Photon is a browser-based trading terminal for finding and quickly trading newly launched tokens, mainly memecoins on Solana. It is often called "Photon SOL" after its address, photon-sol.tinyastro.io 1. It is run by Tiny Astro Inc., whose terms are governed by the law of Ontario, Canada 4. You link a wallet, Photon creates a separate trading wallet for you, and you buy and sell with one click. Photon charges 1% of every buy and sell 23. It is a tool, not an exchange. Trades execute on Solana decentralized exchanges and launchpads.
The Terms of Use say Photon's website, apps and Telegram bots are created and distributed by Tiny Astro Inc. 4. The terms were last revised December 8, 2024. They require users to be at least 18, and they send disputes to individual arbitration, with Ontario courts for anything outside it 4. Photon does not publish founder names, funding or user figures on its site or docs, and we found no primary source for them. The official channels linked from the site are the X account @tradewithPhoton and the Telegram group "photonlounge" 1.
Execution settings. Photon's speed comes from transaction priority, not from better prices. Its "Smart-MEV" settings decide where a trade is routed 5:
Higher tips raise your cost per trade. Photon's FAQ also warns that clicking a quick-sell again while the first one is still processing can execute both orders 5.
Photon charges 1% of the SOL value of every buy and every sell 3:
On top of the Photon fee, you pay:
Photon's Ethereum documentation also states a 1% fee and says transfers between your own wallets are not charged 3.
Photon's trading wallets are not the wallet you connected. They are new wallets that Photon generates, and you see the private key once 2.
Our explanation of what this means: Photon executes one-click trades without asking your main wallet to sign each transaction. In practice, the platform can sign for those trading wallets. Treat them as hot wallets holding only what you are actively trading, not as long-term storage.
The terms say you alone are responsible for your keys, and the company cannot restore access to a lost wallet 4. Save the trading-wallet key when it is shown. If you lose it and Photon becomes unavailable, funds left in that wallet may be hard to recover.
Hacks in DefiLlama’s public database are also scored as the security record on the Photon rating page.
TradingHow to read a crypto chart: technical analysis basicsLearn to read a crypto chart from candlesticks to trendlines, with beginner-friendly technical analysis basics you can apply on any exchange.8 min read·
ExchangesCrypto Trading Fees and Spreads, ExplainedCrypto trading fees include more than the headline rate. Learn how maker-taker fees, spreads and network costs combine into what you really pay.5 min read·SecurityHow to avoid crypto scams: a safety checklistA practical, beginner-friendly checklist to spot and avoid crypto scams, from fake giveaways to phishing sites and rug pulls.8 min read·
RegulationBitcoin ETF Outflows Weigh on Market as Interactive Brokers Launches Ethereum StakingSpot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $65.4 million in net outflows as hawkish Federal Reserve comments pressured prices. Meanwhile, Interactive Brokers rolled out Ethereum staking for eligible US clients.4 min read·
MarketsCFTC Opens Retail Crypto Leverage Rulemaking as Bitcoin Holds Near $84KThe CFTC has begun a rulemaking on leveraged retail crypto trading, while Bitcoin hovers near $84,000 and traders wait for U.S. inflation data and the Fed’s October meeting.4 min read·
MarketsUS Moves $1B in Seized Bitcoin as Senate Scrutiny of Tether GrowsU.S.-linked wallets shifted 12,267 BTC from a Bitfinex hack seizure address without any exchange deposit, while Senator Richard Blumenthal pressed Cantor Fitzgerald over its Tether partnership.3 min read·
