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ERC-20 vs SPL token standards

Written by XAUConnect Labs · Reviewed against live product behavior · Updated August 2026

ERC-20 and SPL are how two different computers implement “a token.” They are not interchangeable files. You cannot send an ERC-20 to a Phantom address. You cannot approve an SPL mint in MetaMask. XAUConnect supports both as swap venues — EVM chains for ERC-20, Solana for SPL — and Launchpad currently deploys ERC-20s.

If you are choosing a standard to generate a token, you are choosing an ecosystem: wallets, gas, bridges, and scam neighborhoods. Pick one home before you print a second ticker.

ERC-20 in practice

Balances and allowances on Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, Arbitrum, Base, Avalanche C-Chain. Swaps often need `approve` then `swap`. Gas is the chain’s native coin. Addresses are 0x. LaunchedToken is this family.

SPL in practice

Mints and token accounts on Solana. No ERC-20 allowance; the swap instruction moves tokens. Simulation preview. Gas is SOL plus optional priority fee. Addresses are base58. Token-2022 adds extensions that can surprise routers.

Wrapping is not translation

A bridged ERC-20 on Solana is an SPL mint representing some other contract. A bridged SPL on Ethereum is an ERC-20 representing some mint. Those wrappers have extra risk. They are not “the same token” in a legal or practical sense until the issuer says the mapping is canonical.

Which should you create?

Create where users already swap. Solana if your distribution is Phantom-native. Base/BNB if your distribution is MetaMask-native. Both only with a real bridge plan. “We’ll do both tickers this weekend” is how you fund cloners.

How XAUConnect treats them

Same quote card idea: minimum received, fees, then a signature. Different wallets, different explorers, different failure modes. Use the chain-specific swap guides rather than mixing steps.

Bridges do not merge the standards

A “USDC” balance on Ethereum and a “USDC” balance on Solana are two implementations connected (when they are connected) by issuer or bridge machinery. Your ERC-20 approval on Base does nothing to an SPL mint. Your Phantom simulation does nothing to an EVM allowance. Choose a home standard for a new token based on wallets your users have, then document any wrapper as a wrapper. XAUConnect’s two swap stacks exist because the computers differ, not because we enjoy extra toggles.

Wallets are part of the standard

Picking ERC-20 means MetaMask/Rabby and 0x. Picking SPL means Phantom and base58. Support costs double if you pretend users will magically have both. Launchpad currently signs EVM factory calls. Solana creation stays on Solana programs. Teach one buy path well, then document any wrapper as a wrapper — never as “the same token automatically.” XAUConnect will not merge the two ledgers into one balance.

Legal

Risk disclosure

XAUConnect is a non-custodial swap aggregator. Digital assets are volatile and may lose value rapidly. Content on this page is educational and not investment advice. Verify every contract address on the official block explorer before approving a transaction.

Frequently asked questions

Is BEP-20 different from ERC-20?

On BNB Chain it is the ERC-20 interface. Treat it as ERC-20 with BNB gas and BscScan.

Can one Launchpad click do both standards?

No. Factory is EVM. SPL is Solana tooling.

Which is safer?

Neither. Permissions and liquidity dominate. Solana freeze vs EVM blacklist are parallel risks.

Can I swap ERC-20 to SPL in one signature?

That is a cross-chain bridge, not a standard conversion. Two wallets, extra risk, test small.

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