How to mint NFTs on Solana with Phantom Wallet? (Low gas fees)

Setting Up Phantom Wallet for Solana

1. Visit the official Phantom website and download the browser extension compatible with Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.

2. Install the extension and follow the onboarding flow to create a new wallet or import an existing one using a 12-word seed phrase.

3. Confirm network selection is set to Solana Mainnet Beta—this ensures compatibility with NFT minting tools and marketplaces.

4. Fund the wallet with SOL by purchasing via integrated on-ramp services or transferring from another exchange or wallet.

5. Verify wallet connectivity by visiting a Solana explorer and pasting your public key to confirm balance and transaction history visibility.

Selecting an NFT Minting Platform

1. Choose a Solana-native minting interface such as Metaplex’s Candy Machine v3, Tensor Create, or Magic Eden Launchpad.

2. Ensure the platform explicitly supports Phantom Wallet integration and displays a “Connect Wallet” button with Phantom branding.

3. Review gas fee estimates shown during preview steps—Solana transactions typically cost between $0.00025 and $0.0025 per instruction, far below Ethereum alternatives.

4. Confirm metadata standards compliance: all assets must conform to the SPL Token standard and include valid JSON metadata hosted on decentralized storage like Arweave or IPFS.

5. Avoid platforms requiring third-party bridging or Ethereum-based signing flows, as these introduce latency and unnecessary complexity.

Preparing Digital Assets and Metadata

1. Format image files to under 10 MB and prefer PNG or JPEG; animated assets should use MP4 or GIF under 30 MB and 60 seconds duration.

2. Write a concise name (max 32 characters), symbol (max 10), and description adhering to Metaplex’s metadata schema version 1.0 or higher.

3. Host metadata JSON on Arweave using tools like Bundlr or arloader—ensure the URI resolves correctly before minting initiation.

4. Assign attributes in the metadata file using trait_type, value, and optional rarity weighting for collection discoverability.

5. Validate asset integrity using Solana CLI commands like solana account [MINT_ADDRESS] to inspect token program ownership and freeze authority status.

Executing the Mint Transaction

1. Click “Mint” on the selected platform after connecting Phantom Wallet and approving the connection request.

2. Review transaction details in the Phantom pop-up: verify the program ID matches known Metaplex or certified launchpad addresses.

3. Confirm signature request only includes instructions for token mint, metadata creation, and edition verification—no unauthorized transfers or delegate setups.

4. Wait for confirmation on-chain; most mints finalize within 1–3 seconds due to Solana’s high throughput and parallel execution model.

5. Check the resulting NFT on Solana explorers like Solscan or SolanaFM using the mint address returned in the Phantom notification.

Troubleshooting Common Failures

1. If the mint fails with “Transaction expired”, adjust the blockhash freshness setting in Phantom’s advanced options or refresh the page before retrying.

2. When encountering “Invalid instruction data”, recheck metadata URI accessibility and ensure no trailing slashes or redirect chains interfere with JSON parsing.

3. A “Signature not found” error often stems from rejecting the first prompt—Phantom requires two sequential approvals for certain mint programs.

4. If the NFT does not appear in Phantom’s collectibles tab, manually add the mint address via “Add Token” and select “NFT” type to trigger UI rendering.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I mint NFTs on Solana without owning SOL?A: No. Every on-chain action—including minting, listing, or transferring—requires SOL to pay for compute and storage fees.

Q: Does Phantom support batch minting for multiple NFTs at once?A: Phantom itself does not offer batch minting UI. Users rely on external tools like Candy Machine v3 dashboards or CLI scripts that submit grouped instructions signed through Phantom.

Q: Why does my minted NFT show as “unverified” on marketplaces?A: Marketplaces require metadata URIs to resolve publicly and return valid JSON with required fields. Broken links or missing creators array trigger unverified status.

Q: Is it possible to change NFT metadata after minting?A: Yes—if the update authority remains assigned to your wallet and the metadata is mutable. Use metaboss update CLI command or compatible frontend tools to modify fields like name or description.