Never Share Your Seed Phrase or Private Keys

• These grant full access to your funds. No legitimate service will ever ask for them.
• Store offline (e.g., hardware wallet, steel plate).
• Avoid digital backups (screenshots, cloud storage).

Reject Opaque Projects

• “Why is the market cap up but my tokens worth less?”
• Silent Inflation = Your Loss(Secret token printing dilutes YOUR holdings.)

Watch for Phishing Attacks

• How It Happens: Fake websites, cloned apps, or fraudulent social media links.
• Bookmark official URLs (e.g., raydium.io, not ray-dium[.]xyz).
• Use anti-phishing tools like Pocket Universe for transaction previews.

Beware of Fake Wallet Apps

• Why: Malware-infected apps steal keys.
• Download wallets only from official stores (Google Play, Apple App Store).
• Check developer names (e.g., “OKX” vs. “OKX Wallet Pro”).

VC Traps Are Real

• VCs buy tokens cheap, pump the price, then DUMP on retail.
• You’re not “early”—you’re exit liquidity for insiders.

Value ≠ Price

• A token’s price can be manipulated (fake volume, hype bots).
• Real value = actual utility, not just a rising market cap.

Tech” is Just Marketing

• Fancy words (“AI blockchain”, “quantum-resistant”) ≠ real tech.
• Ask: Does this solve a real problem? Or just enrich VCs?

Super VCs = Super Risk

• Their goal: inflate hype, lock you in, then vanish with profits.
• Never trust a project because of “big-name backers”.

Testnets” ≠ Guaranteed Launches

• Projects hype testnet activity to fake progress.
• Reality check: 70% of testnets never go live. Always ask: “Where’s the mainnet?”

“Decentralized” ≠ Safe

• DAOs can still be controlled by whales or shadow devs.
• Check voting power distribution. If top 10 wallets hold >40%, it’s centralized.

Fake Volume = Fake Demand

• Wash trading inflates CMC rankings.
• Use Messari or Dune Analytics to track REAL liquidity.

NFT “Utilities” Are 99% Lies

• “Exclusive access” = Discord role no one cares about.
• Buy NFTs only for art, not promises.

“Cross-Chain” = Cross-Risk

• Bridging assets? You’re exposed to:
• Bridge hacks (e.g., Poly Network, Ronin)
• Wrapped token collapses (e.g., wLUNA)
• Chain-specific failures

“No Tokenomics” = No Investment

• If a whitepaper avoids supply details, it’s hiding inflation.
• Demand clear answers: Who owns reserves? Is there a vesting schedule?

“CEX Reserves” Can Vanish

• Not your keys? Exchanges can freeze withdrawals (e.g., FTX).
• Withdraw to self-custody wallets ASAP.

“Layer 1 Wars” Burn Retail

• New chains (Aptos, Sui, etc.) hype TPS numbers but lack users.
• Adoption > specs. No developers? It’s a ghost chain.

“Quantum-Resistant” = Marketing Jargon

• No blockchain is quantum-proof today.
• Assume all crypto is vulnerable. Diversify outside crypto.

“CEX Tokens” Are Conflicts of Interest

• Binance Coin (BNB), OKB, etc. – exchanges profit while you risk collapse.
• Never allocate >5% of your portfolio to exchange tokens.

Smart Contracts ≠ Smart Decisions

• Audits miss 60% of bugs (see Nomad Bridge hack).
• Assume all code is flawed. Never ape large sums.

“MetaMask Phishing” Never Ends

• Fake wallet drainers hide in Google Ads, Discord links, and “support” DMs.
• Bookmark legit sites. Never click random links.

KOL Hype ≠ Legitimacy

• Influencers are PAID to shill (often with free tokens).
• Ask: Would they promote this if their paycheck depended on its success?

“Partnerships” Are Often Fake

• Logos on a website ≠ real collaboration.
• Check official channels of the “partner” company. 90% are Photoshop scams.

Exchanges ≠ Safety Nets

• Listing on Binance/Coinbase doesn’t mean “approved.”
• Delisting happens overnight – your tokens could turn to dust.

