What is a honeypot token, and how to spot one
A honeypot is a token you can buy but not sell. How they work, the signs to look for, and how to check any token for free before you buy.
What a honeypot is
A honeypot token lets people buy but stops them from selling, or takes almost everything as a "tax" when they try. Because only buying works, the chart climbs steadily, which attracts more buyers. When the creators decide, they sell their own tokens and leave everyone else holding something worthless.
How the trap works
The contract decides who can sell. Common tricks: a blacklist that blocks every wallet except the creator's, a switch that pauses selling, a sell tax that can be raised to 99%, or a maximum sale size so small that selling is pointless. Some honeypots start normal and are switched on later, which is why owner powers matter.
Signs of a honeypot
Lots of buys and almost no sells in the trade history. A sell test that fails. A very high sell tax. Owner functions like blacklist, pause or tax changes that have not been removed. Liquidity that only the creator can withdraw.
Check before you buy
Paste the address into the DexGrade honeypot checker. It simulates a sale from ordinary wallets, reads the buy and sell tax, lists owner powers and counts the real wallets that sold. If selling looks blocked, the token is marked Danger and the reason is shown.