on Solana called "SUNZ." You check the token's details using a Solana explorer or a security tool and see:
- Mint authority:
Active — held by wallet ABC123... - Freeze authority:
Active — held by wallet ABC123...
The same wallet controls both. That wallet could print unlimited SUNZ tokens tomorrow, and it could freeze your account today, stopping you from selling before the price move. Compare this to a token where both fields read None — meaning the authorities were revoked and no single party has that power anymore. The second token is objectively safer on this specific point, even though it doesn't guarantee the project is good in every other way.
Common mistake
A common mistake is assuming that if a token "looks" popular or has a nice website and active social media, the authorities must be fine. Marketing has nothing to do with code. Always check the actual on-chain authority status yourself — or use a tool that checks it for you — rather than trusting appearances. Plenty of tokens with slick branding still have active mint or freeze authority, and some scams are built specifically around that gap between appearance and reality.
On MAPLUStrade
MAPLUStrade's risk panel checks mint and freeze authority automatically for tokens you view or trade. If either authority is still active, the panel flags it clearly before you commit funds, so you don't have to manually look this up on an explorer every time. Use the risk panel as a first filter — if you see a flag on mint or freeze authority, treat it as a reason to slow down and investigate further, not necessarily a reason to panic if the project has a clear explanation, but definitely a reason to check.
Recap
Active mint authority means supply can be diluted at will; active freeze authority means someone else can lock your funds. Always check both before trading a new token, and treat "revoked" as the safer default.
--- *This lesson is educational content, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves substantial risk of loss.*