Token Approval vs Mint Authority vs Freeze Authority on Solana
Pricing and capability evidence checked September 3, 2026.
Solana explorers use the word “authority” for several unrelated powers. One address may own your token account, another may be its temporary delegate, and the token issuer may control mint or freeze authority. Clearing one role does not clear the others.
What is the difference between token approval, mint authority, and freeze authority?
A token approval is a revocable delegate allowance on one token account. Mint authority controls whether new units can be created for the mint. Freeze authority can freeze or thaw accounts for that mint. Revoking your account delegate removes only that allowance; it does not alter issuer-controlled mint or freeze roles.
Use the account level versus mint level as the first dividing line:
| Role | Stored on | Core power | Who can remove or change it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Token-account owner | Token account | Transfer, burn, delegate, and usually close | Current account authority through SetAuthority |
| Account-level delegate | Token account | Transfer or burn up to the approved amount | Token-account owner through Revoke |
| Close authority | Token account | Close an empty account and receive its lamports | Current close authority through SetAuthority |
| Mint authority | Mint | Create new token units | Current mint authority through SetAuthority |
| Freeze authority | Mint | Freeze or thaw token accounts | Current freeze authority through SetAuthority |
| Permanent delegate | Token-2022 mint | Transfer or burn from accounts for that mint | Controlling mint-level authority, not token holders |
The same wallet address can hold more than one role, but the permissions remain conceptually separate.
What does a Solana token approval let a delegate do?
An account-level delegate can transfer or burn up to the approved amount from one specific token account. Each token account has one current delegate and remaining allowance. The account owner can send a Revoke instruction to clear it without transferring tokens, burning the balance, or closing the account.
Approvals support legitimate marketplace, payment, staking, and vault flows. They can also be abused when a phishing transaction convinces you to approve an attacker. The address is not automatically malicious because it appears as a delegate; identify the app and position before revoking.
Closing a token account removes the delegate because the account no longer exists, but an account must be empty before it can close. Burning is not required to revoke a normal delegate.
Sol Incinerator's Revoke tool scans SPL Token and Token-2022 accounts with a read-only request, shows revocable account-level delegates, and lets you remove selected approvals. It charges no platform fee because revocation releases no rent; you pay only the network fee for a transaction you sign.
What does mint authority control?
Mint authority can authorize creation of additional token units. If the role is set to none, the fixed supply cannot be increased through that authority. If it remains active, the controller may be able to mint more units, which is an issuer and supply risk rather than permission to transfer tokens already in your account.
Revoking an account-level delegate does not affect mint authority. Conversely, removing mint authority does not clear a delegate you previously approved on your token account.
When evaluating an unknown token, check mint authority as one part of the asset's risk profile. It is not evidence that your wallet secret is compromised.
What does freeze authority control?
Freeze authority can freeze and thaw token accounts for the mint. A frozen token account cannot transfer or burn tokens, and the Token Programs also block delegate changes while it remains frozen. That is why an account-level revoke fails against a frozen account: the relevant freeze authority must thaw it first.
The holder cannot remove a mint's freeze authority through a token-account Revoke. Only the current mint-level authority can change or permanently remove that role. Some legitimate regulated assets, staked positions, and programmable NFTs use freezing intentionally.
Do not burn or transfer an asset merely because an explorer shows a freeze authority. First determine what the asset represents and whether the authority is expected. A frozen account can also reject the attempted burn, leaving the underlying question unresolved.
How are owner and close authority different?
The token-account owner authorizes ordinary transfers, burns, approvals, and authority changes. An optional close authority can close the account after its token balance reaches zero and receive the account's lamports. A close authority does not gain permission to transfer the token balance simply because it can close an empty account.
If an attacker changed token-account ownership, the original wallet can no longer fix it with Revoke; the current owner must authorize another ownership change. If you find an unfamiliar close authority while you still own the balance, prioritize moving trusted tokens to an account you control after professional incident review.
What is a Token-2022 permanent delegate?
A PermanentDelegate is a mint extension, not the ordinary delegate field on your token account. It can authorize transfers or burns from token accounts for that mint, and individual holders cannot revoke it. The mint-level controlling authority can rotate the permanent delegate.
This is why no wallet approval scanner should claim to show everyone who could ever move every token. Sol Incinerator accurately limits its Revoke tool to account-level approvals that your wallet granted and can remove.
Which authority should you revoke after a suspicious dApp?
Disconnect the site in the wallet, inspect the confirmed transaction, then revoke unrecognized account-level delegates you control. Do not sign a transaction from a supposed support agent to “restore” mint or freeze authority. Those issuer-level roles are not replaced with a safe address after your account revoke.
If you exposed a recovery phrase or private key, authority cleanup is not enough. Create a fresh wallet with a new phrase and move trusted remaining assets. Read the Phantom scam-site response guide for the full workflow.
Revoke Approvals
Scan for revocable SPL Token and Token-2022 account-level delegates, inspect each allowance, and remove only the approvals you select.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between token approval and mint authority on Solana?
A token approval gives a delegate limited transfer or burn authority over one token account and can be revoked by that account's owner. Mint authority belongs to the mint and controls creation of new token units. Revoking your account delegate does not change the token's supply authority or protect against future minting.
Can a Solana token holder revoke freeze authority?
No. Freeze authority is a mint-level role controlled by its current authority, not by each holder. It can freeze or thaw accounts for that mint. A holder cannot remove it with a token-account revoke, and a frozen account blocks transfers, burns, and delegate changes until the relevant authority thaws it.
What can Sol Incinerator's Revoke tool remove?
It scans SPL Token and Token-2022 accounts for revocable account-level delegates and clears only the approvals you select. It does not change token-account ownership, close authority, mint authority, freeze authority, or a Token-2022 permanent delegate stored on the mint. The scan is read-only and revoking has no platform fee.
Can a Token-2022 permanent delegate be revoked by a holder?
No. A permanent delegate is a mint-level Token-2022 extension with transfer and burn authority over token accounts for that mint. It is not the ordinary delegate field on your account, so the holder cannot clear it with `Revoke`. The authority controlling the mint extension can rotate that role.