Token Standards
Compare NEAR's smart contract standards for fungible tokens, NFTs, and MultiTokens.
Beyond the native NEAR token, smart contracts can define their own tokens. NEAR provides standards for fungible tokens, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and MultiTokens, so wallets and applications can interact with them consistently.
Unlike native NEAR balances, these token balances and ownership records are stored in the token contract, which handles transfers and tracks each account's holdings.
| Token type | What it represents | Core standard |
|---|---|---|
| Fungible token (FT) | Interchangeable units, such as stablecoins or governance tokens | NEP-141 |
| Non-fungible token (NFT) | Individually identified assets, such as collectibles or event tickets | NEP-171 |
| MultiToken (MT) | Multiple token types managed by one contract, including fungible and non-fungible assets | NEP-245 |
Fungible tokens
Each FT contract tracks balances of one fungible token. Units of that token are interchangeable: transferring 10 units reduces the sender's balance by 10 and increases the receiver's balance by 10.
See the FT standard for the interface, or Using FTs for querying balances and transferring tokens.
Non-fungible tokens
An NFT contract tracks individually identified tokens and their owners. Each token has a unique ID within its contract and can carry metadata describing the asset it represents.
See the NFT standard for the interface, or Using NFTs for querying and transferring NFTs.
MultiTokens
A MultiToken contract manages multiple token types, each identified by a token ID, and tracks each account's balance for each ID. It can represent fungible, non-fungible, and semi-fungible assets in one contract and transfer multiple token types in a batch.
See NEP-245 for the MultiToken interface and extensions.