How to Send and Receive Tokens on Solana
Step by step
- Open your wallet. Use your own wallet app, such as one covered in the Phantom setup guide.
- Choose receive or send. Receiving shows your public address. Sending asks for a recipient address.
- Pick the token and amount. Select SOL or the specific token and enter the amount.
- Verify the address. Check the first and last characters of the recipient address against the original.
- Send a test first. Send a small amount and confirm it arrives before sending the rest.
- Confirm the result. Look up the transaction on a block explorer if you want proof.
Your address is public
Your wallet address is like an account number. It is safe to share, because it only lets people send to you. What must never be shared is your seed phrase or private key. New to wallets? Start with what a crypto wallet is.
Keep some SOL for fees
Sending any token on Solana costs a small amount of SOL. If you hold none, the transfer cannot go through. Creating a token account for a first-time recipient may also require a small SOL deposit. Learn to get SOL in how to buy SOL.
Avoiding mistakes
- Sending to a wrong address is almost always permanent.
- Do not send tokens to a contract address. The QNT contract address
DeqsPTYwvsNjkf5G8zDxziUnFPp55nQZA4vrNM2apumpidentifies the token, it is not a place to send tokens. - Clipboard malware can swap a copied address, so compare the ends after pasting.
- Make sure the recipient supports the network. Solana addresses only work on Solana.
After sending
Most transfers finish in seconds. If something looks off, check the signature on Solscan. Nobody legitimate will ask for your seed phrase to help recover a transfer. Anyone who does is a scammer.
If you are moving a larger amount, slow down. Confirm the address through a second channel when possible, send a small test, wait for it to land, and only then send the rest. This costs a tiny extra fee and can save you from a permanent mistake. Keep a record of the transaction signature in case you need to look it up later.
What a transfer costs: a worked example
Sending 1,000 tokens to a wallet that already holds that token costs the base fee: 5,000 lamports, or 0.000005 SOL, per signature. If the recipient has never held the token, a token account must be created for them, which needs a rent deposit of roughly 0.00204 SOL for a standard 165 byte account (the sender normally pays it, and it is refundable if the account is closed). So the first send to a new holder can cost about 0.00205 SOL in total, against 0.000005 SOL for a repeat send. Keep a small SOL balance, as in How to Buy SOL. More on accounts is in Token Accounts and Associated Token Accounts Explained and Solana Fees and Rent Explained.
Address safety: attacks to know
| Trick | How it works | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| Address poisoning | A tiny transfer from a lookalike address leaves a fake entry in your history | Never copy an address from history. Use a saved contact or the original source |
| Clipboard swap | Malware replaces what you copied | Compare the full address after pasting, and test first |
| Fake support | "Help" asks you to send funds or reveal a phrase | No real support asks for your seed phrase |
Read Solana Wallet Safety for details.
Common mistakes
- Sending SOL to a token mint address or a contract. Mints identify tokens, they are not wallets.
- Using the wrong network, such as another chain's address format.
- Sending the whole balance and leaving no SOL for the fee.
- Skipping the test transfer on a large amount.
How to check it yourself
- Before sending, compare the first six and last six characters of the address with the source, and then check the middle too.
- Send a small test and open the signature on Solscan: confirm status, amount and recipient.
- Check token balances under token accounts, not just SOL.
- Keep the signature for your records. See Crypto Record Keeping and Taxes.
Education only, not financial advice. The QNT memecoin is independent of Quantinuum Ltd.
Sources and further reading
- Solana docs: fees (5,000 lamports per signature, priority fee formula, burn split)
- Helius docs: getMinimumBalanceForRentExemption (165-byte token account example)
- Solana docs: tokens (mint accounts, token accounts, authorities, decimals)
Facts checked 2026-10-09 against the linked pages. Education only, not financial advice. Nothing here predicts the price of any asset, and the QNT memecoin is an independent community token with no link to Quantinuum Ltd or any lab, chain or exchange named on this page.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to share my wallet address?
Yes. An address only allows others to send to you. Never share your seed phrase or private key.
Can I reverse a Solana transfer?
No. Blockchain transfers are final, so verify the address before sending.
Why do I need SOL to send tokens?
Solana charges a small network fee in SOL for every transaction, including token transfers.
Can I send QNT to the contract address?
No. The contract address identifies the token. Sending tokens to it would not be a normal transfer and could lose them.
Who pays for the recipient's token account?
Usually the sender or the app that creates it, via a small refundable deposit. If the recipient already has one, no deposit is needed.
Can I recover tokens sent to the wrong person?
Only if they choose to return them. Transfers are final and nobody can reverse them.
How can I tell if an address belongs to a wallet or a program?
An explorer shows the account type. If it is labeled as a token mint or program, do not send funds there.
Why did my token not show up?
The wallet may need a refresh or may hide unknown tokens. Check the recipient's balances on an explorer before assuming it failed.
Keep reading
- What Is a Crypto Wallet? Hot Wallets, Cold Wallets and Recovery Phrases
A crypto wallet holds your keys, not your coins. Learn the difference between hot and cold wallets and how to keep yours safe. - Seed Phrases and Private Keys Explained
A seed phrase is the list of words that backs up your crypto wallet, and a private key is what signs transactions. Learn the difference and how to protect both. - How to Set Up a Phantom Wallet for Solana (Beginner Guide)
Learn how to create a Phantom wallet, back up your recovery phrase safely and receive SOL so you can trade Solana tokens. - How to Store QNT Safely: Wallets and Security
Learn how to keep your QNT tokens secure on Solana: choose a wallet you control, back up the seed phrase offline and avoid common ways people lose funds.
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