NFT royalties on Solana have been one of the most debated topics in the ecosystem. The conversation has evolved from "should royalties be enforced?" to a more nuanced reality where enforcement mechanisms, marketplace policies, and creator strategies have all adapted. If you are creating or collecting Solana NFTs in 2026, understanding how royalties actually work — not just how they are supposed to work — is essential.
This guide covers the technical enforcement layer, marketplace-specific policies, what the current landscape means for creators and collectors, and practical strategies for both sides.
What Are NFT Royalties?
NFT royalties are a percentage of the sale price that goes to the original creator every time an NFT is resold on secondary markets. If a collection has a 5% royalty and an NFT sells for 10 SOL, 0.5 SOL goes to the creator's designated wallet.
The concept was designed to align creator and collector incentives: creators are motivated to grow the collection's value because they earn on every resale, and collectors benefit from active creator involvement.
On Solana, royalties are defined in the NFT's metadata through the Metaplex standard. The royalty percentage and the distribution (which wallets receive what share) are set when the NFT is minted.
A Brief History of the Royalty Wars
Understanding today's royalty landscape requires context on what happened:
2022 — The Optional Era: Marketplaces like Magic Eden initially honored royalties but then moved to make them optional as competition from zero-royalty marketplaces increased. Creators saw their royalty income drop dramatically.
Late 2022 — Metaplex Programmable NFTs (pNFTs): Metaplex introduced pNFTs — a new token standard where royalty enforcement is baked into the token itself. pNFTs can only be transferred through approved programs, making it technically impossible to bypass royalties on compliant marketplaces.
2023-2024 — Market Adaptation: Major marketplaces implemented pNFT support. Some collections migrated their existing NFTs to pNFT format. The market split into enforced-royalty collections (pNFTs) and honor-system collections (legacy Token Metadata standard).
2025-2026 — Current State: A mixed ecosystem where pNFTs enforce royalties by default, legacy NFTs rely on marketplace policies, and different marketplaces have different approaches to optional royalties.
How Royalty Enforcement Works on Solana
Metaplex Token Metadata (Legacy Standard)
The original Solana NFT standard stores royalty information in the token's metadata but has no mechanism to enforce payment. When an NFT is listed and sold on a marketplace, the marketplace's smart contracts handle the sale — and whether those contracts honor the royalty is entirely up to the marketplace.
Enforcement level: None at the protocol level. Purely marketplace-dependent.
Metaplex Programmable NFTs (pNFTs)
pNFTs use a "rule set" system where creators define which programs are allowed to transfer the token. Only approved programs (typically marketplace contracts that enforce royalties) can execute transfers. If someone tries to transfer a pNFT through an unapproved program, the transaction fails.
Enforcement level: Strong. Creators control which transfer paths are allowed, and all approved paths must respect royalties.
How rule sets work:
- Creator defines a rule set specifying approved transfer programs
- Marketplaces that want to list pNFTs must be included in the rule set
- When a sale occurs, the marketplace contract verifies it is authorized, enforces the royalty payment, and completes the transfer
- Peer-to-peer transfers outside approved programs are blocked unless the creator's rule set allows them
Core (Metaplex Core Standard)
Metaplex Core is the newest NFT standard on Solana, designed to be simpler and cheaper than pNFTs while maintaining royalty enforcement. Core NFTs have a built-in royalties plugin that handles enforcement natively.
Key advantages:
- Lower minting and transfer costs compared to pNFTs
- Simpler developer experience
- Royalty enforcement built into the standard from the start
- Plugin system allows adding functionality without modifying the base asset
Marketplace Royalty Policies in 2026
Each marketplace has its own approach to royalties, and the policies have changed multiple times. Here is the current state:
| Marketplace | Legacy NFTs | pNFTs | Core NFTs | Notes |
|---|
| Magic Eden | Optional (buyer chooses 0-100%) | Enforced | Enforced | Largest Solana marketplace by volume |
| Tensor | Optional (default varies) | Enforced | Enforced | Popular for trading-focused users |
| OpenSea | Enforced | Enforced | Enforced | Enforces all royalties on Solana listings |
| Exchange Art | Enforced | Enforced | Enforced | Art-focused, pro-creator policies |
| Solanart | Enforced | Enforced | Enforced | Smaller volume, fully honors royalties |
The practical reality: For legacy NFTs on the two highest-volume marketplaces (Magic Eden and Tensor), royalties are optional. This means most secondary sales of legacy NFTs do not generate full royalty income for creators. For pNFTs and Core NFTs, royalties are enforced everywhere.
For Creators: Maximizing Royalty Revenue
Choose the Right Standard
If you are launching a new collection in 2026, your royalty enforcement depends entirely on which token standard you use:
- Metaplex Core: The recommended choice for new collections. Built-in royalty enforcement, lowest costs, and growing marketplace support.
