How to spot a rug pull
No check can rule out a rug pull, but a short checklist removes the easiest ways to be trapped: whether the creator can mint more supply, freeze your tokens or pull liquidity, and how much supply a few wallets control. Run each check on the live token right before you buy.
The checklist
1. Mint authority: if it is still active, the creator can create new supply and dilute holders. See mint authority.
2. Freeze authority: if it is active, a frozen account cannot transfer or sell until thawed. See freeze authority.
3. Liquidity: check whether the liquidity-pool tokens are burned or locked, because otherwise the creator can withdraw the pool. See LP burn.
4. Holder concentration: Bubblemaps and similar tools show whether a few connected wallets hold much of the supply. See bundled launch.
5. Sell test: a honeypot lets you buy but not sell, and charts cannot show it. See honeypot token.
6. Creator history: GMGN's checks include the creator's previous launches.
What the checklist cannot catch
Each check closes one route. Burned liquidity does not stop a team dumping a large hidden supply. Jupiter's documentation also notes that anyone can create a token with any name, so confirm the contract address, not the ticker. Dedaub warns that a clean scan reflects the contract only at that moment, so re-check before trading.
Scanner output is a reference, not a verdict. GMGN states its checks cannot guarantee accuracy.
Habits that limit the damage
Size positions as if the pool could vanish. Check more than one scanner. Be wary of urgency from social posts or direct messages. See rug pull for how common these are on Solana launchpads. This is general information, not financial advice.
Where this shows up
- RugCheck — Solana memecoin traders who want a free, quick risk check (authorities, LP locks, insiders, holder concentration) before buying a token.
- Bubblemaps — Traders and researchers who want a quick visual check of whether a token's supply is concentrated in linked wallets before buying.
- GMGN — Multichain memecoin traders who want smart-money tracking and copy trading across a web terminal and Telegram bots.
- DEX Screener — Traders who want a free, multi-chain view of new and trending DEX pairs before they trade on a separate DEX, wallet or bot.
- Jupiter — Solana traders who want aggregated routing across DEXes with low or zero fees on major and stable pairs.
Sources
Last checked . Fees and terms change often; the venue's own page wins if it disagrees with ours.
- Risks and Limitations, Jupiter Spot (Jupiter docs) — checked 2026-10-17
- CA Security Checks (GMGN docs) — checked 2026-10-17
- Honeypot Tokens: What They Are & How to Spot Them (Dedaub Tok{In}) — checked 2026-10-17
- Freeze a token account (Solana docs) — checked 2026-10-17
- Bundle vs cluster (Bubblemaps) — checked 2026-10-17