Send a single token transfer with Light Token APIs with comparison to SPL. If the recipient is receiving this token for the first time, their token account can be created as part of the same transaction.
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
The light-token API matches the SPL-token API almost entirely, and extends their functionality to include the light token program in addition to the SPL-token and Token-2022 programs.
Your users use the same stablecoins, just stored more efficiently.
SPL
Light
Transfer
createTransferInstruction()
createTransferInterfaceInstructions()
Agent skill
Use the payments agent skill to add light-token payment support to your project:
Use createTransferInterfaceInstructions to transfer tokens between wallets. The method:
automatically derives Associated Token Accounts for the sender and recipient. If the recipient’s ATA doesn’t exist, the instruction to create the account is automatically added to the same transaction.
determines whether the sender’s account has a cold balance and adds load instructions if needed.
About loading: Light Token accounts reduce account rent ~200x by auto-compressing inactive
accounts. Before any action, the SDK detects cold balances and adds
instructions to load them. This almost always fits in a single
atomic transaction with your regular transfer. APIs return TransactionInstruction[][] so the same
loop handles the rare multi-transaction case automatically.
SDK 2.0 (@lightprotocol/token-interface) is the latest JavaScript SDK.
It has better API ergonomics, guarantees single-instruction loading, and is
compatible with KIT (the new Solana SDKs).
Instruction
SDK 2.0 (token-interface)
Action
import { Keypair, Transaction, sendAndConfirmTransaction,} from "@solana/web3.js";import { createTransferInterfaceInstructions } from "@lightprotocol/compressed-token/unified";import { rpc, payer, setup } from "../setup.js";(async function () { const { mint } = await setup(); const recipient = Keypair.generate(); // Returns TransactionInstruction[][]. Each inner array is one txn. const instructions = await createTransferInterfaceInstructions( rpc, payer.publicKey, mint, 100, payer.publicKey, recipient.publicKey ); for (const ixs of instructions) { const tx = new Transaction().add(...ixs); const sig = await sendAndConfirmTransaction(rpc, tx, [payer]); console.log("Tx:", sig); }})();
Compare to SPL
import { getAssociatedTokenAddressSync, createAssociatedTokenAccountIdempotentInstruction, createTransferInstruction,} from "@solana/spl-token";const sourceAta = getAssociatedTokenAddressSync(mint, owner.publicKey);const destinationAta = getAssociatedTokenAddressSync(mint, recipient);const tx = new Transaction().add( createAssociatedTokenAccountIdempotentInstruction( payer.publicKey, destinationAta, recipient, mint ), createTransferInstruction(sourceAta, destinationAta, owner.publicKey, amount));
Your app logic may require you to create a single sign request for your user:
Sign all transactions together
const transactions = instructions.map((ixs) => new Transaction().add(...ixs));// One approval for allconst signed = await wallet.signAllTransactions(transactions);for (const tx of signed) { await sendAndConfirmTransaction(rpc, tx);}
While almost always you will have only one transfer transaction, you can
optimize sending in the rare cases where you have multiple transactions.
Parallelize the loads, confirm them, and then send the transfer instruction
after.
Optimize sending (parallel conditional loads, then transfer)
---description: Integrate light-token APIs for stablecoin paymentsallowed-tools: Bash, Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, WebFetch, AskUserQuestion, Task, TaskCreate, TaskGet, TaskList, TaskUpdate, TaskOutput, mcp__deepwiki, mcp__zkcompression---## Integrate light-token APIs for stablecoin paymentsContext:- Guide: https://zkcompression.com/light-token/payments/overview- Skills and resources index: https://zkcompression.com/skill.md- SPL to Light reference: https://zkcompression.com/api-reference/solana-to-light-comparison- Dedicated skill: https://github.com/Lightprotocol/skills/tree/main/skills/payments- Packages: @lightprotocol/compressed-token, @lightprotocol/stateless.js- Import from @lightprotocol/compressed-token/unified for all interface APIsSPL → Light Token API mapping:| Operation | SPL | Light Token || Receive | getOrCreateAssociatedTokenAccount() | createLoadAtaInstructions() / loadAta() || Transfer | createTransferInstruction() | createTransferInterfaceInstructions() || Delegated Transfer | transfer() (delegate signs) | transferInterface(..., ownerPubkey, delegateSigner, ...) || Get Balance | getAccount() | getAtaInterface() || Tx History | getSignaturesForAddress() | getSignaturesForOwnerInterface() || Wrap SPL | N/A | createWrapInstruction() / wrap() || Unwrap | N/A | createUnwrapInstructions() / unwrap() |### 1. Index project- Grep `@solana/spl-token|@lightprotocol|createTransferInstruction|getAccount|Connection|Keypair|stablecoin|payment` across