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What Is a Freeze Authority? Tokens That Can Be Frozen
A freeze authority is the account on a Solana token's mint that is authorised to freeze token accounts, preventing the tokens in them from being transferred or burned.
Key takeaways
- It lets the authority hold specific accounts' tokens in place.
- Regulated issuers, such as some stablecoin issuers, may keep it for compliance reasons.
- For an anonymous project, an active freeze authority is a control risk for holders.
- It can be revoked, just like the mint authority.
What it is
Alongside the mint authority, a Solana token's mint account can name a freeze authority. The Solana documentation describes it as the account authorised to freeze tokens in a token account, preventing them from being transferred or burned. A frozen account stays frozen until the authority thaws it.
Why issuers use it
Some issuers need the ability to respond to legal orders or to stop stolen funds from moving. Regulated stablecoin issuers are an example: holding a freeze capability lets them comply with sanctions or law-enforcement requests. For those tokens, the power is part of the product and is disclosed by the issuer.
Why holders should care
For a token with an unknown creator, an active freeze authority means someone can lock your tokens, perhaps just before a sale or after you buy, so you cannot sell. It is one of the controls scammers use to trap buyers. Even for legitimate issuers, it means your tokens are not fully under your sole control in every case.
How to check
Open the token's mint on a block explorer and look at the authorities. If the freeze authority is empty, nobody can freeze accounts for that mint. If it is set, find out who holds it and why. Compare this with the issuer's published policy. Combine the check with the mint authority and with the project's liquidity and history, since no single field settles whether a token is safe.
Practical steps
Prefer tokens with a clear issuer and disclosed controls. Be sceptical of new tokens with active authorities held by anonymous accounts, and avoid putting in more than you can afford to lose.
Example
A newly launched token has its freeze authority set to an unknown wallet. After a price spike, the creator freezes several buyers' accounts, which cannot sell their tokens until the authority thaws them.
Put it into practice
Look for controls before you buy
Check a token's authorities on a block explorer before you swap into it from Scrypt Wallet. An active freeze authority held by an unknown account is a risk.
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Last reviewed 2026-10-02 by the Scrypt Wallet team. The factual claims on this page, and where each comes from:
- The freeze authority is the account authorised to freeze tokens in a token account, preventing them from being transferred or burned. [1]
- A mint account stores authorities such as the mint authority and freeze authority. [1]
Sources
- Tokens on Solana · Solana documentation · primary source
Primary sources are protocol papers, specifications, source code or a project's own documentation; secondary sources are wikis and explainers. We checked each claim against the source text on the review date. Found an error? Tell us and we will correct it.
Frequently asked questions
Does freeze authority exist on every chain?
It is a Solana token feature. Other chains have their own mechanisms, such as blacklist functions in token contracts.
Is it always bad?
No. Some issuers keep it for legal compliance. The concern is unknown holders with unchecked power.
Can the freeze authority be removed?
Yes. It can be set to none, after which accounts for that mint can never be frozen.
Written by the Scrypt Wallet team · Updated 2026-10-02. General education, not financial, tax or legal advice.