Presales are one of the most exciting parts of the crypto space. They offer early access to tokens before they hit exchanges, often at discounted prices. But with high reward comes high risk and unfortunately, scams and rug pulls are all too common.

After following the market closely, here’s my personal 5-step checklist I use before putting even 1€ into a presale:

✅ 1. Team Transparency

Is the team public and verified?

If a project hides who’s behind it, that’s a red flag. Look for:

  1. LinkedIn profiles

  2. KYC (Know Your Customer) verification

  3. Interviews or AMAs with founders

A strong, open team shows confidence in the project’s legitimacy.

✅ 2. Smart Contract Audit

Has the project’s smart contract been audited by a trusted third party?

Even promising ideas can fall apart without secure code. Check if they’ve published an audit report from platforms like CertiK, SolidProof, or Hacken. No audit? I skip it.

✅ 3. Tokenomics & Vesting

How is the token supply distributed?

Watch out for:

  1. Too many tokens going to the team or private investors

  2. No vesting periods (which can lead to dumping)

  3. Unrealistic promises (e.g., “10x guaranteed”)

Healthy tokenomics = long-term sustainability.

✅ 4. Community Activity

Is the community real or botted?

Join their Telegram, Discord, or Twitter and check:

  1. Are people asking real questions?

  2. Does the team respond clearly?

  3. Is there meaningful conversation, or just hype and emojis?

A strong community shows real interest and trust.

✅ 5. Utility and Roadmap

What’s the actual use case of the token?

Presales with only “staking” or “buy now” as utility are often short-lived. Look for:

  1. Real-world use

  2. Clear roadmap with milestones

  3. A working demo or MVP (minimum viable product)

Final Thoughts

Not every presale will be the next big thing. But with this checklist, you’ll avoid many of the obvious traps.

DYOR (Do Your Own Research) isn’t just a meme. It’s survival.

Would love to hear your thoughts. What do you look for before joining a presale?

Also, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on Solaxy, a new project I’m currently researching, in the coming days — stay tuned.

#presales #dyor #binance #SafetyTips #crypto