Quick answer
The short answer
To create your own blockchain on Solana, you run the open-source Agave validator software with a new genesis config. The genesis sets your coin supply, fees, epoch length and first validator. Because the genesis is different, your chain is independent from Solana mainnet. Plan on at least 3 validators, and expect heavy servers.
- Step 1: Decide: chain or tokenA token lives on Solana. A chain is a separate network.
- Step 2: Write the genesis configSupply, fees, epoch length, inflation.
- Step 3: Start the first validatorIt makes the first blocks.
- Step 4: Add more validatorsAt least 3 in total is our advice.
- Step 5: Add a faucet and explorerSo people can get coins and check the chain.
- Step 6: Check wallet supportThis is the weakest part today.
Three of those steps are harder than they look. Here is why.
CHAPTER 01
What a Solana-based chain really is
Not a token, and not Solana mainnet. A separate cluster that runs the same software.
Solana calls a network a cluster. Mainnet is one cluster. Yours would be another, with the same software but a different starting point. The Anza docs explain that before any validators start, you create a genesis config. Clusters with different genesis configs simply ignore each other.
- This guide
Your own cluster
Your own coin, validators, fees and supply. It does not use SOL, and it is not connected to mainnet.
- Not this guide
A token on Solana
A token made on mainnet. It is cheap and quick, but you cannot change the network rules.
Solana is sometimes called an SVM chain, after the Solana Virtual Machine that runs programs. A chain built from Agave is the closest match to that design. If you are not sure which you need, read coin or token first.
CHAPTER 02
What you can customise
Epoch length, fees, inflation and the starting balances. The coin name is not on the list.
The settings live in the solana-genesis tool in the Agave source code. These are the ones that matter for a small chain:
| Setting | What it controls | Why you would change it |
|---|---|---|
| slots-per-epoch | How long an epoch lasts. Staking changes and rewards settle once per epoch. | Shorter epochs settle faster on a small chain |
| target-lamports-per-signature | The fee for each transaction signature | Cheaper or dearer transfers |
| fee-burn-percentage | The share of each fee that is destroyed | Control how fees affect supply |
| inflation | Whether stakers earn new coins: pico, full or none | Fixed supply or paid validators |
| bootstrap-validator-lamports | The balance of the first validator | Your launch stake |
| primordial-accounts-file | Accounts that exist from the first block | Your premine |
| faucet-lamports | Coins held by the faucet | Free test coins for users |
From the genesis tool source in the Agave repository (master branch). Options can change between releases, so we pin one release.
The unit is the lamport: one coin is 1,000,000,000 lamports. Your total supply comes from the balances you create in genesis, so choose them once, before launch.
CHAPTER 03
Validators: why at least three
The docs give no minimum. This is our advice, and the reasoning behind it.
On Solana, validators take turns making blocks and vote on each other's work. The docs describe a transaction as confirmed once a supermajority of those votes arrive. The number of validators decides how many can stop before the votes fall short.
| Validators | After one stops | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No votes. The chain stops. | A test setup only |
| 2 | One validator left cannot gather a supermajority alone. The chain stops. | No real protection |
| 3 | Two validators remain, so votes can still be checked by more than one. The chain should keep going. | Our minimum |
Our own advice, not an official rule. The Anza docs name no minimum number of validators.
CHAPTER 04
Hardware: the official specs are for mainnet
The numbers look huge. A new chain starts empty, but there is no official small-chain spec.
512 GB
RAM suggested in the official validator requirements
Source: Anza validator requirements
The Anza requirements page lists a 2.8 GHz or faster CPU, three separate NVMe disks (accounts, ledger and snapshots, each 500 GB to 1 TB or more) and at least 2 Gbit/s of network for staked nodes. It never mentions private clusters, so every figure is mainnet-grade.
A new chain starts with an empty ledger and little traffic, so it can run on far less. The demo scripts in the docs run on a single laptop. But no one has published an official low-traffic spec, so any smaller number is an estimate. We size servers on the safe side, which is why Solana validators cost more than every other base coin.
