solana-rent-free-dev

Build Solana applications 200x cheaper for stablecoin payments, agent payments, DeFi, airdrops, token distribution, and ZK applications using Light Protocol's rent-free token accounts, mint accounts, and PDAs. Covers client development (TypeScript, Rust) and program development (Rust) across Anchor, native Rust, and Pinocchio.

Capabilities

Light Token allows agents to build scalable Solana applications with rent-free token and mint accounts and PDA's.

Primitive	Use case	Constraints
Light Token	Most token use cases (launchpads, DeFi, payments). Rent-free mint and token accounts. ~200x cheaper than SPL and more compute-unit efficient on the hot path.	Currently in Beta and on Solana Devnet with mainnet in Q1 2026
Light-PDA	DeFi program state such as AMM pools and vaults. ~98% cheaper than PDAs and can be implemented with minimal code changes.	Currently in Beta and on Solana Devnet with mainnet in Q1 2026
Compressed Token	Only for Airdrops and token distribution. Prefer Light Token for other purposes. Used by Light Token under the hood for rent-free storage of inactive Light Tokens. Supported by Phantom and Backpack.	Do not use for general-purpose token features. Use Light Token instead.
Compressed PDA	User state and app state, nullifiers (payments and ZK applications), DePIN nodes, and stake accounts. Similar to program-derived addresses without a rent-exempt balance.	Not for shared state, pool accounts, or config accounts. Use Light-PDA instead

Comparing creation cost and CU usage:

	Light-Token	SPL-Token
Mint Account	0.00001 SOL	0.0015 SOL
Token Account	0.00001 SOL	0.002 SOL
Associated token account creation	4,348 CU	14,194 CU
Transfer	312 CU	4,645 CU
Transfer (rent-free)	1,885 CU	4,645 CU

Install this reference skill:

bash

npx skills add Lightprotocol/skills

Security

This skill does not pull, store, or transmit external secrets. It provides code patterns, documentation references, and development guidance only.

• No credentials consumed. The skill requires no API keys, private keys, or signing secrets. env: [] is declared explicitly.
• User-provided configuration. RPC endpoints, wallet keypairs, and authentication tokens (Privy, wallet adapters) are configured in the user's own application code — the skill only demonstrates how to use them.
• Install source. npx skills add Lightprotocol/skills installs from the public GitHub repository (Lightprotocol/skills). Verify the source before running.
• Audited protocol. Light Protocol smart contracts are independently audited. Reports are published at github.com/Lightprotocol/light-protocol/tree/main/audits.

Workflow

1. Clarify intent
   • Recommend plan mode, if it's not activated
   • Use AskUserQuestion to resolve blind spots
   • All questions must be resolved before execution
2. Identify references and skills
   • Match task to available skills below
   • Locate relevant documentation and examples
3. Write plan file (YAML task format)
   • Use AskUserQuestion for anything unclear — never guess or assume
   • Identify blockers: permissions, dependencies, unknowns
   • Plan must be complete before execution begins
4. Execute
   • Use Task tool with subagents for parallel research
   • Subagents load skills via Skill tool
   • Track progress with TodoWrite
5. When stuck: spawn subagent with Read, Glob, Grep, DeepWiki MCP access and load skills/ask-mcp

Skills

Use case	Skill
Build rent-free Solana programs with Light SDK (Anchor or Pinocchio). Includes router integration.	light-sdk
Use Light Token client SDKs (TypeScript and Rust) for mints, associated token accounts, transfers	light-token-client
Stream account state via Laserstream gRPC	data-streaming
Build payment flows and wallet integrations with light-token. Covers receive/send/balance/history, client-side signing patterns for Privy and Solana wallet adapters, and nullifier-based double-spend prevention.	payments-and-wallets
Airdrops, DePIN, token distribution	token-distribution
Anti-double-spend nullifiers for Privacy-preserving ZK programs	zk-nullifier
Testing programs and clients on localnet, devnet, mainnet	testing
Help with Debugging and Questions via DeepWiki MCP	ask-mcp

Skills for compressed PDAs and more are in development.

Install to Claude Code

Add the marketplace and install:

text

/plugin marketplace add Lightprotocol/skills
/plugin install solana-rent-free-dev

All skills are included. Use them by name (/light-sdk, /token-distribution, /testing, etc.) or let Claude invoke them based on task context.

Install to Cursor

1. Open Settings (Cmd+Shift+J / Ctrl+Shift+J)
2. Navigate to Rules & Commands → Project Rules → Add Rule → Remote Rule (GitHub)
3. Enter: https://github.com/Lightprotocol/skills.git

Skills are auto-discovered based on context. Ask about light-token, defi, payments, or program migration and the agent uses the relevant skill automatically.

Install to Any Agent

text

npx skills add Lightprotocol/skills

Context

light-token

A token standard functionally equivalent to SPL that stores mint and token accounts more efficiently.

Mint accounts represent a unique mint and optionally store token-metadata. Functionally equivalent to SPL mints.

Token accounts hold balances from any light, SPL, or Token-2022 mint, without paying rent-exemption.

The token program pays rent-exemption cost for you. When an account has no remaining sponsored rent, the account is automatically compressed. Your tokens are cryptographically preserved as a compressed token account (rent-free). The account is loaded into hot account state in-flight when someone interacts with it again.

