diff --git a/backend/src/services/solana.ts b/backend/src/services/solana.ts
index ed5b00f..c9015f8 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/solana.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/solana.ts
@@ -56,37 +56,36 @@ export async function getTokenMint(): Promise<PublicKey | null> {
 
 		// Auto-create mint on devnet if authority exists
 		if (mintAuthority && RPC_URL.includes("devnet")) {
-			console.log("Auto-creating token mint on devnet...");
+			try {
+				// Fund mint authority with SOL first
+				const balance = await connection.getBalance(mintAuthority.publicKey);
+				if (balance < 500000000) {
+					const signature = await connection.requestAirdrop(
+						mintAuthority.publicKey,
+						2 * 1000000000,
+					);
+					await connection.confirmTransaction(signature);
+				}
 
-			// Fund mint authority with SOL first
-			const balance = await connection.getBalance(mintAuthority.publicKey);
-			if (balance < 500000000) {
-				console.log(
-					`Airdropping SOL to mint authority ${mintAuthority.publicKey.toBase58()}...`,
-				);
-				const signature = await connection.requestAirdrop(
+				const mintKeypair = Keypair.generate();
+				const mint = await createMint(
+					connection,
+					mintAuthority,
 					mintAuthority.publicKey,
-					2 * 1000000000,
+					null,
+					DECIMALS,
+					mintKeypair,
 				);
-				await connection.confirmTransaction(signature);
-				console.log("Airdrop complete");
+				cachedMint = mint;
+				console.log(`Token mint created: ${mint.toBase58()}`);
+				console.log(
+					`Add SOLANA_MINT_ADDRESS=${mint.toBase58()} to your .env to persist it`,
+				);
+				return mint;
+			} catch {
+				// Devnet faucet rate-limited, will use DB-only credits
+				return null;
 			}
-
-			const mintKeypair = Keypair.generate();
-			const mint = await createMint(
-				connection,
-				mintAuthority,
-				mintAuthority.publicKey,
-				null,
-				DECIMALS,
-				mintKeypair,
-			);
-			cachedMint = mint;
-			console.log(`Token mint created: ${mint.toBase58()}`);
-			console.log(
-				`Add SOLANA_MINT_ADDRESS=${mint.toBase58()} to your .env to persist it`,
-			);
-			return mint;
 		}
 		return null;
 	} catch (error) {