- pNFTs: Proven enforcement mechanism with wide marketplace support. Slightly higher costs than Core but battle-tested.
- Legacy Token Metadata: Not recommended for new collections if royalty income matters to you. No enforcement on major marketplaces.
For a step-by-step guide on creating a collection, see How to Create a Solana NFT Collection.
Set Realistic Royalty Percentages
The market has largely settled on acceptable royalty ranges:
| Royalty Rate | Market Perception | Best For |
|---|
| 0-2% | Trader-friendly, maximizes volume | PFP collections focused on floor price |
| 3-5% | Standard, widely accepted | Most collections |
| 5-7.5% | On the higher end, may reduce trading volume | Art collections with active creator involvement |
| 7.5-10%+ | Often criticized, can reduce liquidity | Only sustainable for very strong brands |
Higher royalties reduce trader profit margins, which can suppress trading volume. Lower royalties encourage more frequent trading but reduce per-sale income. The optimal rate depends on your collection's positioning and your community's expectations.
Diversify Revenue Beyond Royalties
Relying solely on secondary royalty income is risky regardless of enforcement mechanisms. Successful Solana NFT projects in 2026 also generate revenue from:
- Mint revenue: Primary sales remain the most reliable income source
- Staking and token integration: Utility tokens that NFT holders can stake or earn
- Merchandise and physical goods: Brand extensions beyond digital assets
- Experiences and access: Exclusive events, content, or community access gated by NFT ownership
- Licensing and partnerships: Commercial rights for holders or creator-controlled IP licensing
Migration Strategy for Existing Collections
If you have a legacy collection earning minimal royalties, you have several options:
- Migrate to pNFT or Core: Metaplex provides tooling to migrate existing collections. This enforces royalties going forward but requires coordination with your holder community and marketplace support.
- Accept optional royalties: Focus on building value through other means and treat royalty income as a bonus rather than a primary revenue stream.
- Incentivize royalty payment: Some collections offer additional benefits (airdrops, access, rewards) to holders who purchase from royalty-enforcing marketplaces.
For Collectors: Understanding Royalty Impact
How Royalties Affect Your Returns
Royalties are a transaction cost that directly impacts your profitability as a trader:
Example: You buy an NFT for 10 SOL and sell for 15 SOL.
- With 0% royalty: Your profit is ~5 SOL minus marketplace fees (~2% = 0.3 SOL). Net: ~4.7 SOL.
- With 5% royalty: Your profit is ~5 SOL minus royalty (0.75 SOL) minus marketplace fees (0.3 SOL). Net: ~3.95 SOL.
For frequent traders doing 10+ trades per day, the difference between 0% and 5% royalties compounds significantly.
Choosing Where to Buy
If minimizing costs is your priority, compare the total cost (marketplace fee + royalty) across platforms:
- For legacy NFTs: Marketplaces with optional royalties offer lower total costs
- For pNFTs/Core: Royalties are enforced everywhere, so compare marketplace fees instead
- For art acquisitions (not trading): Consider buying on Exchange Art or other pro-creator platforms to support the artist
Royalties as a Quality Signal
Collections that maintain royalty enforcement (by using pNFTs or Core) often signal:
- Active creator involvement (they are investing in enforcement because they plan to continue building)
- Long-term project commitment
- Community that values creator sustainability
This does not mean enforced-royalty collections are always better investments, but it is one data point worth considering in your evaluation. For a broader framework, see How to Evaluate Any Solana Project.
The Future of Solana NFT Royalties
Several trends are shaping where royalties are heading:
Standard consolidation: Metaplex Core is gaining adoption as the recommended standard for new collections, which means enforcement is becoming the default rather than the exception.
Marketplace competition on features, not fees: As royalty enforcement becomes standard, marketplaces are competing on user experience, liquidity, analytics, and additional features rather than on who offers the lowest royalty bypass.
Programmable royalties: Future standards may support dynamic royalty rates that change based on conditions — lower royalties for early supporters, higher royalties for large sales, or royalty rates that decrease over time.
Cross-chain royalty standards: As NFTs move across chains (via bridges or multi-chain standards), ensuring royalties are enforced on every chain becomes an active area of development.
Final Thoughts
Solana NFT royalties in 2026 are defined by the standard you use. pNFTs and Metaplex Core enforce royalties reliably. Legacy Token Metadata NFTs depend on marketplace goodwill, which has historically been unreliable.
For creators: use Core or pNFTs for new collections, set a reasonable royalty rate (3-5%), and build revenue streams beyond secondary royalties. For collectors: understand the total transaction cost including royalties, and factor it into your trading strategy.
The royalty wars taught the Solana NFT community that technical enforcement matters more than promises. The tools now exist to enforce creator fees — the question is whether creators use them. For a deeper look at the Solana NFT marketplace landscape, see our Best Solana NFT Marketplaces guide.