src/- Glob `**/*.ts` and `**/*.tsx` for project structure- Identify: RPC setup, existing token operations, payment flow, wallet signing pattern- Check package.json for existing @lightprotocol/* or @solana/spl-token dependencies- Task subagent (Grep/Read/WebFetch) if project has multiple packages to scan in parallel### 2. Read references- WebFetch the guide above — review Instruction and Action tabs for each operation- WebFetch skill.md — check for a dedicated skill and resources matching this task- TaskCreate one todo per phase below to track progress### 3. Clarify intention- AskUserQuestion: what is the goal? (new payment integration, migrate existing SPL payment flow, add alongside existing SPL)- AskUserQuestion: which operations? (receive, send, balance, history, wrap, unwrap — or all)- AskUserQuestion: instruction-level API (build your own transactions) or action-level API (high-level, fewer lines)?- Summarize findings and wait for user confirmation before implementing### 4. Create plan- Based on steps 1–3, draft an implementation plan: which files to modify, what code to add, dependency changes- Verify existing connection/signer setup is compatible (createRpc with ZK Compression endpoint)- Key pattern: import from `@lightprotocol/compressed-token/unified` for all interface APIs- If anything is unclear or ambiguous, loop back to step 3 (AskUserQuestion)- Present the plan to the user for approval before proceeding### 5. Implement- Add deps if missing: Bash `npm install @lightprotocol/compressed-token @lightprotocol/stateless.js`- Set up RPC: `createRpc(RPC_ENDPOINT)` with a ZK Compression endpoint (Helius, Triton)- Import from `@lightprotocol/compressed-token/unified` for the interface APIs- Follow the guide and the approved plan- Write/Edit to create or modify files- TaskUpdate to mark each step done### 6. Verify- Bash `tsc --noEmit`- Bash run existing test suite if present- TaskUpdate to mark complete### Tools- mcp__zkcompression__SearchLightProtocol("<query>") for API details- mcp__deepwiki__ask_question("Lightprotocol/light-protocol", "<q>") for architecture- Task subagent with Grep/Read/WebFetch for parallel lookups- TaskList to check remaining work### ResourcesGuides:- Basic payment: https://zkcompression.com/light-token/payments/basic-payment- Batch payments: https://zkcompression.com/light-token/payments/batch-payments- Payment with memo: https://zkcompression.com/light-token/payments/payment-with-memo- Receive payments: https://zkcompression.com/light-token/payments/receive-payments- Verify payments: https://zkcompression.com/light-token/payments/verify-payments- Verify recipient address: https://zkcompression.com/light-token/payments/verify-recipient-address- Spend permissions: https://zkcompression.com/light-token/payments/spend-permissions- Wrap and unwrap: https://zkcompression.com/light-token/payments/wrap-unwrap- Production readiness: https://zkcompression.com/light-token/payments/production-readiness- FAQ: https://zkcompression.com/faq- Sign with Privy: https://zkcompression.com/light-token/wallets/privy- Sign with Wallet Adapter: https://zkcompression.com/light-token/wallets/wallet-adapter- Gasless transactions: https://zkcompression.com/light-token/wallets/gasless-transactionsExamples:- All payments: https://github.com/Lightprotocol/examples-light-token/tree/main/toolkits/payments- Send (instruction): https://github.com/Lightprotocol/examples-light-token/blob/main/toolkits/payments/send/basic-send-instruction.ts- Send (action): https://github.com/Lightprotocol/examples-light-token/blob/main/toolkits/payments/send/basic-send-action.ts- Batch send: https://github.com/Lightprotocol/examples-light-token/blob/main/toolkits/payments/send/batch-send.ts- Payment with memo: https://github.com/Lightprotocol/examples-light-token/blob/main/toolkits/payments/send/payment-with-memo.ts- Receive: https://github.com/Lightprotocol/examples-light-token/blob/main/toolkits/payments/receive/receive.ts- Get balance: https://github.com/Lightprotocol/examples-light-token/blob/main/toolkits/payments/verify/get-balance.ts- Get history: https://github.com/Lightprotocol/examples-light-token/blob/main/toolkits/payments/verify/get-history.ts- Verify address: https://github.com/Lightprotocol/examples-light-token/blob/main/toolkits/payments/verify/verify-address.ts- Wrap: https://github.com/Lightprotocol/examples-light-token/blob/main/toolkits/payments/interop/wrap.ts- Unwrap: https://github.com/Lightprotocol/examples-light-token/blob/main/toolkits/payments/interop/unwrap.ts- Privy (Node.js): https://github.com/Lightprotocol/examples-light-token/tree/main/toolkits/sign-with-privy/nodejs- Privy (React): https://github.com/Lightprotocol/examples-light-token/tree/main/toolkits/sign-with-privy/react- Wallet Adapter (React): https://github.com/Lightprotocol/examples-light-token/tree/main/toolkits/sign-with-wallet-adapter/react- Gasless transfer: https://github.com/Lightprotocol/examples-light-token/blob/main/toolkits/gasless-transactions/typescript/gasless-transfer.ts