Permanent Burn Delegate

The Permanent Burn Delegate Plugin provides irrevocable burn authority that persists forever. The delegate can burn Assets even when frozen, making it ideal for games and subscription services.

Summary

The Permanent Burn Delegate is a permanent plugin that can only be added at creation time. The delegate can burn the Asset at any time, even when the Asset is frozen.

• Can only be added at Asset/Collection creation
• Authority persists forever (never revoked)
• Uses forceApprove - can burn even when frozen
• Collection-level: allows burning any Asset in the Collection

Out of Scope

Regular burn delegate (see Burn Delegate), conditional burns, and Token Metadata burn authority.

Quick Start

Jump to: Create Asset

1. Add PermanentBurnDelegate plugin at Asset/Collection creation
2. Set the authority to your program or delegate address
3. The delegate can burn the Asset at any time, even if frozen

Common Use Cases

• Game mechanics: Destroy Assets when items are consumed, lost, or destroyed in-game
• Subscription expiration: Auto-burn expired subscription tokens even if frozen
• Emergency destruction: Remove compromised or unwanted Assets regardless of state
• Crafting systems: Burn ingredient NFTs when crafting (even if locked)
• Time-limited assets: Automatically destroy expired content
• Compliance: Remove Assets that violate terms, even if owner tries to freeze them

Works With

Behaviours

• Asset: Allows burning of the Asset using the delegated address.
• Collection: Allows burning of any Asset in the collection using the collection authority. It does not burn all at once.

Arguments

The Permanent Burn Plugin doesn't contain any arguments to pass in.

Creating an Asset with a Permanent Burn Plugin

import { publicKey } from '@metaplex-foundation/umi'
import { create } from '@metaplex-foundation/mpl-core'
const assetSigner = generateSigner(umi)
const delegate = publicKey('33333333333333333333333333333')
await create(umi, {
  asset: assetSigner,
  name: 'My Asset',
  uri: 'https://example.com/my-asset.json',
  plugins: [
    {
      type: 'PermanentBurnDelegate',
      authority: { type: 'Address', address: delegate },
    },
  ],
}).sendAndConfirm(umi)

Common Errors

Cannot add permanent plugin after creation

Permanent plugins can only be added at Asset/Collection creation. You cannot add a Permanent Burn Delegate to an existing Asset.

Authority mismatch

Only the plugin authority can burn. Verify you're signing with the correct keypair.

Notes

• On creation only: Cannot be added after Asset/Collection exists
• Force approve: Can burn even when frozen
• Collection behavior: Can burn any Asset in the Collection individually
• Persists forever: Authority is never revoked
• Irreversible: Burned Assets cannot be recovered

FAQ

What's the difference between Burn Delegate and Permanent Burn Delegate?

Regular Burn Delegate cannot burn frozen Assets and is revoked on transfer. Permanent Burn Delegate can burn frozen Assets (forceApprove) and persists forever.

Can Permanent Burn Delegate burn frozen Assets?

Yes. Permanent plugins use forceApprove, which overrides freeze rejections. This is useful for game mechanics where items must be destroyable.

Can I add this to an existing Asset?

No. Permanent plugins can only be added at Asset creation time. Use regular Burn Delegate for existing Assets.

How does Collection-level Permanent Burn Delegate work?

The delegate can burn any individual Asset in the Collection, but not all at once. Each burn is a separate transaction.

Is this safe to use?

Use with caution. The delegate can burn Assets at any time without owner approval. Only assign to trusted programs or addresses.

Related Plugins

• Burn Delegate - Revocable burn authority
• Permanent Freeze Delegate - Permanent freeze authority
• Permanent Transfer Delegate - Permanent transfer authority

Glossary