# NFT gated chat: rooms that check the collection on-chain

> How NFT gated chat works on Cherry: Metaplex and Metaplex Core collection rules, a pasted Magic Eden link, background re-checks, no verify bot.


NFT gated chat is a group chat that only wallets holding an NFT from a named collection can read and post in. On Cherry (cherry.fun), a wallet-to-wallet messenger and community app for crypto, the app itself checks the wallet against the collection on-chain when someone joins and keeps re-checking members afterwards, so there is no verify bot, no verification site, and no re-verify DM. This page is for token teams, NFT collections and DAOs that want a holder room on Solana, or an ERC-721 holder room on Ethereum or Base, without standing up a Discord server and a gating bot.

## What NFT gated chat does on Cherry

An NFT rule on a Cherry group turns the collection into the membership list. As of 10 September 2026:

- Two NFT rules: one for standard Metaplex collections and one for Metaplex Core assets, which can match by collection address or by a shared update authority.
- The editor accepts a collection address or a Magic Eden collection URL, looks it up, and shows the collection's name and image under a "Verified" label before you save.
- Up to 5 rules per group, combined with all logic (every rule must pass) or any logic (one is enough). An NFT rule can sit next to a token balance, a `.sol` or `.skr` domain, a wallet balance or trading-volume rule, or a payment rule.
- The storefront at `chat.cherry.fun/@<handle>` lists the requirements with a Buy shortcut to Magic Eden for an NFT rule the visitor does not meet yet, and a signed-in visitor sees pass or fail per rule before pressing Join.
- Members of gated public groups are re-checked in the background. A wallet that no longer holds the NFT is paywalled, kept in the member list with content withheld, and restored when a later check passes.
- Asset-gated groups can be private. Paid groups cannot.

## How it works

The owner names the collection once; Cherry checks the chain when a wallet joins and keeps checking in the background after that.

### Step 1: the owner pastes a collection

In the group's settings, under "Access Requirements", the owner adds an "NFT requirement" and fills the "Collection" field, whose placeholder reads "Collection address or Magic Eden URL". The field takes a collection address or a Magic Eden collection link in the form `magiceden.io/marketplace/<slug>` or `magiceden.io/collections/solana/<slug>`. A moment after you stop typing, the editor shows the collection's name and image. A Metaplex Core collection gets a "Core" badge and switches the rule to the Metaplex Core check; anything else is checked as a standard collection. A valid address with no collection behind it shows "Collection not found".

For a Magic Eden link, Cherry finds the collection's on-chain address for you. It works in the other direction too: paste a bare address and the storefront still gets a "View on Magic Eden" link and a Buy button.

### Step 2: Cherry checks the wallet at join

When someone presses Join, Cherry reads the chain for their wallet and checks every rule on the group. The NFT rules sit next to the other rule types a group can combine with them:

| Rule | What it checks |
|---|---|
| NFT requirement, standard Metaplex collection | The wallet owns at least one NFT from one of the listed collections |
| NFT requirement, Metaplex Core ("Core" badge) | The wallet owns a Metaplex Core asset from the given collection, or with the given update authority, or minted by a given program |
| Token requirement | A minimum balance of an SPL or Token-2022 token |
| Domain | The wallet owns a `.sol` / `.sns`, `.skr` or AllDomains name |
| Payment | A one-time SOL entry fee or a recurring USDC membership, see [paid communities and channels](https://cherry.fun/learn/features/paid-communities-and-channels/) |

### Step 3: the eligibility preview

On the public storefront, a signed-in visitor sees each requirement as a chip: "To join you need" under all logic, "Meet any one to join" under any logic. Met rules show as passed; an unmet NFT rule shows a Buy button pointing at the collection's Magic Eden page. The Join button stays clickable throughout; pressing it with a rule unmet pulses the unmet rows and shows "Complete the requirement above to join" instead of starting the join.

### Step 4: the background re-check

Cherry keeps re-checking each member of a gated public group on-chain in the background. Members do nothing: there is no reconnect prompt and no re-verify link.

What happens when a holder lists or sells:

1. The NFT leaves the wallet, through a sale or a transfer.
2. A background re-check notices. It is not instant: the seller can keep reading for several days after the sale.
3. The member is paywalled. The wallet stays in the member list, keeps its role, and reads nothing until it holds again.
4. Recovery works the same way: a later passing check lifts the paywall.

The owner can skip the wait. Saving group settings with the "Apply to existing members now" switch runs an immediate forced check of every member and paywalls each one who fails it. Two carve-outs are deliberate: invited members are exempt from holdings enforcement (an invite is the admin's vouch), and a soulbound `.skr` domain is verified once and never re-checked, because it cannot be transferred.

## What is different from Discord with a verify bot

The Discord pattern puts the check outside the chat: a bot such as Collab.Land or Guild.xyz sends the member to a wallet-connect site, assigns a role when the wallet passes, and re-verifies on its own schedule, often by asking the member to reconnect. Membership lives in the role, and the role can drift from the chain. Fake screenshots and forged verify links are the known failure modes.

On Cherry the check and the chat are the same app. The gating rule is a property of the group: Cherry checks it against the chain when someone presses Join, the storefront shows the result before joining, and the background re-checks keep going after. A failed check paywalls the member rather than removing them, so a holder who sells and buys back is restored without asking anyone. The storefront is also a normal web page that search engines can index, which a Discord invite link is not.

Two other differences matter for NFT collections specifically. First, Metaplex Core has a rule of its own, so a Core collection gates a room the same way a standard Metaplex collection does, matched by collection address or by update authority. Second, the editor validates the collection while you type, so a room gated on the wrong address never ships.

## Who uses it and for what

Three setups Cherry sees from token teams, collections and DAOs.

