Key Takeaways
You understand why minting an NFT on Ethereum costs $50-100 while Solana costs $0.02. Why compressed NFTs cost $0.0001. The economics enable different applications: gaming with millions of items, loyalty programs with millions of members, collections at scales impossible on expensive chains.
You know three NFT standards: Token Metadata (original, maximum compatibility), Core (newer, cheaper, simpler), and Compressed NFTs (massive scale, dramatically cheaper). Each has use cases. Choosing depends on your requirements.
This knowledge prepares you to build: understanding the standards enables implementation.
What You Learned
Why Solana for NFTs:
Cost difference is 1,000-500,000x cheaper depending on approach. This isn't marginal—it unlocks entirely new applications.
Speed enables real-time minting. Event tickets, in-game items, instant rewards all become practical with sub-second confirmation.
Compressed NFTs store millions of NFTs in single account. 1 million NFTs for $600 total vs $50-150 million on Ethereum.
Metaplex Token Metadata:
Original standard. Two accounts per NFT: SPL Token mint + metadata PDA. Off-chain JSON for detailed data. Collections with verification. Royalties with marketplace enforcement.
Maximum ecosystem support. Every major wallet, marketplace, and tool. Battle-tested for years. Cost: ~$0.03 per NFT.
Metaplex Core:
Newer standard. Single account per NFT. No SPL Token dependency. Simpler architecture, lower costs.
Growing adoption. Modern projects choosing Core. 50% cheaper than Token Metadata. Cost: ~$0.0075 per NFT.
Compressed NFTs:
Merkle tree architecture. Millions of NFTs in one tree account. Proofs verify ownership without dedicated accounts.
Requires indexers (centralization trade-off). Enables massive scale. 100x cheaper than regular NFTs. Cost: ~$0.0006 per NFT for million+ collections.
The Standards Decision Matrix
Choose Token Metadata when:
Maximum compatibility required
Existing project already using it
Programmable NFTs needed (pNFTs)
Pure on-chain reads without indexers
Choose Core when:
New project starting fresh
Want modern, clean architecture
Cost optimization matters (50% cheaper)
Can verify marketplace support
Choose Compressed NFTs when:
Scale is priority (100K+ NFTs)
Cost is critical (100x cheaper)
Can depend on indexers
Use cases: gaming, loyalty, large collections
No wrong choice:
All three standards are production-ready. Token Metadata powers most existing collections. Core powers modern projects. Compressed NFTs power scale applications.
Choose based on requirements, not trends.
Collections and Marketplaces
Collections:
Group related NFTs. Provide verification against fakes. Enable floor price tracking. Required for marketplace listing.
Collection NFT (supply=1) is the collection identifier. Individual NFTs reference collection. Collection authority verifies membership. Unverified membership flagged as suspicious.
Royalties:
Embedded in metadata. Secondary sales split payment: seller receives most, creators receive percentage.
Not protocol-enforced (except pNFTs). Marketplaces honor voluntarily. Most major platforms respect royalties.
Marketplace integration:
Token Metadata: Universal support (Magic Eden, Tensor, OpenSea).
Core: Growing support, verify before launching.
Compressed NFTs: Specialized marketplace support (Tensor, Hyperspace).
Check your target marketplace supports your chosen standard before minting collection.
Cost Analysis
10,000 NFT collection:
1,000,000 NFT collection:
The scale gap is unbridgeable. Applications viable on Solana impossible on Ethereum. Not "slightly cheaper"—orders of magnitude cheaper.
Implementation Paths
Understanding standards enables building. Three implementation approaches:
JavaScript/TypeScript SDKs:
Metaplex Umi provides TypeScript SDK for all three standards. Mint, transfer, update NFTs from client-side or server-side code.
import { createNft } from '@metaplex-foundation/mpl-token-metadata'Good for: Tools, marketplaces, minting platforms, wallets.
Solana programs (Rust/Anchor):
Build on-chain programs that interact with NFTs. Custom logic, protocol integration, DeFi composability.
use mpl_token_metadata::instructions::CreateV1;Good for: Games, DeFi protocols, DAOs, custom NFT mechanics.
No-code tools:
Metaplex Candy Machine, Sugar CLI, and other tools handle technical details. Configure collection, upload metadata, deploy.
Good for: Artists, small projects, quick launches without coding.
Next Steps: Building NFT Projects
Learn minting and management:
Start with Tokens on Solana if you haven't already—NFTs build on token fundamentals.
Then explore SPL Token with Web3.js for JavaScript implementation or SPL Token with Anchor for on-chain programs.
Explore advanced patterns:
Programmable NFTs with enforced royalties. Transfer hooks for gaming logic. Dynamic metadata that updates. Staking NFTs for rewards.
Study successful projects:
Analyze Mad Lads (compressed), Okay Bears (Token Metadata), Star Atlas (gaming scale). Learn from production implementations.
Build your project:
Start small. 100 NFT test collection. Deploy on devnet. Test minting, transfers, marketplace listing. Iterate based on feedback.
Scale when validated. Compressed NFTs enable million+ collections. Token Metadata and Core handle small-medium collections well.
The Solana NFT Ecosystem
Marketplaces:
Magic Eden (largest), Tensor (pro traders), Hyperspace (multi-chain), OpenSea (adding Solana support).
Tools:
Metaplex (standard creator), Candy Machine (collection launches), Crossmint (no-wallet minting), Cardinal (staking/utilities).
Infrastructure:
Helius (indexing), Triton (RPC), Metaplex DAS API (compressed NFT reads), Phantom/Backpack (wallets).
Communities:
Metaplex Discord, Solana Discord #nfts channel, individual project communities. Active development, rapid iteration.
Key Takeaways
Cost enables scale:
$0.0001 per mint (compressed) vs $50+ (Ethereum) unlocks applications impossible elsewhere. Gaming, loyalty, mass adoption all benefit.
Three standards serve different needs:
Token Metadata for compatibility. Core for modern efficiency. Compressed for massive scale. All production-ready. Choose based on requirements.
Infrastructure is mature:
Metaplex provides standards. Marketplaces provide liquidity. Wallets provide UX. Indexers provide data access. Complete stack exists.
Solana is NFT infrastructure:
Not just "cheaper Ethereum NFTs." Different architecture enabling different scale. Compressed NFTs are uniquely Solana. Token Extensions add features impossible elsewhere.
You understand Solana's NFT standards. Why they exist. When to use each. What trade-offs they involve. Time to build your NFT project with this knowledge.