Introduction

Winning a coveted NFT on Solana often comes down to one factor: your priority fee. During high-demand mints, hundreds of wallets compete for the same blockspace in the same second. The right fee strategy determines whether you get the mint or miss out.

Hot Mint Strategy

For highly anticipated NFT drops, set your priority fee to the 95th percentile or maximum before the mint opens. The cost is typically under $0.05 and can make the difference between securing a rare NFT worth hundreds of dollars and missing the drop entirely. Pre-stage your transaction to minimize broadcast latency.

Secondary Market Trading

On Solana NFT marketplaces like Tensor and Magic Eden, listing and buying transactions also compete for blockspace during peak hours. For floor sweeps or sniping underpriced listings, the 75th–95th percentile fee level ensures your purchase transaction confirms before other buyers see the same opportunity.

NFT Mint Fee Checklist

1. Check the fee tracker 5 minutes before mint opens
2. Note the current 95th percentile fee level
3. Set your wallet priority fee to Max or Custom (95th+ value)
4. Prepare your transaction before the mint opens
5. Submit immediately when the mint is live
6. If stuck after 2 slots, cancel and resubmit with higher fee

Wallet Settings: In Phantom, go to Settings → Priority Fee → Custom. Set a value between 0.0001 SOL and 0.05 SOL for competitive mints. During extreme demand, consider up to 0.1 SOL — still a fraction of a valuable NFT's floor price.

Related Resources

• Priority Fee API
• Priority Fees for DeFi
• Reduce Failed Transactions