Token-2022 vs Legacy SPL: Which Should You Use in 2025?
If you're creating a Solana token in 2025, one of the first decisions you'll face is choosing between Token-2022 and the legacy SPL token standard. Both live on Solana, both are supported by wallets and DEXes — but they are fundamentally different under the hood.
This guide explains exactly what Token-2022 is, how it differs from the original SPL token program, and which one you should choose depending on your use case.
What Is the Legacy SPL Token Standard?
The original SPL token program (often called "Token" or "spl-token") was launched alongside Solana and has been the backbone of the ecosystem ever since. USDC, BONK, WIF, and thousands of other tokens are all built on this standard.
It is battle-tested, universally supported, and extremely simple:
- Fixed supply or mintable supply
- Optional freeze authority
- Optional mint authority (revocable for rug-proof tokens)
- Metaplex metadata for name, symbol, logo and description
- Supported by every Solana wallet, DEX and explorer
For most token creators — meme coins, community tokens, basic DeFi tokens — the legacy SPL standard is perfectly sufficient. It does exactly what you need and nothing more.
What Is Token-2022?
Token-2022 (officially called the "Token Extensions Program") is Solana's next-generation token standard, developed by Solana Labs and deployed to mainnet in 2024. It is a completely separate on-chain program from the legacy token program.
Token-2022 introduces a system of extensions — optional features you can attach to a token at creation time. These extensions enable functionality that was simply impossible with the legacy program.
Token-2022 Extensions Available Today
| Extension | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Transfer Fee | Automatically deduct a percentage on every transfer (e.g. 2% tax token) |
| Interest-Bearing | Token balance visually grows over time (rebasing effect) |
| Non-Transferable | Token cannot be transferred — ideal for soulbound tokens, certifications |
| Permanent Delegate | A designated authority can always move or burn tokens from any account |
| Transfer Hook | Execute custom on-chain logic on every transfer |
| Confidential Transfers | Private balances using ZK proofs |
| Metadata Pointer | Store metadata directly in the mint account |
| Immutable Owner | Token accounts cannot change their owner |
These extensions open up entirely new token designs that were previously only possible on EVM chains.
Token-2022 vs Legacy SPL: Key Differences
| Feature | Legacy SPL | Token-2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer fees (tax) | ❌ Not possible | ✅ Built-in |
| Interest-bearing tokens | ❌ Not possible | ✅ Built-in |
| Non-transferable tokens | ❌ Not possible | ✅ Built-in |
| Wallet support | ✅ Universal | ✅ Good (Phantom, Backpack, Solflare) |
| DEX support | ✅ Universal | ⚠️ Growing (Raydium, Jupiter support Token-2022) |
| Explorer support | ✅ Universal | ✅ Solscan + SolanaFM |
| Creation complexity | Simple | Slightly more options |
| On-chain program | TokenkegQfeZyiNwAJbNbGKPFXCWuBvf9Ss623VQ5DA | TokenzQdBNbLqP5VEhdkAS6EPFLC1PHnBqCXEpPxuEb |
| Rent cost | Standard | Slightly higher (extensions add account bytes) |
The Key Point on DEX Support
As of 2025, Raydium and Jupiter both support Token-2022 tokens. You can create liquidity pools and trade Token-2022 tokens on Raydium's AMM v4 and CPMM pools. This was a significant milestone — the main blocker for Token-2022 adoption is now largely resolved.
However, some smaller aggregators and older integrations may still only support the legacy program. If maximum compatibility is your priority, legacy SPL remains the safer choice.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Legacy SPL if:
- You're launching a meme coin — simplicity and maximum DEX/wallet compatibility matter most
- You want a community token with no special mechanics
- You need fast, cheap creation with no extra configuration
- You're a beginner and want the most well-documented standard
- You're listing immediately on a DEX and want zero friction
Recommended tool: SPLCreator — create a legacy SPL token in under 2 minutes
Choose Token-2022 if:
- You want a transfer fee (buy/sell tax) baked into the protocol level — no smart contract needed
- You're building soulbound NFTs or non-transferable credentials
- You need interest-bearing tokens for DeFi yield products
- You want confidential transfers for privacy use cases
- You're building a DeFi protocol that requires custom transfer logic (hooks)
SPLCreator supports Token-2022 extensions including transfer fees, interest-bearing tokens and non-transferable tokens — you can configure them directly in the creation wizard at splcreator.com/create.
