Note: The new Light Token Program Beta is live on Solana Devnet with mainnet expected in Q1 2026.
We recommend to use Light Token for most purposes except airdrops and other forms of token distribution.
The SDK for compressed tokens can still be used once Light Token is on Solana Mainnet.
For production use today, use Compressed Tokens, which are on Solana Mainnet.
| Creation | Solana | Compressed |
|---|---|---|
| Token Account | ~2,000,000 lamports | 5,000 lamports |
- Compressed token accounts store token balance, owner, and other information of tokens like SPL and light-tokens.
- Compressed token accounts are rent-free.
- Any light-token or SPL token can be compressed/decompressed at will.
Compressed Tokens are supported by leading Solana wallets such as Phantom and Backpack.
Recommended Usage of Compressed Tokens
Token Distribution
Distribute tokens without paying upfront rent per recipient.
Guide
Store SPL-token accounts rent-free
Compress existing SPL-token accounts to save rent costs for your users.