Details
Programs & Operations
Last updated March 4, 2026
The Metaplex Skill covers five programs across CLI, Umi SDK, and Kit SDK. This page provides a detailed breakdown of what each program supports and when to use it.
Summary
The Metaplex Skill provides AI agents with knowledge of five Metaplex programs and their available tooling across CLI, Umi SDK, and Kit SDK.
- All five programs (Core, Token Metadata, Bubblegum, Candy Machine, Genesis) support both CLI and Umi SDK
- Kit SDK is available for Token Metadata only
- The
mplxCLI handles most operations without writing code - Use this page to determine which program and tooling approach fits your task
Program Coverage
| Program | CLI | Umi SDK | Kit SDK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | Yes | Yes | — |
| Token Metadata | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bubblegum | Yes | Yes | — |
| Candy Machine | Yes | Yes | — |
| Genesis | Yes | Yes | — |
Core
The next-generation NFT standard on Solana. Core NFTs are significantly cheaper than Token Metadata NFTs and support a plugin system for royalty enforcement, freeze delegates, attributes, and more.
CLI (mplx core): Create and update collections and assets, manage plugins.
Umi SDK: Full programmatic access including fetches by owner/collection/creator, plugin configuration, and delegate management.
Token Metadata
The original Metaplex NFT standard. Supports fungible tokens, NFTs, Programmable NFTs (pNFTs), and editions.
CLI (mplx tm): Create fungible tokens, NFTs, pNFTs, and editions. Transfer and burn assets.
Umi SDK: Full programmatic access to all Token Metadata operations.
Kit SDK: Token Metadata operations using @solana/kit with minimal dependencies. Useful when you want to avoid the Umi framework.
Bubblegum (Compressed NFTs)
Create NFTs at massive scale using Merkle trees for state compression. Compressed NFTs cost a fraction of traditional NFTs after the initial tree creation.
CLI (mplx bg): Create Merkle trees, mint cNFTs (batch limit ~100), fetch, update, transfer, and burn.
Umi SDK: Full programmatic access. Use the SDK for batches larger than ~100 or for DAS API queries.
Compressed NFT operations require a DAS-enabled RPC endpoint. Standard Solana RPC endpoints do not support the Digital Asset Standard API needed for cNFT operations.
Candy Machine
Deploy NFT drops with configurable minting rules (guards). Guards control who can mint, when, at what price, and how many.
CLI (mplx cm): Set up Candy Machine configuration, insert items, and deploy. Minting requires the SDK.
Umi SDK: Full programmatic access including minting operations and guard configuration.
Genesis
Token launch protocol with fair distribution and automatic liquidity graduation to Raydium.
CLI (mplx genesis): Create and manage token launches.
Umi SDK: Full programmatic access for creating and managing token launches.
CLI Capabilities
The mplx CLI can handle most Metaplex operations directly without writing code:
| Task | CLI Support |
|---|---|
| Create fungible token | Yes |
| Create Core NFT/Collection | Yes |
| Create TM NFT/pNFT | Yes |
| Transfer TM NFTs | Yes |
| Transfer fungible tokens | Yes |
| Transfer Core NFTs | SDK only |
| Upload to Irys | Yes |
| Candy Machine drop | Yes (setup/config/insert — minting requires SDK) |
| Compressed NFTs (cNFTs) | Yes (batch limit ~100, use SDK for larger) |
| Check SOL balance / Airdrop | Yes |
| Query assets by owner/collection | SDK only (DAS API) |
| Token launch (Genesis) | Yes |
Decision Guide
Use the following guidance to choose the right program and tooling for your task.
NFTs: Core vs Token Metadata
| Choose | When |
|---|---|
| Core | New NFT projects, lower cost, plugins, royalty enforcement |
| Token Metadata | Existing TM collections, need editions, pNFTs for legacy compatibility |
When to Use Compressed NFTs
Use Bubblegum when minting thousands or more NFTs at minimal cost. The upfront cost is the Merkle tree creation; after that, each mint costs only the transaction fee.
When to Use Candy Machine
Use Core Candy Machine for NFT drops where you need to control minting rules — allowlists, start/end dates, mint limits, payment tokens, and more.
Fungible Tokens
Always use Token Metadata for fungible tokens.
Token Launches
Use Genesis for token generation events with fair distribution mechanics and automatic Raydium liquidity graduation.
CLI vs SDK
| Choose | When |
|---|---|
| CLI | Default choice — direct execution, no code needed |
| Umi SDK | You need code, or the operation isn't supported by CLI |
| Kit SDK | You specifically use @solana/kit and want minimal dependencies (Token Metadata only) |
Notes
- Compressed NFT (Bubblegum) operations require a DAS-enabled RPC endpoint; standard Solana RPC does not support the Digital Asset Standard API
- Candy Machine minting requires the SDK — the CLI handles setup, configuration, and item insertion only
- Core NFT transfers are SDK-only and not available via the CLI
- Querying assets by owner or collection requires the DAS API (SDK only)
- Kit SDK support is limited to Token Metadata; all other programs use Umi