A honeypot checker tells you whether a token can actually be sold before you put money in. Thor has one built in for EVM chains: open any token on Base, BNB Chain or Ethereum and the Security section on the token page shows whether it can be sold, its buy and sell tax, and any risky permissions, and Thor blocks trades on clear scams.
This guide explains what honeypots and token taxes are, how the check in Thor works, how to read the results, and what to check yourself, because no tool catches everything. If you are new to trading on these chains, start with the Base, BNB Chain or Ethereum guide first.
What Is a Honeypot Token?
A honeypot is a scam token that can be bought but not sold. The chart looks healthy, buyers keep coming in, and the price only goes up, because nobody except the creator is able to sell. When you try to exit, the sell fails or returns almost nothing.
On EVM chains a token is a smart contract, and its creator writes the rules for every transfer. That makes several tricks possible:
- Blocked sells. The contract lets buys through and makes sells fail.
- Extreme sell tax. The sell technically works, but the contract keeps most or all of what you sell.
- Changeable rules. The token looks fine at launch, and the owner changes the tax or blocks selling later.
All three end the same way: your money goes in and does not come back out.
Is This Token a Honeypot? How Thor Checks It
On EVM chains, Thor runs a security check on each token. According to Trading safely, it does three things:
| Check | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Honeypot test | Whether the token can be sold |
| Buy and sell tax | How much of each buy and each sell the token takes |
| Permissions | Whether the contract has risky permissions |
On top of that, trades on clear scams are blocked. You do not need to copy the address into a separate website: the check is part of the token page in the bot and the Mini App.
The check works on the EVM chains Thor supports. See Supported chains and markets for the full list.
How to Run a Honeypot Check in Thor
- Switch the chain pill to the EVM chain the token lives on, for example Base or BNB Chain.
- Paste the token address into the bot chat, or open Search in the Mini App. DexScreener and block explorer links work too. See Find a token.
- If the same address shows up on several chains, pick the one you mean. Matches on other chains show their chain.
- On the token page, read the Security section. See The token page.
- Only then choose an amount and buy.
Warning: If Auto buy is on, pasting an address in the bot chat buys straight away. Turn it off, or use Search in the Mini App, when you want to check a token before buying.
Token Tax Checker: Base, BSC and Ethereum
Many EVM tokens charge a tax on transfers. A tax of a few percent is common and is often used to fund the project. The problem is a tax you did not notice, or one that is far higher on sells than on buys.
Here is why the numbers matter. With a 5% buy tax and a 5% sell tax, the token needs to rise roughly 10% before you are back to even, before slippage, network fees and Thor's own fee. With a very high sell tax, you may never get back to even at all.
When you read the tax under Security:
- Compare buy and sell tax. A low buy tax with a much higher sell tax is a warning sign.
- Factor the tax into your targets. A take profit at +20% means much less after a large round-trip tax.
- Watch for changes. A contract with risky permissions may be able to change its tax later, so a low tax today is not a promise.
EVM Token Security Check: What Risky Permissions Mean
Permissions are powers the contract gives to its owner. Thor flags the risky ones. Common examples on EVM tokens are an owner that can change the tax, pause trading, block certain wallets from selling or create new tokens. Any of these can turn a normal token into a trap after you buy.
A flagged permission does not always mean a scam, since some legitimate projects keep admin controls. It does mean you are trusting the owner, so size your trade with that in mind.
How to Read the Results
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Token cannot be sold | Do not buy. Thor blocks clear scams. |
| High sell tax, low buy tax | Treat as a likely trap and skip it |
| Moderate tax on both sides | Include it in your profit targets |
| Risky permissions flagged | Trade small, or skip it |
| Clean check | Still check liquidity, holders, age and socials |
If you already hold a token that will not sell, the troubleshooting page lists "it may be a honeypot" as the first thing to check.
What a Honeypot Check Cannot Tell You
A clean result means the token looks sellable and its tax and permissions look normal right now. It does not mean the token is safe. Rug pulls, insider dumps and thin liquidity are all possible on a token with a perfect check.
Thor Trading Bot
Check these yourself on the token page, as Trading safely recommends:
- Liquidity. Low liquidity means big price swings and hard exits.
- Holders. If a few wallets hold most of the supply, they can dump it. The token details show how much the top holders own.
- Age and volume. Very new coins with huge volume can be wash traded.
- Socials. Check that the website and X account are real and active.
If you find coins through Trenches, which also works on EVM chains, each coin carries a score and warning tags such as high bundle share, insiders holding a lot, selling pressure or thin liquidity. Tap Analyzer to see why a coin got its score.
Protect Your Trades After the Check
The check covers the token. These settings cover your trade:
- Price impact protection. Trades that move the price more than your limit ask you to confirm first. The default is 20%. See Protections.
- Auto sell. Every buy gets your take profit and stop loss straight away, including buys from the bot, the Mini App, copy trade, Auto buy and filled limit buys. See Auto sell.
- Start small. Buy a small amount of a new token first. The Pump.fun auto sell guide explains how to set exits that fit fast-moving coins.
Tip: On Ethereum, also turn on MEV protection in Settings → Trading settings. Read the MEV protection guide to learn why.
What It Costs
The security check comes with every trade at no extra cost. Thor charges a flat 0.5% per spot trade on Solana and every EVM chain, half the 1% that many Telegram trading bots charge. Network fees and any token tax are added on top. See Fees.
The Subscription costs $100 for 30 days and cuts Thor's bot fees on spot trading and bridging to 0% on Solana and every EVM chain. It pays for itself at $20,000 of spot volume in 30 days. It does not cover perps, predictions, network fees or third-party fees, and it is non-refundable. Pay in SOL, the chain's own coin or stablecoins.
Check Tokens Before You Buy
Open Thor on Telegram, switch to the EVM chain you trade, and read the Security section before every new token. Running a crypto group? Heimdall is Thor's free anti-scam bot for Telegram groups, and the guide to stopping scammers in Telegram groups shows how to set it up.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a token is a honeypot?
A honeypot is a token you can buy but cannot sell. In Thor, open the token on an EVM chain and read the Security section on the token page. Thor tests whether the token can be sold, shows the buy and sell tax and flags risky permissions.
Is there a BSC honeypot check in Thor?
Yes. The security check runs on the EVM chains Thor supports, including BNB Chain, Base and Ethereum. Clear scams are blocked before your trade is sent, and the results show under Security on the token page.
How can I check the buy and sell tax of a Base token?
Open the token in Thor with Base selected and look at Security on the token page. It shows the buy tax and the sell tax, so you know how much of each trade the token contract takes before you confirm.
Can a token pass a honeypot check and still be a scam?
Yes. A token can be sellable today and still be a rug pull, have thin liquidity or have a few wallets holding most of the supply. No check catches every scam, so also check liquidity, holders, age and socials yourself.
Does Thor check Solana tokens for honeypots?
The honeypot, tax and permission check is an EVM feature. On Solana, Trenches shows warning tags such as high bundle share, insiders holding a lot, top holders owning a lot, selling pressure or thin liquidity.
Step-by-step in the Docs
- Trading safely: Spot risky tokens before you buy.
- The token page: Everything about a token on one screen.
- Protections: Safety nets that stop costly mistakes.
- Troubleshooting: Why a trade or order did not go through, and what to do.