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Step-by-step guide Memecoins

How to check a memecoin before you buy: 8 checks, with $ARMORED as the example

Most memecoin losses that are not just price start with something you could have checked: a copied coin, a hidden fee or a team that can still print coins. Here are eight checks, each shown on a real coin, $ARMORED, so you know what a pass looks like.

  • 7 min read
  • Published
  • Facts checked
  • By StonkBuilder Community

In short

  • Get the contract address from the project's own X account or site, and compare every character.
  • On a block explorer, mint authority and freeze authority should both be revoked.
  • Token-2022 coins can carry a transfer fee. Look for one, and for fees on each trade.
  • Check where the coin trades, how much liquidity there is and how much the top wallets hold.
  • Passing every check does not make a coin a good buy. It only rules out some traps.

Words you'll meet

Block explorer
A website that shows what is on the blockchain, such as Solscan or Solana Explorer.
Mint authority
The key that can create new coins. Revoked means nobody holds it any more.
Freeze authority
The key that can freeze coins in any wallet. Revoked means nobody can.
Token-2022
Solana's newer token standard. It allows extra features called extensions.
Liquidity
The tokens waiting in a pool or curve to trade with you. More means steadier prices.

More words, explained plainly: the StonkBuilder Learn glossary

The eight checks: address from the source, mint authority revoked, freeze authority revoked, token extensions, where it trades, who holds it, fees on each trade and links that match.
The eight checks at a glance. The steps below show how to run each one.

What you need

Just the coin's contract address and a browser. A block explorer such as Solscan shows a token's settings for free, with no wallet connected. Never connect a wallet to check a coin. StonkBuilder Learn explains why the contract address is a token's real name .

The eight checks

  1. Get the address from the source

    Copy it from the project's own X account or website, never from a DM, a reply or a search result. For $ARMORED that is @armoredkitten8 and the Armored Kitten page, and both show Bq4iwaa2hGWweyCeM9ZNyWnZSj6pCMeUDKZgmtb5pump. Compare every character, not just the start and the end.

  2. Mint authority: revoked

    Open the token on a block explorer. If a mint authority is listed, someone can still create new coins and dilute every holder. $ARMORED's is revoked.[1]

  3. Freeze authority: revoked

    A freeze authority can stop the coins in your wallet from moving, so you could not sell. It should be revoked. $ARMORED's is.[1]

  4. Extensions and transfer fees

    If the token is Token-2022, look at its extensions. A transfer fee extension takes a cut every time the coin moves.[2] $ARMORED is Token-2022 with metadata extensions only, so it has no transfer fee.[1]

  5. Where it trades

    Is it still on a launchpad's bonding curve or in a pool? Which token is it paired with, and how much liquidity is there? Little liquidity means one trade can move the price a lot. $ARMORED trades against ORE on pump.fun.

  6. Who holds it

    The explorer's Holders tab lists the biggest wallets. Ignore the curve or pool itself, then ask how much the next few wallets hold. If a handful own most of the supply, they can sell together.

  7. Fees on each trade

    Launchpads charge a fee on every buy and sell, and some coins add a creator or holder fee on top. $ARMORED sends 3% of each pump.fun trade to its holders, a rate stored in its curve account.[3] Add the launchpad's own fee to get the full cost.

  8. Links that match

    The website should link the X account, the X account should post the same address, and the Telegram should link back. A project with a page on a link hub, such as the Armored Kitten Link page , puts them all in one place.

The $ARMORED token card on the Armored Kitten page: ticker, chain Solana Token-2022, supply, mint and freeze both revoked, trades against ORE, and the contract address.
What a pass looks like: the token card on the Armored Kitten page, with links to check each line on Solscan and pump.fun.

Spotting a copy

Anyone can launch a coin with the same name, ticker and picture as a popular one. Only the contract address can't be copied, so scammers make addresses that look alike at a glance.

Two coins side by side with the same name and picture. The addresses share the same start and end but differ in the middle.
Same start, same end, different middle. The copy's address in this picture is made up.

Red flags that skip the checks

  • Someone DMs you first with a contract address, a support link or an airdrop to claim.
  • A "migration" or "V2" announced anywhere except the project's own channels, asking you to swap or connect.
  • A site that asks for your recovery phrase. No real app ever does.
  • Pressure to be quick. Real projects don't need you to decide in the next ten minutes.

StonkBuilder Learn has a full guide to spotting crypto scams .

Questions people ask

How do I check a token's mint authority?

Paste its contract address into a block explorer such as Solscan. The token page shows the mint authority and freeze authority, or says they are revoked or empty.

Does revoked mint authority mean a coin is safe?

No. It means nobody can print more coins. The price can still fall, and the biggest holders can still sell.

What is a Token-2022 transfer fee?

An optional setting on Solana's newer token standard that takes a share of every transfer. Always check a Token-2022 coin's extensions.

Why does the coin's curve or pool hold so much of the supply?

On a launchpad, the unsold coins wait in the bonding curve or pool for buyers. That account is not a person, so leave it out when you look at the biggest holders.

Go deeper in our project communities

Sources

  1. Solscan: the $ARMORED token (mint, authorities, extensions) solscan.io/token/Bq4iwaa2hGWweyCeM9ZNyWnZSj6pCMeUDKZgmtb5pump
  2. Solana docs: Token-2022 transfer fees solana.com/docs/tokens/extensions/transfer-fees
  3. Solscan: $ARMORED's pump.fun bonding-curve account (holder rewards, 3%, ORE pair) solscan.io/account/HC3F6FwngZiP1qqSbFncrAAa8MxJYgYgLsE34mN8AdvU

Checked on 2 Oct 2026. Projects change their fees and features; the linked pages are the source of truth.

StonkBuilder Community writes independent, educational guides. We are not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by the projects we cover; names and trademarks belong to their owners. Nothing here is financial, investment or legal advice. Crypto prices are volatile and you can lose money.