Revoking a token's authorities locks it down so no one, not even you, can mint more supply, freeze wallets, or change its details. On Solana, that is one of the strongest trust signals a token can have. This guide covers what each authority does, why to revoke it, and the two ways to do it, no-code or by command line.
What are token authorities?
Every SPL token has control keys called authorities. They decide who can change the token after it launches. Buyers check three of them: mint, freeze and update. Each is a separate power its holder keeps until they revoke it, and Token-2022 tokens can carry a few more for their extensions. If you are new to tokens on Solana, our guide on what an SPL token is covers the basics.
Mint authority: who can print more tokens
Mint authority lets the owner create more tokens whenever they want. That means the supply is not really fixed, the owner can print more and sell them. Revoke it and the supply is locked forever, so buyers know it cannot be inflated.
This is why trackers flag it. A token with mint authority still active shows up as mintable, a red flag for anyone checking before they buy.
Freeze authority: who can lock wallets
Freeze authority lets the owner freeze a wallet's tokens so they cannot be sold or moved. It has real uses, like a stablecoin freezing stolen funds. But for a normal community token, it means the owner could lock you out of your own tokens.
Revoke it, and no one can ever freeze a holder. Leave it on, and tools like DexScreener warn buyers that the token is freezable.
Update authority: the one people get wrong
Update authority controls the token's metadata: its name, symbol, and image. Here is the part most guides get wrong. Update authority is stored in a different place than the other two. On a classic SPL token, it sits in a separate Metaplex metadata account. On a token that uses Token-2022's metadata extension, it is its own field in that extension on the mint. Tokens made with Tokenry keep it in the Metaplex account.
Revoke it, and the name, symbol and logo link as they are stored on the token are locked. That stops an owner from launching with a clean name and quietly swapping it for something else later.
How to check a token's authorities
You can check all of this yourself before you buy. Paste the token's mint address into Solscan or RugCheck and read three things:
- Mint authority - an empty or revoked value means the supply is fixed.
- Freeze authority - empty means no one can freeze wallets.
- Metadata - "Mutable: false" on a Metaplex token, or an empty update authority on a Token-2022 token, means the metadata stored on the token is locked.
How to revoke your authorities
There are two ways to revoke: with a no-code tool, or with the Solana command line. Most people should use a tool.
Option 1: Revoke while creating the token
The cleanest time to revoke is at creation. In Tokenry's Solana token creator, you flip a toggle for mint, freeze, and update, and they are revoked in the same transaction, included in the 0.15 SOL fee. The token starts with a fixed supply, no freeze power and locked metadata fields, which is the strongest signal you can give. For the full walkthrough, see how to create a Solana token.
Option 2: Revoke after the token is live
Already launched and forgot? You can still revoke. Tokenry has a Solana tool for each authority: revoke mint authority, revoke freeze authority and revoke update authority. Paste your mint address, connect the wallet that holds the authority, and revoke it in a click. The update authority tool works on Token-2022 tokens that keep their metadata on the mint; for a token made with Tokenry, revoke update authority when you create it. No code, 0.05 SOL per authority.
Other tools can revoke authorities too, like Smithii's revoke mint and revoke freeze tools. The steps are the same: connect, paste the mint, and revoke.
The command line way (for developers)
Prefer the terminal? The spl-token CLI revokes mint and freeze with one command each. The --disable flag sets the authority to null, permanently.
spl-token authorize <MINT_ADDRESS> mint --disable
spl-token authorize <MINT_ADDRESS> freeze --disableUpdate authority is different, because those two commands do not touch it. For a classic SPL token with Metaplex metadata, you lock it with Metaplex tooling like Metaboss, not spl-token. For a Token-2022 token with on-mint metadata, run spl-token authorize <MINT_ADDRESS> metadata --disable, or use the revoke update authority tool above. That is the step most people miss.
Revoking is permanent
One warning: revoking cannot be undone. Once mint authority is gone, you can never make more tokens. Once freeze is gone, nobody can freeze the token in a wallet. Once update authority is gone, the name and logo stored on the token are final. So revoke only when your supply and your branding are set.
The usual order is to revoke first and open the pool second, because buyers check these authorities before their first trade. When you create a Solana liquidity pool, the ratio of your two deposits sets the opening price.
Educational content, not financial advice. Tokenry is a self-serve, non-custodial tool, not a financial advisor. Crypto is volatile and risky - always do your own research before creating or investing in any token.
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