Terminology for Solana collections and compression

Metadata URI

The off-chain pointer stored in an NFT's on-chain account, usually an HTTPS or Arweave URL returning a JSON file. Marketplaces fetch this URI to display name, image, and traits. A broken URI means the token exists on-chain but displays blank in most wallets.

Collection Authority

The account permitted to verify that a new mint belongs to a named collection. Without a verified collection badge, tokens may still trade but appear as standalone items rather than part of a set.

State Compression

A method of storing many NFT records inside a single on-chain Merkle tree, reducing per-item rent cost. Ownership is proven with a cryptographic proof rather than a full token account for each item.

Merkle Tree (NFT context)

A data structure holding hashed leaf nodes, each representing a compressed NFT. When you transfer or burn a compressed item, the proof path through the tree is submitted with the transaction.

Candy Machine

Metaplex's minting program that distributes tokens according to preset rules — price, supply cap, start time, and guard conditions. The term persists in docs even when minters use newer Metaplex Core products.

Token Standard

The on-chain schema defining what fields an NFT account holds. Solana supports legacy token metadata and newer standards with different account layouts. The standard affects which tools can read and update your NFT.

Royalty Enforcer

A program or marketplace rule attempting to route a percentage of secondary sales to a creator address. Enforcement varies by marketplace; the on-chain royalty field alone does not guarantee payment.

Update Authority

The key allowed to change mutable metadata fields — name, URI, creators list — after mint. Transferring update authority to a burn address makes metadata permanently fixed.

Creator Share

Array entries in metadata listing addresses and percentage splits for primary and royalty attribution. Shares must total 100 across listed creators or some marketplaces reject the listing.

Proof Verification (compressed NFT)

The RPC or indexer check confirming that a leaf node exists in the current tree state. Wallets and marketplaces rely on indexers; if indexing lags, a valid NFT may temporarily not display.

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