Behind every new crypto project is an opportunity... or a trap.

In the world of cryptocurrencies, good intentions and even a beautiful website are not enough. Many projects are built to look convincing, but they contain intricate deceptive mechanisms that are difficult for a beginner to detect.

In this article, we reveal three common tricks that deceive new investors, leading to significant losses despite their belief that they are making smart decisions.

1. Unlocking the deposit and withdrawing capital

Some new projects appear trustworthy because they lock liquidity for a specific period, just like a bank deposit tied to a date. This gives an impression of security, but once the term ends, the team withdraws the liquidity and leaves the market without buyers. The result? You own a coin that cannot be sold, as if you placed your money in a fake bank that disappeared after unlocking the deposit. To avoid this trap, check the unlock history on sites like Unicrypt. If less than a year remains until liquidity unlocks, beware... this is an ideal environment for absconding with funds.

2. Absolute delegation to one person

Any project that grants a single person the authority to modify the smart contract is like a small company where the manager alone possesses the checkbook. This means they can print new coins, freeze wallets, or impose taxes on sales suddenly—without oversight. This type of complete control poses a direct risk to your money. On Etherscan, look for information such as owner or admin. The ideal solution? Powers divided among several parties using multi-sig or having the code be immutable.

3. Wash trading amplification

Some projects rely on bots that buy and sell with themselves to inflate trading volume. This is like a car dealer showcasing luxury cars in a showroom, but all the customers are paid actors; no one is actually buying. At the first attempt to sell, the price collapses because the real market is almost empty. To discover this, try executing a small test trade (e.g., 1% of daily trading volume) and monitor price slippage. Or use tools like Kaiko or DexTools to analyze the actual market depth.

For this reason, it is not enough to follow the trend or read the project's promises on Twitter. You need verification tools, a critical eye, and a mind that trusts only reliable numbers and platforms.On Binance, projects are vetted before listing... but outside of it, you are alone in the market. Understand the game before you become part of its losses.