A rug pull is an exit scam where developers drain liquidity or dump token allocations after attracting investors. Three types: hard rug (instant liquidity removal), soft rug (gradual token dumping), honeypot (buy allowed, sell blocked).
Six critical signals to check before buying any new token: honeypot detection, mint authority status, liquidity lock, hidden owner functions, sell tax percentage, and source code verification.
CertiK reported 218 rug pulls in 2023 — $208M total losses. BNB Chain has the highest rate per deployed contract. Check your token below — free, no sign-up required.
Paste any token contract address for an instant analysis of honeypot risk, mint authority, liquidity lock, and hidden admin functions — across Ethereum, BNB Chain, Solana, and Base.
Check every new token against these 6 signals before investing any amount.
Signal
Risk
How to Detect
Honeypot DetectionCritical
The contract allows token purchases but blocks or taxes sells to 100% — buyers cannot exit their position.
Honeypot Detection
Critical
Simulate a sell transaction before buying. If it reverts or transfers 0 tokens back, it's a honeypot.
Mint Authority Not RenouncedCritical
The deployer can mint unlimited additional tokens at any time, diluting all holders and crashing price.
Mint Authority Not Renounced
Critical
Verify contract ownership is renounced (owner set to 0x000...dead) or minting is permanently disabled.
Liquidity Not LockedHigh
The deployer holds LP tokens directly and can remove all liquidity from the trading pair instantly.
Liquidity Not Locked
High
Verify LP tokens are locked via Unicrypt or Team Finance with at least a 6-month lock period.
Hidden Owner ControlsHigh
Admin functions like setMaxTx(), blacklist(), setFees() allow the owner to freeze trading or change taxes post-launch.
Hidden Owner Controls
High
Read the full contract source. Enumerate all onlyOwner functions — any that modify transfer behavior is a risk.
Excessive Sell TaxHigh
Sell tax can be raised via a setFee() function. Once high enough, accumulated fees become the effective rug mechanism.
Excessive Sell Tax
High
Check if an onlyOwner function can increase the fee without a cap. Above 10% is a yellow flag; above 20% is red.
No Verified Source CodeMedium
Unverified contracts cannot be audited — buyers have no way to know if honeypot or backdoor functions exist.
No Verified Source Code
Medium
Check the contract address on Etherscan/BSCScan/Solscan. Unverified after 24hrs = treat as suspicious.
Notable Rug Pulls
AnubisDAOOct 2021
$60M
Hard Rug
Deployer removed all ETH liquidity 20 hours after raising $60M
Squid Game TokenNov 2021
$3.38M
Honeypot
Contract blocked all sells — users could buy SQUID but never exit
Evolved Apes NFTOct 2021
$2.7M
Exit Scam
Developer disappeared with 798 ETH from the NFT mint proceeds
Frosties NFTJan 2022
$1.3M
Exit Scam
Devs abandoned project hours after mint. Two arrested by DOJ — first NFT rug arrest
Magnate FinanceAug 2023
$6.4M
Oracle Rug
Base chain: oracle manipulation drained lending protocol before audit report published
BALD TokenAug 2023
$23M
LP Drain
Base chain: deployer removed $23M in Uniswap V3 liquidity — no lock, instant hard rug
Rug Pull Checker — FAQs
What is a crypto rug pull and how does it work?
A rug pull is an exit scam where the creators of a crypto project abandon it after attracting investor funds and take the liquidity with them. Three main types: (1) Hard rug — developers remove all liquidity from the trading pool, crashing the token to near-zero instantly; (2) Soft rug — developers gradually sell their token allocation over days or weeks; (3) Honeypot — the contract lets investors buy but not sell, allowing the developers to drain the pool at their choosing. CertiK reported 218 documented exit scams and rug pulls in 2023 totaling $208M in losses.
What is a honeypot token and how can I detect one?
A honeypot token allows purchases but prevents or heavily taxes sells — trapping buyers in a position they cannot exit. The contract code typically includes a conditional check in the transfer() function that only allows the deployer address to sell. Detection: (1) Attempt a simulated sell transaction before buying — if it reverts, it's a honeypot; (2) Read the contract source code for conditional logic in _transfer() that differs between buys and sells; (3) Use token analysis tools that simulate sell transactions automatically.
How do I check if a token's liquidity is locked?
Liquidity locking means LP tokens are held in a time-lock contract, not by the deployer. Steps to verify: (1) Find the LP token contract address on the block explorer; (2) Check the top holders of the LP token — if the deployer holds LP tokens, liquidity is not locked; (3) If LP tokens are held by a locker contract (Unicrypt, Team Finance), verify the unlock date on their dashboard. Minimum acceptable lock: 6 months. Preferred: 1+ year or burned.
What is mint authority and why is it dangerous?
Mint authority is the permission to create new tokens on demand. In Solidity ERC-20 tokens, a mint() function with onlyOwner access means the deployer can increase total supply at any time. In Solana SPL tokens, mint authority is a first-class permission that can be set to null. An active mint authority allows the deployer to mint billions of tokens, dump them on the market, and dilute all existing holders to near-zero.
Which blockchains have the most rug pulls?
BNB Chain has historically had the highest rug pull rate per deployed token — driven by near-zero deployment costs, a large retail user base, and cloned DeFi contract templates. Ethereum has fewer rug pulls per token but larger individual losses due to higher TVL. Solana has seen increasing rug pull activity due to the rise of memecoin culture via pump.fun. The chains with the most documented rug pulls in 2023-2024: BNB Chain (most by count), Ethereum (largest by dollar), Solana (fastest-growing).
Written by Duron Epps, Founder of SmartContractAuditor.ai · Last updated July 2026