Solana launchpads minted 11.6 million tokens in 2025; about 0.89% graduated to real trading (per Streamflow's data). If you're launching your own token instead, the entire game is being legibly different from the 99%. Fourteen checks, in order — don't announce until the first eleven are done.
What should you check before launching a token on Solana?
Fourteen checks across five phases — contract, authorities, liquidity, team supply, and announcement — with the non-negotiables being revoked authorities, a burned-or-locked pool, and a locked team allocation:
Phase 1 — Contract
- Tokenomics final and written down. Supply, allocations, standard (SPL for community tokens — also required if you're using team locks, which support SPL today).
- Created with a clean tool, verified on Solscan. Free with Team Finance; the token page, supply, and metadata should read exactly as your docs claim.
- Deployer wallet hygiene. Documented, secured, not holding the whole treasury — and remember Solana locks bind permanently to the deploying wallet; decide custody now.
Phase 2 — Authorities (Solana's signature checks)
- Mint authority revoked — or its retention governed and explained. Why this is check #1 everywhere.
- Freeze authority revoked — the honeypot switch; active freeze authority on a community token is disqualifying.
- Run your own token through a rug-check scanner before anyone else does. See what buyers will see; fix what's fixable.
Phase 3 — Liquidity
- Pool venue chosen deliberately. Raydium is the default self-seeded venue; confirm your LP is lockable if locking is the plan (supported venues include Raydium, Orca, PumpSwap — as of August 2026).
- Liquidity depth honest. Early trades shouldn't move price double digits; thin pools read as exit infrastructure.
- LP burned or locked — decided, executed, and explained. The decision: burn (or Burn & Earn) if the capital has no future job, lock with the reason published if it does. Loose LP is not an option.
Phase 4 — Team supply
- Team allocation locked. Staggered fixed-date tranches beat one cliff. On Solana this is the check the burn culture forgets — and the first one sophisticated buyers run after the pool.
- Unlocked wallets accounted for. Whatever isn't locked: listed, labeled, explained in your docs before someone finds it.
Phase 5 — Announcement
- Proof pack assembled first. Token address, authority status, burn transaction or lock pages, team lock links — in your docs before the announcement post. Teach the verification flow.
- Fake-token defense. Publish the one true mint address everywhere; copycat mints of anything with momentum appear in minutes on Solana.
- 48-hour watch. Someone monitors the pool, socials, and copycats, answering verification questions with links, not reassurances.
What's different about launching on Solana vs an EVM chain?
Three things: the authority checks come first, the burn-vs-lock decision replaces the default lock, and the launchpad shadow is longer. On EVM chains, buyers check the liquidity lock first; on Solana they check mint and freeze authority first because those rugs are cheaper to run. The LP decision has three states here (burned/locked/loose) rather than two, with burning as the cultural default — your choice needs a stated reason either way. And because launchpads mint millions of tokens, a self-launched token is guilty until proven legible: the checklist above is the proof of seriousness, which is exactly why launching your own vs pump.fun is a real strategic decision, not a formality.
How long does a proper Solana launch take?
The on-chain work fits in an afternoon — creation, authorities, pool, and locks are each minutes — but the decisions deserve one to two weeks. Calendar time goes to tokenomics, custody setup, liquidity budgeting (the real cost), and docs that survive scrutiny. Solana's speed is a trap here: because you can launch in an hour, half-configured tokens ship constantly, and the market has learned to read haste as risk.
FAQ
What's the minimum credible subset? Checks 2, 4, 5, 9, and 10: verified token, both authorities revoked, LP burned or locked, team allocation locked. Those five are what scanners and buyers actually test.
What does the checklist cost to execute? Tooling: $0 for creation and revocations (Team Finance), $150 per lock in SOL if locking (LP burning is free), so $0–$300 flat. The liquidity itself is the real budget line.
Should I just use a launchpad instead? If your token is a social moment, maybe — that's an honest answer. If the token is a product with tokenomics you control, self-launch with this checklist. The comparison walks the decision.
When should I announce? After check 12 exists, not before. Proofs published before launch read as planning; proofs published after a dip read as damage control.
Next steps: create the token free · pump.fun vs your own token · back to the Solana hub
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This article is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice. Facts current as of August 2026.