Crypto glossary
Mint and freeze authority
Mint and freeze authority are permissions on a token to create new units or freeze holders' accounts; traders check whether a new token still has them.
On Solana every SPL token has two optional authorities set at creation. The mint authority can issue unlimited new tokens; the freeze authority can lock any token account so its holder cannot transfer. Either can be set to none, which makes the token's supply fixed or its accounts unfreezable forever. EVM tokens have equivalents in owner or minter roles coded into the contract.
Memecoin traders on Solana check both before buying, because an active mint authority lets the creator print tokens and sell them into the pool, and an active freeze authority can stop buyers from selling. Launchpads such as pump.fun revoke both by default, and scanners and wallets flag tokens where they remain.
For regulated stablecoins and tokenised securities, keeping these authorities is normal: issuers must mint against deposits and freeze stolen or sanctioned funds. The same permission that is a red flag on an anonymous memecoin is a compliance feature on USDC, so what matters is who holds it and under what rules.
Example
A trader sees that a new Solana token still has freeze authority enabled and skips it, suspecting the creator could lock buyers' accounts.