How to Create a Token-2022 Token on SPLCreator
Creating a Token-2022 token on SPLCreator works exactly the same as creating a standard token — with one extra step where you configure your extensions:
- Go to splcreator.com/create
- Connect your Phantom, Backpack or Solflare wallet
- Fill in name, symbol, supply and logo (Steps 1–3)
- In the Token Extensions step, enable the extensions you need:
- Set transfer fee percentage (e.g. 2%)
- Enable interest-bearing with APY rate
- Mark as non-transferable
- Review costs and sign one transaction
- Your Token-2022 token is live on Solana
Total time: under 2 minutes. Platform fee: ~0.1 SOL.
For a full walkthrough of each step, see our beginners guide to creating a Solana token.
Token-2022 and Rug-Proof Options
One area where Token-2022 and legacy SPL work identically: revoking authorities.
Both standards support:
- Revoke Mint Authority — makes the token supply permanently fixed. No more tokens can ever be minted. This is a strong trust signal for investors.
- Revoke Freeze Authority — removes the ability to freeze token accounts. Investors cannot have their tokens frozen.
SPLCreator lets you revoke both authorities at creation time with a single checkbox — no extra transaction needed. This is one of the strongest rug-proof signals you can give to your community.
Note on Permanent Delegate (Token-2022 only): The Permanent Delegate extension gives a designated wallet the ability to move tokens from any account at any time. This is a legitimate feature for certain DeFi designs, but it is the opposite of rug-proof — use it with caution and always disclose it to your community.
What About EVM Chains?
Token-2022 and legacy SPL are both Solana-only standards. If you're looking to launch an ERC-20 token on Ethereum, a BEP-20 token on BNB Chain, or a multi-chain token deployment, SPLCreator is not the right tool.
For EVM chains, our sister project TheCoinLab.io supports Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon and more — same no-code approach, different chains.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I convert a legacy SPL token to Token-2022? No. The two standards use different on-chain programs. You cannot migrate an existing token from legacy SPL to Token-2022. You would need to create a new token. Plan your choice before launch.
Does Phantom Wallet support Token-2022 tokens? Yes. Phantom, Backpack and Solflare all support Token-2022 tokens. Your token will appear correctly in wallets after creation.
Can I list a Token-2022 token on Raydium? Yes. Raydium's CPMM pools support Token-2022 tokens as of 2024. You can create a liquidity pool and trade your Token-2022 token on Raydium and Jupiter.
Is Token-2022 more expensive to create? Slightly. Extensions add bytes to the mint account, which increases the rent-exempt balance required. In practice the difference is minimal — typically a few thousand lamports. The SPLCreator platform fee remains the same regardless of which standard you choose.
Which is better for a meme coin — Token-2022 or legacy SPL? For a standard meme coin launch, legacy SPL is the better choice. It has maximum compatibility, lower complexity and every DEX supports it without any friction. Token-2022 adds value when you specifically need transfer fees or other extensions — otherwise it adds unnecessary complexity.
Summary
| Use Case | Recommended Standard |
|---|---|
| Meme coin | Legacy SPL |
| Community token | Legacy SPL |
| Tax/transfer fee token | Token-2022 |
| Soulbound / credential token | Token-2022 |
| Interest-bearing DeFi token | Token-2022 |
| Maximum DEX compatibility | Legacy SPL |
Both standards are fully supported on SPLCreator. Create your token in under 2 minutes — no code, no CLI, one transaction.
→ Create your Solana token now
A Note on Token Standards and Long-Term Ecosystem Direction
Solana Labs has made it clear that Token-2022 is the future of the token standard on Solana. New features and extensions will be added to Token-2022 — the legacy program is in maintenance mode and will not receive new functionality.
This doesn't mean legacy SPL tokens are going anywhere. The Solana ecosystem has hundreds of billions of dollars in legacy SPL tokens (USDC, SOL wrapped, BONK, and virtually every major token) and they will be supported indefinitely. But if you're building something new with specific advanced requirements, Token-2022 is where development is happening.
For meme coin creators and community launchers who just want a token live today — this distinction doesn't matter much. Pick the standard that matches your use case, launch, and focus on building your community.
If you're curious about the full range of Token-2022 extensions and how each one works in practice, read our dedicated guide: Token-2022 Extensions Explained.