Insights

How to Create a Meme Coin on XRPL

A token on the XRP Ledger needs no contract: two accounts, a handful of transactions and some XRP for the pool. The steps in the order the ledger needs them, including the issuer setting that, if skipped, stops holders from trading your token.

Step by step

  1. 1
    Two accounts
    An issuer that creates the token and a holding account that receives the supply. Each needs 1 XRP to exist.
  2. 2
    Turn on Default Ripple on the issuer, first
    Before anyone opens a trust line, set Default Ripple on the issuer; without it holders cannot send the token to each other. Leave it off on the holding account (xrpl.org).
  3. 3
    Pick the code
    Three characters (DOG) as they are, or 4 to 20 characters written as 40 hexadecimal digits (currency formats). It cannot be changed later.
  4. 4
    Trust line from the holding account
    A TrustSet to the issuer for the code, with No Ripple set; it holds 0.2 XRP in reserve.
  5. 5
    Issue the supply
    One Payment from the issuer to the holding account. Whatever is sent is the supply in circulation.
  6. 6
    Create the pool
    An AMMCreate from the holding account pairs the token with XRP. Its fee is 0.2 XRP, destroyed; the pool’s depth is the XRP you put in (AMM pools).
  7. 7
    Lock the supply (blackhole)
    Give the issuer a regular key nobody controls, such as rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrBZbvji, then disable its master key: the ledger refuses the second step without the first. Do this last, and clear Require Auth first if you set it, or it stays set for good.

What it costs

Issuer account1 XRPReserve, locked while the account exists
Holding account1 XRPReserve
Its trust line and LP token line0.4 XRPReserve, freed when the lines are removed
Creating the pool0.2 XRPDestroyed
Other transactionsabout 0.000012 XRP eachDestroyed
Pool liquidityyour choiceWithdrawable with the LP tokens, unless you lock them
Today’s reserves, read from the ledger hourly. Every item of a launch through xrpl.to: launch cost.

Or let the launch wizard do it

xrpl.to’s launch wizard runs these steps for you as a series of transactions, sets the issuer up correctly, creates the pool, locks the supply and the liquidity, and lists the token at once; a launch with a 100 XRP pool needs 105 XRP in all(launchpads compared).

After launch

  • Logo, description and links: connected with the issuing account, Edit Token Info in the token page’s ⋯ menu.
  • A domain: set the issuer’s Domain and publish an xrp-ledger.toml there, so holders can tie the token to your site (getting tracked).
  • Airdrops reach only accounts with a trust line (why).
  • A copy of a popular token’s code from a new issuer looks like a scam to buyers; pick your own.

Questions

How much XRP do I need to create a meme coin?
On the ledger itself, about 2.6 XRP in reserves and fees, plus whatever XRP you put in the pool. xrpl.to’s launch wizard quotes 105 XRP for a launch with a 100 XRP pool, fee included.
Why can’t holders send my token to each other?
The issuer was set up without Default Ripple. Turn it on, then clear No Ripple on the issuer’s side of the trust lines already open, or ask holders to reopen them.
Can I airdrop my meme coin?
Only to accounts that already hold a trust line for it; nobody can push a token into an account that has not opted in (why tokens can’t be airdropped).