CHAPTER 05
Explorer, faucet and wallets: the honest picture
A faucet and explorer exist. Wallet support is the part to check before you promise anything.
- Works
Faucet
The multi-node scripts include a faucet, so users can get free coins.
- Works
Explorer
The Solana Foundation explorer is open source under the MIT license and made for Solana clusters.
- Unconfirmed
Pointing the explorer at a custom chain
We could not confirm from the docs that the open-source explorer accepts a custom RPC address. We treat this as a limit until tested.
- Unconfirmed
Popular wallets
We found no official statement that major wallets connect to a custom Solana cluster. Some may not. Check your wallet of choice before you promise it to users.
Tokens on your chain would follow the SPL token standard that Solana uses. If your community depends on one particular wallet app, test it against a running cluster first. This is the biggest practical risk of this base, and it is why we ask for a review before payment.
CHAPTER 06
Mistakes that stop a first Solana chain
Five things that trip people up, and the check for each.
Treating a token as a chain
Most "create on Solana" guides make a token. A chain needs its own genesis and validators.
Using master-branch options on an old release
The genesis options shift between releases. Read the settings for the exact release you run.
Blocked UDP ports
Validators need UDP ports 8000 to 10000 open between them.
Promising wallet support early
Test your users' wallet against a running cluster before you announce anything.
Running one validator
It is fine for a test. For a real chain, one server is one point of failure.
The software itself is not the barrier. Agave is open source under the Apache-2.0 license, and the docs describe a test validator that runs as a single node on a developer's workstation. The work is in choosing a release, holding it steady, and keeping several heavy servers healthy. That is the part we run for you.
CHAPTER 07
What it costs with HeroRPC
A one-time core price, and a monthly cost per validator.
The builder prices a Solana-based chain in the Premium tier. The core build is $399 one-time. The builder starts you at 3 validators and shows your exact total before you pay. Server prices are in the FAQ below.
There is no fee to any third party. Your chain is independent, so you do not pay anyone for a network seat. The ongoing cost is only the servers we run for you.
QUESTIONS
Questions people ask
Can I create my own blockchain on Solana?
Yes. Agave, the Solana validator software, is open source under the Apache-2.0 license. With your own genesis config it starts a separate cluster. It is a chain of your own, not a token on mainnet.
Is a Solana-based chain the same as a Solana token?
No. A token lives on Solana mainnet and uses its rules. A Solana-based chain has its own validators, fees, supply and genesis, and does not connect to mainnet.
Will my chain use SOL?
No. It has its own coin. The name and symbol are display details set in wallets and the explorer, not in the chain settings.
How many validators do I need?
The docs give no minimum. We recommend at least 3, so the chain keeps running if one validator stops. With one or two, losing a validator stops the chain.
Do I need the same servers as Solana mainnet?
The official specs are written for mainnet. A new, quiet chain can run on less, but no official smaller spec exists. Our builder sizes validators on the safe side.
Will Phantom or other wallets connect to my chain?
We cannot promise it. We found no official confirmation that major wallets accept a custom cluster, so test your wallet first.
How long does a Solana-based chain take to deploy?
About 30 minutes after your payment is confirmed, like every other base.
What does it cost?
The core build is $399 one-time, and each validator server is $99 a month. The builder shows the full total before you pay.
SOURCES
Sources and how we made this guide
- Agave validator repository (Apache-2.0 license)
- Anza docs, clusters (genesis config and cluster independence)
- Anza docs, multi-node cluster guide (setup, faucet, validators, UDP ports)
- Agave genesis tool source (solana-genesis settings)
- Anza docs, validator requirements
- Anza docs, solana-test-validator (a single-node development cluster)
- Solana Foundation explorer (MIT license)
Written by
Written and checked by the people who run HeroRPC's builder and node servers. Every figure links to its source.
Published . Last updated .
