Mint Validator#

Overview#

Mint validators (also called minting policies) control the creation and destruction of native tokens on Cardano. They define the rules under which tokens can be minted (created) or burned (destroyed), acting as a programmatic authority over asset supply management.

Real-world Use Cases#

NFT Collections: Regulate minting of unique, non-fungible assets with provable scarcity
Fungible Tokens: Create tokens with controlled supply mechanisms
Token Burning: Implement redemption or destruction policies
Evolving NFTs: Enable assets that can change state or properties over time
Multi-stage Releases: Control phased distribution of limited assets

Required Fields for Token Minting#

For mint validators, you need two key components in your transaction:

mint: An array defining what tokens to mint or burn
scriptInteractions: Specifies the validator hash, purpose, and redeemer

The policy ID in the mint array must match the validator hash in the scriptInteractions:

{
  "mint": [{ 
    "type": "plutus",
    "policyId": "policy_id_here",
    "assetName": "TOKEN_NAME",
    "quantity": 1,
    "metadata": { ... } // Optional token metadata
  }],
  "scriptInteractions": [{
    "hash": "policy_id_here", // Must match policyId above
    "purpose": "mint",
    "redeemer": { ... }
  }]
}

Note: For native scripts (non-Plutus policies), use type: "simple" in the mint array and omit the scriptInteractions entry.

PREREQUISITE: DEPLOYED SMART CONTRACT

Before you can interact with any validator, you must have a compiled and deployed smart contract blueprint. The validator hash used in these examples comes from your deployed blueprint.

Refer to the Blueprint Management guide for details on how to deploy your smart contract blueprint.

Mint Validator API Interaction Example#

Use the below examples to build transactions that interact with mint validators.

If you are unfamiliar with the Anvil API transaction builder, review the Transaction Overview guide first.

1. Minting NFTs (CIP-25 Standard)#

2. Minting Fungible Tokens (CIP-68 Standard)#

See Examples#

Mint with Smart ContractSimple Smart Contract - Time-locked minting with authorized signer