FOMO is a Death Sentence

• “Last chance to buy!” = psychological warfare.
• Wait 24 hours before buying ANYTHING trending on Crypto Twitter.

Airdrops Are Bait

• “Free tokens” often require you to:
• Sign a malicious contract
• Pay gas fees to claim worthless coins
• Become a tax liability

“Governance Tokens” = Illusion of Power

• Voting rights ≠ control. VCs/whales own majority shares.
• Example: ApeCoin “governance” still follows Yuga Labs’ script.

“Migration” = Cover for Collapse

• New token? New contract? Often a trap to:
• Reset liquidity
• Hide exploits
• Dump on loyal holders

Social Media = Weaponized Hype

• Bots inflate engagement. Fake “communities” are paid actors.
• Check Telegram: Real users debate. Fake groups ban critical questions.

Closed-Source Code = Time Bomb

• No GitHub? Assume hidden backdoors for rug pulls.
• Open-source ≠ safe, but closed-source = guaranteed risk.

“Stablecoins” Aren’t Stable

• Algorithmic stables (e.g., UST) can collapse.
• Stick to audited, collateralized options (USDC > USDT).

Pre-Mine = Pre-Scam

• Teams keeping 50%+ supply? You’re funding their exit.
• Fair launch or no launch.

Your Exit > Their Roadmap

• Have a sell strategy BEFORE investing.
• Reminder: 95% of “5-year visions” die in 5 months.

“Forked Coins” = Recycled Scams

• Copy-pasted code (e.g., Bitcoin Gold, LitecoinCash) with zero innovation.
• If the whitepaper says “improved version of [X]”, it’s a cash grab.

“Burn Mechanisms” ≠ Deflation

• Tokens burned? Developers often mint more secretly.
• Track total supply, not burn wallets.

Over-Leverage = Suicide

• 100x futures? One 1% dip = liquidation.
• Trade spot. Leverage is a wealth transfer tool (from you to exchanges).

“Private Sales” = Public Dumps

• Seed/private rounds buy tokens at 90% discounts. YOU fund their profits.
• Assume insiders will dump at launch. Never buy IDOs.

“Community Mods” Are Paid Shills

• Telegram/Discord mods aren’t volunteers—they’re bag promoters.
• They’ll ban FUD, not answer tough questions.

Fake “CEX Listings”

• Scammers photoshop exchange logos to pump prices.
• Always check official exchange announcements.

“Zero Tax” Tokens = Honeypots

• Slippage-free trades often hide contract traps to block selling.
• Test with $1 sells before apeing in.

Multisig Wallets ≠ Trustworthy

• “5/9 signatures required”? If 5 are the CEO’s aliases, it’s centralized.
• Decentralization requires INDEPENDENT signers.

“Elon Tweets” = Pump & Dumps

• Celeb tweets are coordinated exit signals for whales.
• Buy the rumor, sell 5 minutes BEFORE the tweet.

“Decentralized Identity” ≠ Privacy

• Projects selling “DID solutions” often track and monetize your data.
• Use privacy coins (Monero, Zcash) for real anonymity.

“Insurance Funds” Are Illusions

• Protocols claiming “treasury backing” hold worthless native tokens.
• Real insurance = off-chain assets (cash, BTC).

“Cross-Chain Dex” = Attack Vectors

• THORChain, AnySwap… bridges are hackers’ favorite targets.
• Use native chain DEXs when possible (Uniswap, PancakeSwap).

“No-Loss Lotteries” = Slow Rug Pulls

• Your capital is “safe”, but inflation erodes its value.
• Compound interest > gimmicks.

You’re the Product

• Your data, liquidity, and attention are sold to the highest bidder.
• Ad-blockers + privacy wallets = survival tools.

“Anonymous Nodes” = Shadow Control

• If a blockchain’s nodes are run exclusively by the team, it’s centralized theater.
• Real decentralization requires public node participation (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum).

