Solana Rent Free Dev

Capabilities

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

Comparing creation cost and CU usage:

Install this reference skill:

npx skills add Lightprotocol/skills

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

Skills for compressed PDAs and more are in development.

Install to Claude Code

Add the marketplace and install:

/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

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.

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)

Rust Client (light_token_client)

Program (light_token)

Examples

Macros

CPI Instructions

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

General References

TypeScript SDK

Rust Crates and SDK

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