What is a Solana Token Lock?

A token lock on Solana (also commonly referred to as Token Vesting or Token Lock) refers to temporarily 'locking' a certain amount of SPL tokens (including regular tokens or liquidity pool LP tokens) through a smart contract, preventing them from being transferred, sold, or used before a set future date.

The most common uses include:

  • Locking tokens held by project teams → Preventing short-term sell-offs and establishing long-term confidence

  • Locking liquidity pool (LP) tokens → Proving to the community that there will be no rug pull (withdrawing liquidity and running away)

  • Set phased release (vesting) plans for investors, private placements, advisors, etc.

Once the lock is created, the tokens are transferred to a time-controlled contract address, and can only be withdrawn after reaching the unlock time (some tools support one-time unlocking, while others support linear/segmented releases).

Preparation

  1. A computer or phone that can connect to the internet normally

  2. Solana wallet installed (e.g., Phantom, Solflare, etc.)

  3. Wallet connected to Solana Mainnet

  4. At least 0.03 SOL prepared in the wallet (for paying the transaction fee for creating the lock, usually lower, but it's advisable to prepare a bit more)

  5. Already holding the SPL token to be locked (balance visible in wallet)

  6. If in a domestic network environment, it's recommended to prepare a VPN/accelerator to ensure a stable connection to the Solana RPC node

Complete steps to create a token lock using GTokenTool

1. Enter the creation page and connect the wallet

Open the browser, visit GTokenTool, click the 'Connect Wallet' button on the page, select your Phantom or other wallet → Approve connection. Ensure the network displayed in the upper right corner is Mainnet.

2. Select the token to be locked

In the token selection box in the middle of the page, enter or search for the Mint address (contract address) of the token you want to lock, or select from the dropdown list.

After selection, the page will automatically display:

  • Token symbol, name

  • Decimal places

  • Your current wallet's available balance

3. Fill in the basic parameters of the lock

Fill in the following three core fields:

  • Lock name:Choose a memorable name, such as 'Team Token Lock - 2026', 'LP Lock - 1 Year'
    (For personal management only, will not affect on-chain data)

  • Lock amount:Enter the amount of tokens you want to lock
    Note: Cannot exceed the available balance displayed in your wallet
    (It is recommended to directly enter integers or retain necessary decimal places)

  • Unlock date:Select a specific date and time in the future
    This is the moment when the tokens can be withdrawn, it is advisable to set it 3 months to several years later (according to project planning)

4. Create lock & confirm transaction

After checking that the above information is correct, click the 'Create' button at the bottom of the page.

The wallet will pop up a transaction confirmation window, displaying:

  • Network fees of approximately 0.01~0.03 SOL

  • Transaction content (transfer tokens to lock contract)

Click 'Confirm' → Wait a few seconds to a dozen seconds for the transaction to be successfully on-chain.

5. View and manage created locks

After successful creation, the page will automatically redirect or prompt you to go to the management page where you can:

  • View all the locks you created

  • See the status of each lock (locking / unlocked)

  • Copy the on-chain address of the lock to share with the community

  • Withdraw tokens here after expiration

Notes & FAQs

  • Fees: Usually only 0.01~0.03 SOL, far lower than Ethereum ecosystem lock tools

  • Irreversible: Once created and confirmed, the tokens are truly locked, and no one (including yourself) can withdraw them before the unlock date

  • Proving transparency: It's advisable to send the transaction hash or lock address to Twitter/Telegram, allowing the community to verify through Solscan

  • After unlocking: After the specified time, return to the management page and click withdraw, also requiring a small gas fee

  • Risk warning: The price of virtual assets is highly volatile; locking does not guarantee value preservation. Please assess risks before operating

By following the above steps, you can complete the creation of a Solana token lock in 2-3 minutes.