Photon
 | |
| type | trading terminal |
|---|---|
| launched | 2023 |
| website | photon-sol.tinyastro.io |
Photon is a browser based Solana trading terminal operated by Tiny Astro that became the dominant memecoin trading interface of the 2024 cycle.
Function
Photon is a browser based trading terminal for Solana tokens, operated by Tiny Astro at photon-sol.tinyastro.io. It combines token discovery feeds, live charts, and rapid order execution in a single interface, with embedded wallets so users can trade without signing each transaction in an external wallet. Its discovery screen, known as Memescope, streams newly created tokens from pump.fun and other launchpads through configurable filters. Reviews citing the platform's own documentation report a flat fee of 1 percent on every buy and every sell, with no volume tiers, plus normal Solana network fees and optional priority fee or Jito tips for faster inclusion.
Use in the trenches
During 2024 Photon was the default terminal of the Solana trenches. Traders used it for sniping fresh pump.fun launches, watching tokens approach graduation, executing instant sells during volatility, and following flagged wallets as a lightweight wallet tracker. Its speed relative to Telegram bots such as BonkBot and Trojan made it the standard recommendation for new memecoin traders for much of that year, before Axiom and GMGN took over most of the flow.
History
Tiny Astro was founded in 2022 as an NFT rarity and sniping analytics company, incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, and pivoted toward on chain token trading with Photon. Photon came online in 2023, with several profiles dating its wide launch to January 2024. Third party trackers credit it with more than 1.3 million registered users and over 40 billion dollars in Solana trading volume. According to DefiLlama fee data cited in an August 2026 review, Photon collected roughly 440 million dollars in lifetime fees, peaking at 84.6 million dollars in the single month of January 2025 before losing most of its market share to newer terminals.
Status in 2026
Photon remains online and functional in 2026 but is well past its peak, holding a low single digit share of trading terminal fee revenue in mid 2026 according to DefiLlama data cited by reviewers. It is frequently described as the terminal that defined the 2024 meta and was then outcompeted on fees and features.