Honeypot Detection

Research on crypto honeypots - contracts that allow token purchases but prevent selling, trapping investors.

Technical Analysis

Based on smart contract analysis and documented cases. Educational purposes only.

What The Buyer Loses

The buy executes normally. The sell is what fails, so the loss is the whole position rather than a price move you can trade out of.

Common Methods

Transfer modifiers and dynamic blacklists

Types of Honeypots

Blocked Sale Honeypot

Most common: allows normal purchases but blocks all sales with errors or transaction reversions

Extreme Fee Honeypot

Allows sales but charges 90-100% fees, leaving virtually nothing for the seller

Locked Liquidity Honeypot

Removes liquidity after purchases, making any trading impossible

Common Malicious Patterns

onlyOwner Modifier in Transfer

Transfer function that only allows owner to make sales

Typical code: modifier that reverts if msg.sender != owner

Dynamic Blacklist

Blacklist that automatically updates to block sellers

Risk: Any buyer can be added to blacklist

Extreme Variable Fee

Sale fee that can dynamically change up to 100%

Method: setSellFee function that can be 0-100%

How to Identify Honeypots

🚨 Warning Signs

  • • Only creator can sell
  • • Sale fees over 50%
  • • Transfer function with restrictions
  • • Owner-modifiable blacklist
  • • No liquidity on DEX

⚠️ Recommended Tests

  • • Simulate sale before buying
  • • Verify real liquidity
  • • Review sale history
  • • Analyze contract code
  • • Use detection tools

Protection and Verification

Before investing, always verify you can sell the token:

Manual Verification:
  • • Simulate sale on testnet
  • • Verify available liquidity
  • • Review transaction fees
  • • Analyze transfer function
Automated Tools:
  • • Online honeypot detectors
  • • Automatic code analysis
  • • Trading simulators
  • • Liquidity verifiers
Golden Rule: If you can't find evidence of successful sales from other users, consider the token a potential honeypot.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Honeypot Detection