“Free Gas” Promises Are Lies

• “No transaction fees!” = Costs hidden in token inflation or backdoor taxes.
• Use chains with transparent fee structures (ETH, SOL, AVAX).

“Layer 2” Hype Masks Risks

• Arbitrum/Optimism bridges can fail. zk-Rollups have unproven security.
• Never put all funds on L2s. Keep a vault on Ethereum mainnet.

“Algorithmic Stables” Are Time Bombs

• UST 2.0? It’s just another death spiral with extra steps.
• Only trust collateral-backed stables (USDC, DAI).

“Whale Games” Drain Retail

• Big wallets pump & dump micro-cap coins in minutes.
• Use Etherscan to track whale wallets. If they’re buying, prepare to sell.

“Discord Raids” Mean Collapse

• Sudden server deletion or mod exodus? The rug is pulled.
• Join Telegram backups. Dead Discord = dead project.

“Fake Milestones”

• “Mainnet launch” that’s just a rebranded testnet.
• Verify blockchain explorers. Real mainnets have independent nodes.

“Copycat NFTs” Steal Value

• Bored Ape clones dilute the market. Originality matters.
• Invest only in NFTs with verifiable IP rights.

“Yield Aggregators” Amplify Risk

• Auto-compounding platforms get hacked (e.g., Yearn vault exploits).
• Manual farming > “set and forget” strategies.

“Influencer DAOs” = Pump Groups

• Groups like “MoonDAO” exist to coordinate dumps on followers.
• Real DAOs solve problems, not manipulate markets.

“Celebrity Coins” Are Legalized Scams

• Logan Paul, Soulja Boy tokens? 100% exit liquidity traps.
• Celebs can’t code. They hire devs to rob you.

“Fake Decentralization”

• “Governance tokens” with team-controlled multisigs.
• Check governance proposals. No real votes? Centralized dictatorship.

“Cross-Chain Hype” = Multi-Chain Risk

• Projects claiming to “connect all blockchains” often collapse under complexity (e.g., Anyswap hacks).
• Stick to chains with proven security. Interoperability ≠ innovation.

“Infinite Tokenomics”

• “Unlimited supply” coins (e.g., DOGE) are inflation machines.
• Scarcity = value. No cap? No investment.

“Fake Backers”

• Teams listing “investors” like Sequoia or a16z without proof.
• Demand verifiable funding announcements. No SEC filings? Lies.

“Stablecoin Pegs” Are Fragile

• Deviations over 1% signal panic (e.g., USDT depegs).
• Diversify stables. Never trust a single issuer.

“Influencer Collusion”

• Groups of YouTubers/Twitter gurus coordinate pumps.
• If 5 influencers shill the same coin in 24hrs, it’s a trap.

“Fake Ecosystem Growth”

• “100 dApps launching!” – all are ghost projects.
• Real ecosystems have active users, not just logos

“Rentable Hashrate” Scams

• Cloud mining contracts that never pay out (e.g., BitClub Network).
• Mine directly or avoid. Middlemen = thieves

“Sybil Attacks” Inflate Communities

• One person controlling 1000 Discord accounts.
• Check user join dates. Mass same-day joins = bots.

“Fake Technical Breakthroughs”

• “Quantum-proof blockchain!” – zero peer-reviewed papers.
• Academic partnerships ≠ real tech. Demand code, not jargon.

“Predatory Stable Loans”

• Protocols offering “low collateral” loans liquidate you during volatility.
• Overcollateralize or avoid. AAVE/Compound > shady DeFi.

“Fake Decentralized Exchanges”

• Cloned Uniswap interfaces with wallet drainers embedded.
• Bookmark DEX URLs. Never Google “Uniswap”.

“NFT Royalty Lies”

• Projects promise creator royalties but disable them post-mint.
• Verify smart contracts. OpenSea ≠ enforceable rules.

“Virtual VCs”

• Fake venture funds (“CryptoAlpha Capital”) pumping exit scams.
• Real VCs have LinkedIn profiles, portfolios, and audits.

Harsh Truth:
Crypto’s golden rule is “There are no rules”. Adapt or get erased.