Create a DAO Governance Token on SolanaGovernance tokens have to last. Unlike memecoins, the design decisions you make at launch will still matter five years later, when token holders are voting on protocol upgrades or treasury spending. The wrong decimals, wrong supply, or wrong authority structure can lock you into a governance design that doesn't scale.
This page covers the specific tradeoffs for Solana governance tokens: how to think about voting power, why most DAOs over-mint, and what authority structure actually survives an angry community.
Why Solana for governance tokens?
Compatibility with Realms and Solana DAO infra
SPL governance tokens work natively with Realms (the leading Solana DAO framework) and most Solana governance tooling. No custom contract development needed — the token integrates with off-the-shelf voting infrastructure.
Cheap on-chain voting
Solana's per-tx fees mean a vote costs fractions of a cent. Other chains have governance participation problems because gas costs more than the vote is worth — Solana removes that friction entirely.
Recommended configuration for governance tokens
- Decimals
- 6 — 6 decimals is fine for governance tokens. Voting power is calculated by raw balance, not USD value, so decimals just affect display formatting.
- Supply
- 100,000,000 — 100M is the conventional governance token supply. Large enough to give meaningful per-holder allocations even with thousands of token holders, small enough to keep voting math intuitive.
- Fee tier
- 0.25% — Governance tokens have lower velocity than memecoins. 0.25% is right for moderate-volume tokens.
- Mint authority
- REVOKE at launch, OR transfer to the DAO treasury via Realms. If the DAO needs to mint more later, it can be done by community vote. Letting the founder team retain mint authority is a fast way to lose community trust.
- Freeze authority
- REVOKE — governance tokens should never freeze.
- Update authority
- Transfer to the DAO treasury, NOT to founders. Branding changes go through governance.
Common mistakes to avoid
Keeping mint authority on a founder wallet
The fastest way to lose DAO credibility. Even if your intentions are pure, holders will assume the worst. Either revoke at launch or transfer to a DAO-controlled multisig.
Pre-allocating 30%+ to the team
High team allocations destroy governance legitimacy. Aim for ≤15% to founders + advisors, with public vesting schedules.
Not setting up vesting before launch
Token allocations without vesting let founders dump on day one. Use a vesting service (Streamflow, Bonfida) to lock founder allocations for 1-3 years before you launch the token.
Related guides and tools
Frequently asked questions
Should I use a single token or a separate governance token?
Depends on the protocol. If your protocol has a utility token already, layering governance on top of it (e.g., veToken model) keeps things simple. If governance is the primary purpose, a dedicated governance token is cleaner.
How does Realms work with my Alchemii-created token?
Realms uses any SPL token as the voting basis. Once your token is created, you can register a Realm using your token's mint address. Voting power is calculated from raw balance.
What's the right vesting schedule for governance token allocations?
Standard: 1-year cliff + 3-year linear vesting for founders and team. 6-month cliff for advisors. No vesting (immediate liquid) for fair-launch community allocations.