On Solana, most crypto assets you trade, stake, or send are SPL tokens — tokens that follow the Solana Program Library (SPL) token standard. Unlike native SOL, which pays fees and secures the network, SPL tokens are custom assets issued by a mint account controlled by a mint authority.
SPL token vs SOL
SOL is the native currency of Solana. SPL tokens are separate mints with their own supply rules. Your wallet holds SOL for fees and can hold many SPL token accounts, each tied to a specific mint.
Key components of an SPL token
Mint account
The mint stores decimals, supply, and authority settings. When you create a token, you deploy a new mint on-chain.
Token accounts
Each wallet holds balances in associated token accounts. Transfers move amounts between these accounts under the Token Program rules.
Metadata
Name, symbol, and URI point to off-chain JSON (often IPFS) describing your project. Good metadata helps explorers and wallets display your brand correctly.
Authorities: mint and freeze
Mint authority can increase supply unless revoked. Freeze authority can freeze token accounts unless revoked. Many launches revoke freeze authority for transparency.
How to create your own SPL token
Developers historically used CLI tools. Today you can create an SPL token through MonkeyTools with wallet-signed transactions, then add liquidity when you are ready to trade.