Mint and freeze authority on Solana, explained
Every Solana token has a mint account with two optional powers: a mint authority that can create new tokens, and a freeze authority that can lock any holder's tokens. On a memecoin, both should be revoked.
Mint authority
The mint authority is the wallet allowed to create new supply. While it's active, the dev can mint as many new tokens as they like and sell them into the pool. Each sale pushes the price down, and every holder ends up owning a smaller share.
Revoking it sets the authority to nobody, permanently, and the supply is fixed from then on. Launchpads such as pump.fun create coins with mint authority already revoked. Coins launched elsewhere often keep it, so check every time.
Freeze authority
The freeze authority can freeze any token account that holds the coin. A frozen account can't send or sell the tokens in it.
Some legitimate tokens keep one: stablecoins such as USDC can freeze accounts for legal reasons. On a memecoin there's no good reason for it. An active freeze authority is how many honeypots work: you can buy, then the dev freezes your account and you can't sell.
Newer token powers
Tokens made with Solana's newer token program, Token-2022, can carry extra powers. Each has honest uses, and each can be abused on a memecoin:
- Permanent delegate: a wallet that can move or burn tokens from any holder's account.
- Transfer fee: a tax taken on every transfer, including your sell.
- Transfer hook: a custom program that runs on every transfer and can be used to block sells.
- Frozen by default: new token accounts start frozen until the dev unfreezes them.
- Pausable: the dev can pause all transfers.
- Non-transferable: the tokens can't be moved at all.
How to check
An explorer such as Solscan shows both authorities on the token's page, and RugCheck flags any that are still active. Trench Scout shows mint and freeze authority as the first rows of its panel, and lists any token powers under “Hidden token powers”.
How Trench Scout scores them
An active mint or freeze authority takes 35 points off and caps the score at 30, however clean everything else looks. A permanent delegate, frozen-by-default accounts, non-transferable tokens or paused transfers cap it the same way.
Check it in two seconds
Trench Scout runs these checks for you on coin pages on Padre, pump.fun, DexScreener, Axiom, Photon and BullX. Free for 5 checks a day, no wallet connection.