Skip to main content
// Compress SPL tokens to compressed tokens
const compressionSignature = await compress(
    rpc,
    payer,
    mint, // SPL mint with token pool for compression
    amount,
    payer, // owner of SPL tokens
    tokenAccount.address, // source SPL token account (sourceTokenAccount parameter)
    recipient, // recipient owner address (toAddress parameter)
);
Function Difference and Best Practice:
  • compress(amount, sourceTokenAccount, toAddress) compresses specific amounts from source to a specified recipient. Use for transfers and precise amounts.
  • compressSplTokenAccount(tokenAccount, remainingAmount) compresses the entire SPL token account balance minus optional remaining amount only to the same owner. Use to migrate complete token accounts with optional partial retention. Here is how.

​
Get Started

1

​
Compress / Decompress Tokens

Install packages in your working directory:
npm install @lightprotocol/stateless.js@alpha \
            @lightprotocol/compressed-token@alpha
Install the CLI globally:
npm install -g @lightprotocol/zk-compression-cli@alpha

# start local test-validator in a separate terminal
light test-validator
In the code examples, use createRpc() without arguments for localnet.
Before we can compress or decompresss, we need:
  • An SPL mint with a token pool for compression. This token pool can be created for new SPL mints via createMint() or added to existing SPL mints via createTokenPool().
  • For compress() SPL tokens in an Associated Token Account, or
  • For decompress() compressed token accounts with sufficient balance.
import "dotenv/config";
import { Keypair } from "@solana/web3.js";
import { createRpc } from "@lightprotocol/stateless.js";
import { createMint, mintTo, decompress, compress } from "@lightprotocol/compressed-token";
import { createAssociatedTokenAccount } from "@solana/spl-token";
import { homedir } from "os";
import { readFileSync } from "fs";

// devnet:
const RPC_URL = `https://devnet.helius-rpc.com?api-key=${process.env.API_KEY!}`;
// localnet:
// const RPC_URL = undefined;
const payer = Keypair.fromSecretKey(
    new Uint8Array(
        JSON.parse(readFileSync(`${homedir()}/.config/solana/id.json`, "utf8"))
    )
);

(async function () {
    // devnet:
    const rpc = createRpc(RPC_URL);
    // localnet:
    // const rpc = createRpc();

    // Setup: Get SPL tokens (needed to compress)
    const { mint } = await createMint(rpc, payer, payer.publicKey, 9);
    const splAta = await createAssociatedTokenAccount(rpc, payer, mint, payer.publicKey);
    await mintTo(rpc, payer, mint, payer.publicKey, payer, 1_000_000_000);
    await decompress(rpc, payer, mint, 1_000_000_000, payer, splAta);

    // Compress SPL tokens
    const recipient = Keypair.generate();
    const tx = await compress(rpc, payer, mint, 500_000_000, payer, splAta, recipient.publicKey);

    console.log("Mint:", mint.toBase58());
    console.log("Tx:", tx);
})();
Make sure the SPL mint has a token pool for compression.
The script creates this token pool for you.For development, you can create a new mint with token pool via createMint() or add a token pool to an existing mint via createTokenPool().

​
Troubleshooting

Check your balances before operations:
// For decompression - check compressed balance
const compressedAccounts = await rpc.getCompressedTokenAccountsByOwner(
    owner.publicKey,
    { mint }
);
const compressedBalance = compressedAccounts.items.reduce(
    (sum, account) => sum.add(account.parsed.amount),
    new BN(0)
);

// For compression - check SPL token balance
const tokenBalance = await rpc.getTokenAccountBalance(tokenAccount);
const splBalance = new BN(tokenBalance.value.amount);

console.log("Can decompress up to:", compressedBalance.toString());
console.log("Can compress up to:", splBalance.toString());
Ensure the signer owns the tokens being decompressed/compressed:
// The owner parameter must be the actual owner
const decompressTx = await decompress(
    rpc,
    payer, // can be different (pays fees)
    mint,
    amount,
    actualOwner, // must own compressed tokens
    destinationAta,
);

const compressTx = await compress(
    rpc,
    payer, // can be different (pays fees)
    mint,
    amount,
    actualOwner, // must own SPL tokens
    sourceAta,
    recipient,
);

​
Advanced Configuration

Compress tokens directly to someone else:
const recipientWallet = new PublicKey("RECIPIENT_WALLET_ADDRESS");

// Compress your SPL tokens to recipient
const compressTx = await compress(
    rpc,
    payer,
    mint,
    amount,
    tokenOwner, // current owner signs
    tokenAccount, // your token account
    recipientWallet, // recipient gets compressed tokens
);
Compress multiple token accounts:
// Compress to multiple recipients at once
const recipients = [recipient1.publicKey, recipient2.publicKey, recipient3.publicKey];
const amounts = [1_000_000_000, 2_000_000_000, 500_000_000]; // Different amounts

const batchCompressTx = await compress(
    rpc,
    payer,
    mint,
    amounts, // Array of amounts
    owner,
    tokenAccount,
    recipients, // Array of recipients
);

console.log("Batch compression completed:", batchCompressTx);
Decompress tokens using delegate authority:
import { decompressDelegated } from '@lightprotocol/compressed-token';
import { getAssociatedTokenAddress, TOKEN_PROGRAM_ID } from '@solana/spl-token';

// Get ATA for decompressed tokens
const ataAddress = await getAssociatedTokenAddress(
    mint,
    recipient,
    false,
    TOKEN_PROGRAM_ID
);

// Delegate decompresses tokens
await decompressDelegated(
    rpc,
    payer,
    mint,
    amount,
    delegate, // Signer - owner of compressed tokens
    ataAddress, // Uncompressed token account (ATA)
);

​
Next Steps

How to Compress Complete SPL Token Accounts