Mint and Freeze Authority on Solana Tokens, Explained

"Mint authority revoked" and "freeze authority revoked" are the first two lines of almost every Solana token checker. They are worth understanding properly: they rule out two specific scams completely - and say nothing about the many others.

Mint authority: who can print more

Every token has a mint account that records its total supply and decimals. It also has an optional mint authority: the one address allowed to create new tokens. If it is set, that address can mint any amount at any time - to itself, then sell into the pool and drain it. If it is empty ("revoked", set to none), the supply is final forever. No one, including the creator, can ever change it again.

Freeze authority: who can lock your tokens

The freeze authority can freeze any holder's token account, after which that account can't send or sell. A token with freeze authority set can be a honeypot: buys work, then the creator freezes buyers so only their own wallets can sell. Stablecoins keep freeze authority for compliance; a memecoin has no reason to.

What launchpad tokens look like

We read live mint accounts from each of the three big launchpads. On all of them both authorities are empty:

• pump.fun - mint authority none, freeze authority none (Token-2022 mint).
• LetsBonk / Raydium LaunchLab - mint authority none, freeze authority none (SPL Token mint).
• Bags - mint authority none, freeze authority none (SPL Token mint).

The launchpad program mints the full supply into its curve when the token is created and then gives up the authority. That is what makes launchpad tokens safe from these two specific tricks by design - and also why the private key of the mint address is worthless after creation (vanity addresses explained).

A token that claims to come from one of these launchpads but has a mint or freeze authority set did not go through the normal launch flow. Treat that as a red flag.

What revoked authorities don't protect against

• Concentrated supply. A creator who bought 40% across many wallets can dump without any authority. Check the holder distribution.
• Bundled or sniped supply. Many wallets buying in the launch block is visible on-chain (bundle checker, first buyers scanner).
• The dev selling. Whether the creator still holds is a separate question (dev wallet checker).
• Token-2022 extensions. Token-2022 mints can carry extensions such as transfer fees or a permanent delegate. Pump.fun mints carry only metadata extensions, but a token from elsewhere should be checked (Token-2022 vs SPL Token).

That is why our token scanner shows the facts - authorities, holders, dev activity - instead of a single score (why no safety score).

How to check it yourself

Open the mint address on Solscan or any explorer. The token overview shows "Mint Authority" and "Freeze Authority"; an empty value or a dash means revoked. Or paste the mint into the token scanner, which reads them directly from the chain.

Frequently asked questions