How to Use a Solana Trading Bot
A complete beginner's guide to memecoin trading on Solana.
Which Should You Start With?
There are two real starting points, and which one applies to you matters more than anything else in this guide:
New to crypto wallets
Start with Fomo. Sign up with Apple Pay, no wallet to set up, no bridging funds first. Skip to the Fomo section below, or read the full Fomo tutorial.
Already have a funded wallet
Or want the deepest analysis toolkit — use Axiom. The step-by-step below walks through it.
What You'll Need
This list is for the Axiom path below. Going with Fomo instead? All you need is a phone and an Apple or Google account — skip to the Fomo section.
- A way to sign in — an email address or Google account (Axiom creates a trading wallet for you), or a Phantom wallet if you already have one
- SOL for trading and fees — deposit it from an exchange or wallet, or buy it in-app through Axiom's Coinbase on-ramp
- A trading bot account — We'll use Axiom in this guide
Set Up Your Wallet
Two ways to get a trading wallet, and beginners should take the first:
- 1. Let the bot create it. Axiom creates a non-custodial wallet (secured by Turnkey) when you sign up with email or Google — you hold the keys, nothing to install
- 2. Bring your own. If you already use Phantom, you can connect it instead — create a fresh wallet in it for trading and securely save the recovery phrase
- 3. Either way, fund it with SOL — deposit from Coinbase, Kraken or similar, or use Axiom's in-app Coinbase on-ramp (up to $500 a week)
Pro tip: Create a separate wallet just for trading. Don't use your main wallet that holds significant assets. Trading wallets should only contain what you're willing to lose.
Choose a Trading Bot
Axiom is the deepest option, and the volume leader through 2026:
- • Web-based interface (no Telegram needed)
- • Clean, intuitive design
- • Deepest toolkit: Pulse, risk panel, bubble maps, trackers
- • Built-in token safety checks
See our full rankings for other options, or Axiom vs Fomo if you're still deciding between the two.
Connect & Sign Up
- 1 Go to axiom.trade (bookmark it for safety)
- 2 Click Sign up
- 3 Type
sellpumpin the "Invite code (optional)" field — it takes 10% off trading fees and can only be added at sign-up - 4 Continue with Google (easiest), use email and password, or Connect with Phantom if you brought your own wallet
- 5 Complete any account setup steps and fund the wallet with SOL
Referral link — SellThePump earns a credit if you use it, at no extra cost to you.
Make Your First Trade
Once you're connected, here's how to buy a token:
- 1 Find a token
Use the search bar to find a token by name or paste its contract address
- 2 Check the safety score
Axiom shows warnings if a token looks suspicious. Avoid tokens with red flags.
- 3 Enter the amount
Type how much SOL you want to spend (start small!)
- 4 Set slippage
For volatile memecoins, you may need 5-15% slippage. Higher = more likely to fill.
- 5 Click Buy and confirm
Approve the transaction in your wallet popup
Selling Your Tokens
Selling works the same way in reverse:
- 1. Click on the token in your portfolio
- 2. Click "Sell" and enter the amount (or use quick buttons like 25%, 50%, 100%)
- 3. Confirm the transaction
Pro tip: Take profits on the way up! Many traders sell 25-50% of their position when they're in profit, keeping the rest as a "free" position. Memecoins rarely hold their highs.
Or Start With Fomo (No Wallet Needed)
Everything above assumes you already have a Solana wallet. If you don't, Fomo skips that step entirely:
- 1. Sign up with your Apple or Google account — no seed phrase, no separate wallet app. Fomo creates a self-custodial wallet for you behind the scenes.
- 2. Add funds with Apple Pay, a debit card, or a crypto deposit. Whatever you add becomes USDC, which is what you trade with.
- 3. Find a token, or a trader to follow and copy, from the Feed or Leaderboard.
- 4. Tap Buy, enter an amount, and swipe to confirm. Selling works the same way in reverse.
- 5. Withdraw to any external wallet whenever you want — it's your money the whole time.
Use referral code iamsmart at sign-up for 10% off fees — it can't be added later. Full walkthrough: Fomo Tutorial.
Referral link — SellThePump earns a credit if you use it, at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Beginners
Start Small
Begin with amounts you're comfortable losing completely. This is gambling with extra steps.
Wait for the next one
If something has already pumped 1000%, you're probably too late. There will always be another opportunity.
Use Stop Losses
Set automatic sells to protect against major dumps. Better to take a small loss than a total wipeout.
Keep Records
Track your trades. You'll owe taxes on profits, and you can use losses to offset gains.
Common Questions
How much SOL do I need to start?
For the Axiom/wallet path, we recommend at least 0.5-1 SOL to cover trades and transaction fees — many traders start with $50-100 worth. On Fomo, there's no SOL requirement at all; fund with Apple Pay in any amount.
What are priority fees?
Priority fees are extra payments to get your Solana transaction processed faster. During busy periods, higher fees mean faster execution. Wallet-based bots like Axiom let you adjust these manually; Fomo handles it for you automatically.
Why did my transaction fail?
Usually it's slippage (the price moved too much) or insufficient fees. Try increasing your slippage tolerance or priority fee.
Is memecoin trading profitable?
It can be, but most traders lose money. The success stories you see are survivorship bias. Only trade what you can afford to lose completely.
Should I start with Axiom or Fomo?
It depends on whether you already have a crypto wallet. If you don't, Fomo is the easier start — Apple Pay, no wallet setup, no bridging funds first. If you already have a funded Solana wallet, Axiom's deeper analysis toolkit is worth the slightly steeper first step.
Referral link — SellThePump earns a credit if you use it, at no extra cost to you.
Bot-Specific Tutorials
Ready to dive deeper? Check out our detailed tutorials for each platform: