risk-mgmt

Your first pre-trade rug check (Token Launch Scanner)

Run the 9-check safety scan before buying any new token

5 min per token · beginner

What you'll have when finished

  • Have one token scanned with full grade + verdict + per-check breakdown
  • Know how to read each of the 4 check states (pass/fail/warn/unknown)
  • Be honest about the scanner as ONE check, not the only check

Before you start

  • 9 of 9 passes does NOT guarantee no rug — sophisticated rugs use novel patterns the scanner cannot detect
  • CAUTION (amber) verdict is the highest-judgment zone — read the per-check breakdown carefully
  • Treat the score as a strong NEGATIVE signal (under 60 = avoid) rather than a positive signal

Walkthrough

  1. Find a new token you are considering buying

    Pick a token you have actually been thinking about — a memecoin trending in your Discord, a new launch you saw on Twitter, a Token Universe Scanner result. Copy its CONTRACT ADDRESS (NOT a wallet address) from DexScreener, Etherscan, or the project site.

    Success criteria: You have one 0x... contract address in clipboard

  2. Open Token Launch Scanner

    Elite → Token Launch Scanner. Paste the contract address into the input. Pick the correct chain (Ethereum / Solana / Base / BSC / Polygon / Arbitrum).

    Success criteria: Address field shows your contract; chain matches the network the token is on

  3. Click Scan token + wait 10-15 seconds

    First scan takes 10-15s (parallel on-chain reads + explorer calls + DexScreener pull). Subsequent scans of the same token use the 30-minute cache and complete in 1-2s.

    Success criteria: Result card visible with score + grade + verdict

  4. Read the headline verdict

    PROBABLY safe (green, 7-9/9 pass) = no obvious rug patterns. CAUTION (amber, 4-6/9 pass) = mixed signal, investigate further. AVOID (red, <4/9 pass) = high rug risk. NOT A TOKEN (gray) = you pasted a wallet address by mistake, find the actual contract.

    Success criteria: You can articulate which of the 4 verdicts you got

  5. Drill into the 9 per-check icons

    Scroll the result card. Each of 9 checks shows: green check (pass) / red X (fail) / amber triangle (warn) / gray question (unknown). Pay closest attention to RED X (hard fails) — these are patterns specifically associated with known rugs. Read the explanation under each red.

    Success criteria: You can name at least one specific check that flagged red (or confirm there were no red flags)

  6. If CAUTION verdict, judge each amber warning

    CAUTION means 1-3 warnings or fails. Common warns: ownership not yet renounced (LEGIT projects often do not renounce — Base ecosystem standard), liquidity locked < 6 months (could be intentional flexibility), holder concentration > 20% (could be team allocation). Each needs human judgment, not auto-rejection.

    Success criteria: You have a reasoned position on each amber warning

  7. Acknowledge before buying (if you decide to)

    If the scan looks acceptable AND you have done additional DD (chart, community, project Twitter), tick the acknowledgment checkbox at the bottom of the result. This is intentional friction — the platform makes you actively confirm you understand the scanner is not a guarantee.

    Success criteria: You have either acknowledged + are buying, OR you have decided not to buy based on the scan

What's next

You have one rigorous pre-trade safety check. Habit: scan EVERY new token before buying, even ones recommended by trusted sources. The scanner result joins your trading journal entry — write down the score + verdict + your decision. Over time, you build a database of "I scanned 50 PROBABLY safe tokens, 5 still rugged" — calibrating how much weight to give the headline verdict for your specific risk tolerance.