Safety Playbooks

Step-by-step guides for using Newsie tools to stay safe in DeFi. No fluff — just actionable steps.

Run the Safety Score check

Paste the protocol name or contract address into Newsie's Safety Checker. A score below 50 is a hard stop — do not proceed.

Check the audit status

Confirm the protocol has at least one audit from a reputable firm (Trail of Bits, Certik, OpenZeppelin, Quantstamp). Unaudited = critical risk.

A single audit is a minimum bar, not a guarantee. Check the audit date — code may have changed since.

Verify team and contract transparency

Is the team doxxed? Is the contract source verified on Etherscan/Solscan? Anonymous teams with unverified contracts are the highest-risk combination.

Check the Threat Feed

Search for the protocol name on Newsie's Threat Feed. Has it appeared in any exploit or incident reports recently?

Review TVL and age

Prefer protocols with $10M+ TVL that have operated for at least 6 months without incident. Longevity under real market stress matters more than promises.

Start with a test amount

Deposit a small amount (1-5% of intended position) and wait 48 hours. Verify you can withdraw before committing full funds.

Never skip this step, even for blue-chip protocols. Network congestion or contract bugs can lock funds during withdrawals.

6 steps · Newsie-verified workflow