A Solana meme coin can fail in ways you can see before you buy: the token is a copy, the liquidity can be pulled, or a few wallets hold the supply. This guide puts the check ahead of the purchase.
You need a Telegram account, at least 0.1 SOL, and a contract address from a source you trust. SOL is the one asset you fund.
The check in Step 3 looks for these five things.
Step 1: Create and fund your Solana wallet
1. Start the bot
Open t.me/BananaGun_bot and tap Start. Menu names can shift between bot updates, so if a label reads slightly differently, look for the closest match in the same menu.
2. Create a wallet
Tap Wallet Setup, then Create Wallet, and name it. The private key is shown once and Banana Gun cannot show it again, so store it offline before you close the message. To use a Phantom or Solflare wallet instead, tap Import Wallet and paste its private key.
Warning: whoever has the private key owns the wallet. Anyone with the key can move the funds, so keep it offline and paste it nowhere else.
3. Send SOL to it
Send /wallets to see the public key, then transfer SOL there from Phantom or an exchange. Fund at least 0.1 SOL, and keep at least 0.05 SOL spare to avoid Insufficient Funds. The full flow is in the first trade guide.
Step 2: Shortlist a token
1. Open the Trending page
Go to pro.bananagun.io, pick Trending and set the chain selector to Solana. The page is public and in beta; trading there needs a login. Treat it as a shortlist; the post on trending token tools explains how to read it.
Banana Gun Pro Trending page on Solana, 1H timeframe, with market cap, liquidity, volume and fees per token, 1 October 2026
2. Filter the list
Timeframes run 5M, 1H, 4H, 12H and 24H. Tap Filter to set maximum token age, minimum market cap, minimum liquidity and minimum volume.
Example: on 1 October 2026 the top 1H row was JANE, $928.5K market cap against $50.4K liquidity. A pool that thin gives a large buy more slippage.
3. Copy the contract
Each row shows a short contract such as 31eC...3H5h. Get the full address from the project's own channel, not from a name search, because copies share the same ticker and only the contract tells them apart.
Step 3: Check the token before you buy
1. Search the contract in RugCheck
Paste the full address into RugCheck. The report shows a RugCheck Score, a Risks panel and tiles for Markets, Insiders, Holders and Lockers & LP.
RugCheck report for Bonk on 1 October 2026: score 7, one risk named Mutable metadata, 2.1M holders
2. Read the risks before the score
Bonk shows one risk, Mutable metadata, and still scores 7 and reads GOOD. The score is a summary; the risk names are what you read. Then open Holders and Lockers & LP. Bonk shows 2.1M holders and "$58K · 15%" under Lockers & LP.
3. Know what the check misses
A checker reads the chain as it is now, not what the creator does next. Banana Gun's pre-trade sell check blocks tokens you cannot sell, but a honeypot check is not a rug check. Anti-Rug has a documented 80 to 85 percent success rate on the scenarios it targets, so in the other 15 to 20 percent it does not stop the problem. For a full contract walk-through, read how to read a token contract before you buy.
Step 4: Paste the contract and read the buy menu
1. Paste the address
Send the contract to the bot. A Birdeye, DexScreener or pump.fun URL works too. The menu lists Token, Token Contract, DEX, Market Cap, Liquidity in SOL, Price, Tax, Recommended Tip and Balance, plus links to Solscan, Birdeye, DexScreener, Dextools and Defined. Tax is the value at paste time.
2. Compare it to Step 3
Market Cap and Liquidity should be close to what the Trending page showed. If the DEX or token name is not what you expected, stop and re-check the address.
Step 5: Buy a small amount
1. Pick the size
Tap Buy and choose a preset or a custom SOL amount. Size it as money you can lose entirely.
2. Count the fee
Banana Gun charges 1% on Solana, per docs.bananagun.io. On a 1 SOL buy that is 0.01 SOL, and the sell pays 1% again. Every trade also earns Banana Bonus cashback.
3. Wait for Buy Success
Wait for Buy Success, then send /positions to see the holding. If the buy fails, raise buy gas (0.001 to 0.005 or higher), the MEV tip (0.001 to 0.005 or higher) or slippage for volatile tokens (5% to 10-30%).
Warning: slippage you allow is price you may pay. At 30% you can receive 30% fewer tokens than the quote, so change one setting at a time.
Step 6: Set your exit
1. Open the sell limit order
Paste the contract again and tap Setup Sell Limit Order. Set Tokens to the percentage to sell and Active to how long the order lives.
2. Choose take profit or stop loss
Pick Take Profit or Stop Loss, then trigger on Market Cap or Token Price percentage change. +100% is a 2x, +200% a 3x, +300% a 4x. The multiple is a target you set, not a forecast.
Example: you buy at a $150K market cap. A 4x needs $600K, so the take profit sits at +300%. Selling 50% at +100% returns your original stake before fees.
3. Add a trailing stop
Trailing Stop Loss raises its trigger as price makes new highs. Slippage can still fill a sell below your trigger, and a take profit that is never reached never sells. Manage orders under Limit Order Overview or Pending Limit Orders.
Why it didn't work
Quick recap
- Create or import a wallet, store the private key offline, fund at least 0.1 SOL.
- Shortlist a token on Banana Gun Pro Trending and copy its contract.
- Run the contract through RugCheck and read risks, holders and locked liquidity.
- Paste it in the bot and compare the buy menu to your check.
- Buy a small amount and wait for Buy Success.
- Set a take profit, stop loss or trailing stop, then check Pending Limit Orders.
Frequently asked questions
How much SOL do I need to buy a Solana meme coin?
Fund at least 0.1 SOL and keep 0.05 SOL spare to avoid Insufficient Funds. Banana Gun charges 1% on Solana.
Does Banana Gun check if a meme coin is a scam?
It runs a pre-trade sell check that blocks tokens you cannot sell, and Anti-Rug has a documented 80 to 85 percent success rate on the scenarios it targets. A honeypot check is not a rug check, so run a checker yourself too.
Why did my Solana meme coin buy fail?
The usual causes are low buy gas, a low MEV tip, or slippage too tight for a volatile token. Raise one at a time and watch for Buy Success.
How do I sell a meme coin I bought?
Send the contract to the bot, tap Setup Sell Limit Order, and set the percentage of tokens to sell. Your open holding is listed under /positions.
Open Banana Gun on Telegram and run your first buy with an amount you can afford to lose.
