What Are Solana NFTs?
Solana NFTs use the Metaplex standard — a set of smart contracts that define how NFTs are created, owned, and traded on Solana. The most common Metaplex program for NFTs is the Token Metadata program, which stores the NFT’s metadata (name, image, attributes) either on-chain or via a URI pointing to off-chain storage (typically Arweave for permanent storage).
From a user perspective, Solana NFTs work similarly to Ethereum NFTs — you own a unique token in your wallet, it has an image and attributes, and you can buy, sell, or hold it. The key differences are:
Top Solana NFT Marketplaces
| Marketplace | Strengths | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Magic Eden | Largest volume, best UI, cross-chain support | General NFT buying/selling |
| Tensor | Advanced trading tools, pro traders | Active traders, floor sweeping |
| Solanart | Early Solana marketplace | Legacy collections |
| Exchange.art | Curated art focus | 1/1 digital art |
Magic Eden is the starting point for most buyers — it has the deepest liquidity, the best collection discovery, and the most user-friendly interface.
Tensor is preferred by more active traders who want real-time floor data, collection analytics, and bulk buying tools.
What You Need Before Buying
How to Get SOL Into Phantom
How much SOL do you need? The NFT’s listed price plus a tiny gas fee (usually less than $0.01). You don’t need much extra for gas — Solana’s fees are negligible.
Step-by-Step: Buying an NFT on Magic Eden
Step 1: Open Magic Eden
Go to magiceden.io in your browser (desktop) or open the Magic Eden app.
Step 2: Connect Phantom Wallet
- Phantom opens a popup asking to approve the connection
Step 3: Browse and Find an NFT
- Search for a specific collection by name
- Filter by price range, traits, rarity
Step 4: Select Your NFT
Click on a collection to browse individual listings. Each item shows:
- The NFT’s image and name
- Listed price in SOL
- Rarity rank (if applicable)
- Traits/attributes
Click on a specific NFT to see its detail page, including its full attributes and price history.
Step 5: Buy Now or Make an Offer
Buy Now: If the NFT has a “Buy Now” price, click Buy Now. This purchases it at the listed price.
Make an Offer: Click Make an Offer to offer a lower price. The seller can accept or ignore your offer.
Step 6: Confirm in Phantom
After clicking Buy Now:
- Phantom opens a transaction confirmation popup
- Review the details: NFT name, price in SOL, estimated fees
- Wait 2–5 seconds for the transaction to finalize
That’s it. The NFT is now in your Phantom wallet.
Step-by-Step: Buying on Tensor
Tensor is designed for power users and offers more data:
- Connect Phantom
- Browse collections using Tensor’s data-rich interface (floor price, volume, active listings)
- Confirm in Phantom
Tensor also has a Collection Bid feature that lets you place bids on any NFT in a collection at your chosen price — useful for buying below floor.
Understanding Solana NFT Gas Fees
Solana gas fees (called “transaction fees”) are paid in SOL. Unlike Ethereum where fees can range from $2 to $100+, Solana fees are:
For practical purposes, gas on Solana is free — you won’t notice it. Budget your SOL entirely around the NFT price.
Viewing Your NFT Collection in Phantom
After buying, your NFTs appear in Phantom automatically:
Desktop:
- Open Phantom
- All your Solana NFTs are displayed with their images
Mobile:
- Open Phantom app
- Your NFT collection is shown
Phantom displays the NFT image, name, and collection. Tapping on an NFT shows its attributes and gives you options to send or list it.
Selling Your NFTs
List on Magic Eden
- Find the NFT you want to sell
- Confirm the listing transaction in Phantom (small fee)
- Your NFT is now listed and can be bought by anyone
List on Tensor
- Navigate to your portfolio
- Confirm in Phantom
When your NFT sells, the SOL goes directly to your Phantom wallet minus the marketplace fee (typically 2% for Magic Eden, varies on Tensor).
What Are Royalties?
NFT creators set royalty percentages — when their NFT is resold, a percentage goes to the original creator. On Solana, royalties have been a contentious issue:
- Some marketplaces enforce royalties (Magic Eden has optional enforcement)
- Tensor has tools for royalty-optional trading
- Check the collection’s stated royalty percentage before selling
Tips for Smart NFT Buying
Verify the collection address. Before buying from a “popular” collection, verify the contract address on Magic Eden matches the collection’s official social media. Fake/scam collections with similar names exist.
Check trading volume. A collection with high volume and many active listings is more liquid — you can sell more easily.
Understand rarity. Some NFTs in a collection are rarer than others due to unique trait combinations. Rarity tools like Howrare.is rank Solana NFTs by rarity.
Start with established collections. Blue-chip Solana collections like Mad Lads, Tensorians, or established PFP projects have better liquidity than brand-new launches.
FAQ
Can I use Phantom to buy NFTs on Ethereum?
Yes — Phantom supports Ethereum since 2022. You can switch to Ethereum network in Phantom and use Ethereum NFT marketplaces (OpenSea, Blur) while connected. However, for Solana NFTs, Phantom is optimized.
What happens to my NFTs if Phantom is uninstalled?
Your NFTs live on the Solana blockchain, not inside Phantom. If you uninstall Phantom and reinstall it with your seed phrase, your NFTs reappear automatically.
Can I transfer Solana NFTs to someone else?
Yes. In Phantom, tap/click the NFT → Send → enter the recipient’s Solana address → Confirm.
What does it mean to “burn” an NFT?
Burning permanently destroys the NFT by sending it to a null address. On Solana, burning also reclaims the small SOL rent deposit. Some collectors burn worthless or spam NFTs to clean up their wallet.
Are Solana NFTs the same format as Ethereum NFTs?
No — they use different standards (Metaplex on Solana vs ERC-721/ERC-1155 on Ethereum) and are not cross-chain compatible. A Solana NFT cannot be “moved” to Ethereum; it would need to be bridged or wrapped, which is rarely done.
What is a “compressed NFT” on Solana?
Compressed NFTs (cNFTs) use Solana’s state compression to mint millions of NFTs at almost no cost. They’re functionally similar to regular NFTs but stored differently. Many large-scale NFT drops (like DRiP) use compressed NFTs.
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