Guide · Create token

How to create an ERC-20 token

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

How to create an ERC-20 token. An ERC-20 is a smart contract on an EVM chain that tracks balances and allowances. Creating one is not “listing on Coinbase.” It is deploying bytecode, receiving a contract address, and then — separately — adding liquidity so anyone can swap it. XAUConnect’s Launchpad does the deploy step through TokenFactory: your wallet pays a small native launch fee, the factory mints the entire supply to you, and the token is a LaunchedToken — fixed supply, no owner mint, no blacklist, no transfer tax.

If factory contracts are not live on the chain you picked, the wizard still pins metadata and finishes in demo mode. Connect a wallet and pick a chain with a deployed TokenFactory when you want a real address.

What TokenFactory actually deploys

LaunchedToken is an OpenZeppelin ERC-20 + permit token. At construction it mints `totalSupply` (18 decimals) to you. There is no later mint function, no pause, no blacklist. The `creator` field and `metadataURI` (ipfs:// JSON for logo, description, socials) are recorded for provenance. That honesty is the point: traders on XAUConnect are taught to treat mint and blacklist hooks as rug surfaces. Bonding-curve launches use a different contract (`createLaunch` on Launchpad) and a different distribution model. This article is the standard fixed-supply path.

Wizard steps (Type → Details → Liquidity → Review)

Choose standard launch and an EVM chain (Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, Arbitrum, Base, Avalanche C-Chain). Name and symbol (1–12 characters, A–Z and 0–9). Supply is an integer of whole tokens; the app scales it by 18 decimals for the contract. Optional logo (under 1 MB) and socials get pinned with metadata when storage is configured. Liquidity settings (create pool, lock, lock duration, fee currency) are how you tell the world you intend this token to be swappable. A deploy with no LP is a contract sitting in your wallet. Traders cannot swap air.

What you sign and what you pay

The wallet calls `createToken(name, symbol, totalSupply, metadataURI)` and attaches native coin to cover the launch fee (on the order of 0.01 native in the default config; excess is refunded). You need gas on top of that fee. Ethereum mainnet makes experimentation expensive; Base, Arbitrum, BNB Chain, and Polygon are where most first tokens actually land. XAUConnect does not hold the supply. It lands in the connected wallet. If that wallet is a hot browser seed, you just minted a treasury onto a phishing target — use hardware for anything you care about.

After the receipt

Copy the token address from the explorer (BscScan, Basescan, Etherscan, …). Verify source if you can. Publish that address everywhere. Then add and lock liquidity against a real pairing asset (usually native gas or USDC). Until a pool exists, Swap will not have an honest route. Do a test buy from a second wallet and a test sell. If you cannot sell, you are not ready to tweet.

What this will not do

It will not register a trademark, get you a CoinMarketCap tick, or make XAUConnect “endorse” the token. Discover ranking is tape, not a rating. Clones of your ticker will appear; answer with the address.

Day-two operator checklist

Hardware the treasury. Lock LP with a public date. Test buy/sell from wallet B on XAUConnect using the receipt address. Pin that address. Do not add mint-by-upgrade later — LaunchedToken cannot, and if you migrate to a new proxy you created a new token. Budget explorer verification and a little native gas for the next month of LP maintenance. If demo mode returned only a metadata CID, you do not have an ERC-20 yet; switch to a chain with TokenFactory live.

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

What is the best way to create an ERC-20 token?

If factory contracts are not live on the chain you picked, the wizard still pins metadata and finishes in demo mode. Connect a wallet and pick a chain with a deployed TokenFactory when you want a real address.

Can I mint more later?

Not with LaunchedToken. Supply is fixed at deploy. If you need inflation, you are choosing a different, riskier design — and you should disclose it in huge letters.

Is this Solidity I have to write?

No. The factory deploys the audited-pattern token. You still must understand what you deployed: fixed supply to your wallet, metadata on IPFS, no admin mint.

Which chain should I create an ERC-20 on?

Where your buyers already hold gas and USDC. Cheap deploys without users are just cheap scams in their neighborhood. One home chain.

Can I create an ERC-20 on Solana?

No. Solana uses SPL / Token-2022. See the SPL creation guide. Launchpad’s factory is EVM.

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