Solanart

Overview

Solanart (solanart.io) is the first NFT marketplace built on the Solana blockchain, launched in 2021 as the original Solana-native NFT trading venue. Built on the Metaplex NFT standard, Solanart established much of Solana's early NFT culture — hosting landmark collections like Degenerate Ape Academy (the breakout Solana PFP collection of 2021), Okay Bears, Solana Monkey Business, and Aurory during Solana's explosive 2021 NFT-summer.

Solanart is a non-custodial Solana marketplace — users connect Solana wallets (Phantom, Solflare, Backpack) to list and buy, with no deposited funds or NFTs held by the platform. The marketplace uses the Metaplex standard for Solana NFTs, ensuring compatibility with Phantom, Solflare, and other Solana wallet apps.

Currently Solanart charges 0% marketplace fee — historically a 3% seller fee applied, but the marketplace has since waived the platform fee to compete with newer Solana venues like Tensor and Magic Eden. Creator royalties are collection-specific — each collection's creator sets their own royalty percentage at mint time, and Solanart enforces it via marketplace policy (Solana's program model does not natively support on-chain royalties the way EVM smart contracts do).

Solanart's verified-collections badge system highlights curated, authentic collections to help collectors avoid scams — a key trust feature during Solana's earlier wild-west NFT era. Today Solanart's trading volume has declined from its 2021 peak as Tensor and Magic Eden have overtaken it on Solana, but it remains a historic venue with cultural significance for OG Solana collectors and is still listed on Solana Foundation's developer ecosystem page.

Fees & Pricing

Solanart's fee model has evolved from a 3% seller fee to 0% marketplace fee to compete with newer Solana venues.

Component	Fee
Marketplace fee (current)	0% — Solanart waived platform seller fee to compete with Tensor / Magic Eden
Marketplace fee (historical)	3% seller fee (pre-2024 era)
Solana network fee	Fraction of a cent per transaction (Solana's low gas model)
Creator royalty (secondary)	Collection-specific — set per collection by creator at mint time, enforced by Solanart marketplace policy
Listing fee	Free
Buy fee	Free (network gas only)

Because Solana transaction fees are typically sub-cent, Solanart's effective all-in cost per trade is essentially the creator royalty plus gas — attractive for casual Solana NFT collectors. The 0% marketplace fee is a recent pivot to defend against Tensor's aggressive zero-fee pro-trader model and Magic Eden's multi-chain expansion.

Features & Tools

OG Solana NFT marketplace (2021)

Solanart launched in 2021 as the first dedicated Solana NFT marketplace — predating Magic Eden, Tensor, and Hyperspace. It defined Solana's early NFT culture, hosting Degenerate Ape Academy's breakout collection.

Verified collections badge

Solanart's verified badge highlights curated, authentic collections — a key trust signal during Solana's earlier scam-heavy NFT era. Verified collections include Degenerate Ape Academy, Okay Bears, Solana Monkey Business, and Aurory.

Non-custodial wallet connect

Connect with Phantom, Solflare, or Backpack — your NFTs and SOL stay in your wallet. No funds or assets held by the platform.

Metaplex standard NFTs

Solanart uses the Metaplex NFT standard — compatible with Phantom, Solflare, and other Solana wallet apps. NFTs minted via Solana's Metaplex protocol are tradeable on Solanart, Magic Eden, Tensor, and any Metaplex-compatible venue.

0% marketplace fee (current)

Solanart currently charges 0% marketplace fee to compete with Tensor and Magic Eden's aggressive Solana pricing. Historically Solanart charged 3% seller fee; new zero-fee policy dangles lower-cost trading to retain casual collectors.

Simple listing flow

List NFTs in a few clicks — connect wallet, select NFT, set price, confirm. No batch listing complexity, no AMM-style order book — built for simple secondary-market trading.

Historic cultural significance

Solanart was the venue where Solana's first blue-chip collections traded — Degenerate Ape Academy, Solana Monkey Business, and Aurory all built their early price discovery here. For OG Solana NFT collectors, Solanart remains a nostalgic venue.

Featured on Solana Foundation's ecosystem page

Still listed on Solana Foundation's developer ecosystem page as a recommended Solana NFT marketplace — alongside Tensor, Magic Eden, and Hyperspace.

Pros & Cons

Pros

OG 2021 Solana NFT marketplace — first dedicated venue on Solana
0% marketplace fee (current competition with Tensor / Magic Eden)
Non-custodial — Phantom / Solflare / Backpack wallet connect
Verified collections badge reduces scam risk
Metaplex standard — compatible with any Solana wallet app
Historic cultural significance — Degenerate Ape Academy, Okay Bears, SMB provenance
Sub-cent Solana gas fees — low total cost per trade
Simple listing flow — built for casual collectors
Free to list / free to buy (gas only)

Cons

Solana-only — no multi-chain, no EVM, no Bitcoin support
Trading volume has declined significantly from 2021 peak — Tensor and Magic Eden now dominate Solana NFT volume
Tier-3 venue — much smaller mindshare than Magic Eden for cross-chain collectors
Earlier 2021 UX — lacks pro-trader features (Tensor's AMM, Magic Eden's aggregator)
No aggregator function — single-venue trading only
No direct launchpad / mint platform (whereas Magic Eden has Launchpad)
Collection-specific royalties only — no protection if creator doesn't set royalty
No native BRC-20 / Ordinals / Runes support (Solana-only)
Recent Solana NFT market downturn has hit Solanart volume hardest among OG venues

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Solanart?

Solanart (solanart.io) is the first NFT marketplace built on Solana, launched in 2021. It uses the Metaplex NFT standard and currently charges 0% marketplace fee, with collection-specific creator royalties. Landmark collections include Degenerate Ape Academy, Okay Bears, Solana Monkey Business, and Aurory.

Is Solanart free to use?

Yes. Solanart currently charges 0% marketplace fee (historically 3% seller fee). Solana network gas is sub-cent per transaction. Creator royalties on secondary sales are collection-specific — set by the creator at mint time and enforced via marketplace policy.

When was Solanart founded?

Solanart launched in 2021 as the first dedicated Solana NFT marketplace, predating Magic Eden, Tensor, and Hyperspace. It defined Solana's early NFT culture during Solana's explosive 2021 NFT-summer era.

Which blockchain does Solanart support?

Solana only. Solanart is exclusively a Solana-native NFT marketplace — Solana NFTs minted via the Metaplex standard are tradeable here, in Phantom, Solflare, or Backpack wallets.

What are Solanart's most famous collections?

Degenerate Ape Academy (the breakout Solana PFP collection of 2021), Okay Bears, Solana Monkey Business (SMB), and Aurory all built their early price discovery on Solanart.

Is Solanart non-custodial?

Yes. Solanart is fully non-custodial — connect with Phantom, Solflare, or Backpack wallets, and your NFTs and SOL stay in your wallet. The platform holds no user funds or NFTs.

Does Solanart support Bitcoin Ordinals?

No. Solanart is exclusively a Solana NFT marketplace. Any 'Bitcoin & Ordinals' category tag in some directory listings is a mis-categorization; Solanart does not support Bitcoin, Ordinals, BRC-20, or Runes.

How does Solanart compare to Tensor and Magic Eden?

Solanart was the OG 2021 Solana marketplace but has lost significant volume to Tensor (pro-trader AMM features) and Magic Eden (multi-chain expansion + Launchpad). Solanart retains 0% marketplace fees, simple listing flow, and historic cultural significance but lacks pro-trader tooling.

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