DEX RanksBlog · Last updated 2026-08-31
How to spot a rug pull
Check mint and freeze authority, LP, clustered wallets, and honeypot flags. A DexScreener checkmark is not safety. Neither is a DEX rank.
A rug is when the people who can still move the coin take the money and leave you holding it. Most “research” that matters is four checks: who can mint, who can freeze, where the LP sits, and whether the wallets are one cluster. A DexScreener checkmark is metadata. A DEX rank is a bid. Neither is safety.
The checks that actually fire
| Check | What “bad” looks like | Where to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Mint authority | Still live. They can print supply onto you | Solscan / Solana explorer. RugCheck. GoPlus |
| Freeze authority | Still live. They can lock your wallet so you cannot sell | Same. Solana docs call this freeze-account |
| LP | Not burned / not locked. They pull the pool | DexScreener pair → liquidity. Pad “LP burned” claim — verify |
| Wallet clusters | Top holders are the same person with ten addresses | Bubblemaps. Holder tab is not enough |
| Honeypot / tax | You can buy. You cannot sell. Or tax is 99% | GoPlus. A tiny test sell before size |
| Bundle / sniper share | First block is one desk. Chart is already cooked | GMGN / Axiom holder + sniper panels |
Solana vs Robinhood Chain
- Solana: mint + freeze are the classic kills. Pump.fun standard mints revoke both on deploy — still check. A custom mint can leave them on.
- Robinhood / EVM: look at owner, mint role, max tax, and whether the Uniswap LP tokens went to 0x…dead or back to the deployer. Pons 10% holder tax is a launch setting, not a hidden rug — Pons facts.
What is not a safety signal
- DexScreener trending or Boosts. DexScreener says boosts raise visibility, not quality.
- DexScreener Enhanced Token Info. Verification vs a DEX rank.
- A paid #1 on DEX Ranks. That is a dollar bid. We resolve the CA. We do not audit it.
- A Telegram with 40k “members.” Most are bots.
A 60-second pass
Open the pair. Check age, LP, and whether you can sell $5. Open Bubblemaps. Open GoPlus or RugCheck. If mint or freeze is live, you are renting the coin from the deployer. Tools list: best memecoin research tools.