A PFP collection makes a holder room. The team pastes the Magic Eden collection link, keeps the group public so the storefront works as a landing page, and adds "what you get" benefits. Holders join from the wallet they mint with, and the storefront's Buy button sends non-holders to the marketplace. A [DM to any wallet address](https://cherry.fun/learn/features/dm-a-wallet-address/) lets a mod reach a holder who has not joined yet, and an [airdrop campaign](https://cherry.fun/learn/features/airdrops-and-quests/) can use the same NFT-holder check for a claim.

A DAO runs a council room. The DAO issues a Core NFT to council seats and gates a room on that collection's update authority, so a new seat minted later passes without editing the rule. If the room must be private, the rule is kept on file and paused while members come in by invite; invited members stay exempt from holdings checks even after the room goes public, so a term change is handled by removing the member, not by the enforce-now check.

A collection sells an alpha channel. A channel is a broadcast-only group where only the owner and admins post. Gated on the collection NFT under all logic together with a monthly USDC subscription, it is a paid feed that only holders can buy; the holder side of the setup is on the [token-gated chat](https://cherry.fun/learn/features/token-gated-chat/) page and the billing side is on [paid communities and channels](https://cherry.fun/learn/features/paid-communities-and-channels/).

Two of the largest gated rooms on Cherry use the domain rule, the NFT rule's sibling. The Seeker Club, gated by a soulbound `.skr` domain, has 8,635 members, 58,180 messages and a 4.9-star rating from 41 reviews as of 10 September 2026; the [Seeker Club guide](https://cherry.fun/learn/guides/seeker-club/) covers joining it.

[Seeker Club on Cherry](https://chat.cherry.fun/@seekerclub)

The SNS Club, gated by a `.sol` domain, has 1,455 members as of the same date. The mechanics match an NFT rule: a wallet-owned asset, checked on-chain.

[SNS Club on Cherry](https://chat.cherry.fun/@sns)

## Limits and honest caveats

- Group chats are not end-to-end encrypted, by design, so moderation and bots work. DMs between wallets are.
- Background re-checks take time to catch a sale, so a seller can keep reading for a few days unless the owner runs the enforce-now check.
- An outage never paywalls anyone: if Cherry cannot read the chain at that moment, members stay in. The trade-off is that a seller keeps access until the chain can be read again.
- Private groups pause their rules. A private "NFT holders" room is an invite-only room whose invitees are exempt from holdings checks; the rule enforces only while the group is public.
- A Magic Eden link works only for a collection with at least one active listing. For a collection with none, paste the collection address.
- The Metaplex Core rule matches on update authority. A Core collection whose assets carry no collection authority needs the shared authority address or the minting program instead.
- On Ethereum and Base, Cherry gates rooms for ERC-721 holders. Everything above about Metaplex, Metaplex Core and Magic Eden is Solana.
- Clearing every rule from a gated group asks for explicit confirmation, so a gate cannot be removed by accident.

## How to start

1. Sign in at https://chat.cherry.fun with the wallet that will own the group.
2. Create a group, give it a handle (this becomes `chat.cherry.fun/@<handle>`), and open its settings.
3. Under "Access Requirements", add an "NFT requirement". Paste the collection address or the Magic Eden collection URL into "Collection" and wait for the "Verified" row to show the collection name. A "Core" badge means the rule type switched to Metaplex Core.
4. Add further rules if needed and set "How requirements combine" to all or any.
5. Set visibility. Keep the group public if you want the storefront, the Buy button and background enforcement; choose private for an invite-only room.
6. Fill "What you get" and the community rules, then share `chat.cherry.fun/@<handle>`. Signed-in holders see their pass or fail before joining.
7. Later, to re-check everyone at once, save settings with "Apply to existing members now" on.

Create your holder room at https://chat.cherry.fun.

## FAQ

**How does NFT gating work on Cherry?** The room owner names a collection. When a wallet asks to join, Cherry checks on-chain that the wallet owns an NFT from that collection: a standard Metaplex collection is matched by its collection address, a Metaplex Core collection by its address or its update authority. The join goes through only if the wallet holds one.

**Can I run an NFT gated chat without Discord?** Yes. A Cherry group is a standalone chat on web, iOS and Android. The gating check runs inside the app, so there is no Discord server, no Collab.Land or Guild.xyz bot, no verification site and no roles to sync.

**Do holders have to re-verify?** No. Cherry re-checks members of gated public groups in the background, so a wallet that no longer holds the NFT is paywalled, and restored when a later check passes. Nobody receives a re-verify DM.

**Can I make a private chat for my NFT holders?** Yes. An asset-gated group can be private. While it is private, the NFT rule is kept on file but paused and members come in by invite; flip the group to public and the rule enforces again. A paid group must stay public.

**What happens when a holder sells the NFT?** A background re-check catches the sale, though not instantly: a seller can keep reading for several days after the NFT leaves the wallet. The member is then paywalled and stays in the member list with content withheld. Buying an NFT from the collection again lifts the paywall on the next passing check. The owner can also force an immediate re-check of everyone from group settings.

**Does NFT gated chat work for Ethereum and Base collections?** Cherry supports NFT-gated rooms for ERC-721 holders on Ethereum and Base, and for Metaplex, Metaplex Core, SPL and Token-2022 assets on Solana. The Magic Eden link lookup and the Metaplex Core rule described on this page are Solana-specific.

**Can I combine an NFT rule with a paid membership?** Yes. A group can hold up to 5 rules combined with all or any logic, with at most one payment rule. A common setup is an NFT rule plus a monthly USDC subscription under all logic: hold the NFT and pay, or you are paywalled.

## Sources

- [Seeker Club on Cherry](https://chat.cherry.fun/@seekerclub)
- [SNS Club on Cherry](https://chat.cherry.fun/@sns)