Use for: Launchpads, DeFi, token transfers, payments, ... .

light-PDA

The Light-SDK pays rent-exemption for your PDAs, token accounts, and mints (98% cost savings). Your program logic stays the same.

After extended inactivity (multiple epochs without writes), accounts auto-compress to cold state. Your program only interacts with hot accounts. Clients load cold accounts back on-chain via create_load_instructions.

Area	Change
State struct	Derive LightAccount, add compression_info: CompressionInfo
Accounts struct	Derive LightAccounts, add #[light_account] on init accounts
Program module	Add #[light_program] above #[program]
Instructions	No changes

Use for: DeFi program state, AMM pools, vaults.

Compressed token (Only use for Token Distribution)

Compressed token accounts store token balance, owner, and other information of tokens like SPL and light-tokens. Compressed token accounts are rent-free. Any light-token or SPL token can be compressed/decompressed at will. Supported by Phantom and Backpack.

Only Use for: airdrops, token distribution without paying upfront rent per recipient.

Compressed PDA

Compressed PDAs are derived using a specific program address and seed, like regular PDAs. Custom programs invoke the Light System program to create and update accounts, instead of the System program.

Persistent unique identification. Program ownership. CPI between compressed and regular PDAs.

Use rent-free PDAs for: user state, app state, nullifiers for payments, DePIN node accounts, stake accounts, nullifiers for zk applications. Not for shared state, pool, and config accounts.

Guidelines

• light-token ≠ compressed token. light-token is a Solana account in hot state. Compressed token is a compressed account, always compressed, rent-free.
• light-PDA ≠ compressed PDA. light-PDA is a Solana PDA that transitions to compressed state when inactive. Compressed PDA is always compressed, derived like a PDA and requires a validity proof.
• light-token accounts hold SPL and Token-2022 balances, not just light-mint balances.
• When sponsored rent on a light-token or light-PDA runs out, the account compresses. It decompresses on next interaction.

Documentation and Examples

TypeScript Client (@lightprotocol/compressed-token)

Operation	Docs guide	GitHub example
createMintInterface	create-mint	action
createAtaInterface	create-ata	action | instruction
mintToInterface	mint-to	action | instruction
transferInterface	transfer-interface	action | instruction
approve	approve-revoke	action
revoke	approve-revoke	action
wrap	wrap-unwrap	action | instruction
unwrap	wrap-unwrap	action | instruction
loadAta	load-ata	action | instruction

Rust Client (light_token_client)

Operation	Docs guide	GitHub example
CreateMint	create-mint	action | instruction
CreateAta	create-ata	action | instruction
CreateTokenAccount	create-token-account	instruction
MintTo	mint-to	action | instruction
TransferInterface	transfer-interface	action | instruction
TransferChecked	transfer-checked	action | instruction
Approve	approve-revoke	action | instruction
Revoke	approve-revoke	action | instruction
Burn	burn	instruction
BurnChecked	burn	instruction
Freeze	freeze-thaw	instruction
Thaw	freeze-thaw	instruction
Close	close-token-account	instruction
Wrap	wrap-unwrap	action
Unwrap	wrap-unwrap	action
SplToLight	—	example

Program (light_token)

Examples

	Description
cp-swap-reference	Fork of Raydium AMM that creates markets without paying rent-exemption
create-and-transfer	Create account via macro and transfer via CPI
pinocchio-swap	Light Token swap reference implementation

Macros

	Description
counter	Create PDA with sponsored rent-exemption
create-ata	Create associated light-token account
create-mint	Create light-token mint
create-token-account	Create light-token account

CPI Instructions

CPI calls can be combined with existing and/or light macros. The API is a superset of SPL-token.

Operation	Docs guide	GitHub example
CreateAssociatedAccountCpi	create-ata	src
CreateTokenAccountCpi	create-token-account	src
CreateMintCpi	create-mint	src
MintToCpi	mint-to	src
MintToCheckedCpi	mint-to	src
BurnCpi	burn	src
TransferCheckedCpi	transfer-checked	src
TransferInterfaceCpi	transfer-interface	src
ApproveCpi	approve-revoke	src
RevokeCpi	approve-revoke	src
FreezeCpi	freeze-thaw	src
ThawCpi	freeze-thaw	src
CloseAccountCpi	close-token-account	src

General References

TypeScript SDK

Package	npm
@lightprotocol/stateless.js	npm
@lightprotocol/compressed-token	npm

Rust Crates and SDK

Crate	docs.rs
light-sdk	docs.rs/light-sdk
light-sdk-pinocchio	docs.rs/light-sdk-pinocchio
light-token	docs.rs/light-token
light-token-client	docs.rs/light-token-client
light-compressed-token-sdk	docs.rs/light-compressed-token-sdk
light-client	docs.rs/light-client
light-program-test	docs.rs/light-program-test
light-account-pinocchio	docs.rs/light-account-pinocchio
light-token-pinocchio	docs.rs/light-token-pinocchio
light-hasher	docs.rs/light-hasher
light-account	docs.rs/light-account

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For additional documentation and navigation, see: https://www.zkcompression.com/llms.txt For additional skills, see: https://github.com/Lightprotocol/skills