Scam projects pop up in every network. But which blockchains are the riskiest? Here’s our completely subjective ranking of blockchains most loved by scammers.
Polygon: The Copycat Haven
Since Polygon is EVM-compatible, it allows Ethereum smart contracts to be deployed with minimal changes, making it easy for scammers to create copycat versions of successful projects. These scams look like improved versions of existing projects or outright impersonate originals — without offering any real value.
Examples of scams on Polygon:
- Polygon Punks – An NFT project that successfully launched on OpenSea by impersonating CryptoPunks. OpenSea eventually removed it, but not before many users lost their money.
- Shiba Polygon – This project parasitized off the popularity of SHIB, pretending to be its Polygon fork. Later, it turned out to be just another worthless meme token, while the real SHIB project continued to grow.
- Polycat Finance – Marketed as a Polygon-based PancakeSwap, offering farming, staking, and an AMM. In 2021, the team suddenly changed, the tokenomics shifted, and the project collapsed. Some say it wasn’t originally a scam - but tell that to those who bought its token FISH at $60 (now worth less than $0.05).
BNB/Tron: The Pyramid Schemes’ Playground
Some of the most notorious scams on BNB and Tron include Ponzi schemes like Forsage (which ran on BNB & Ethereum) and Troncase. These were classic "send money, invite friends" models with no real tokenomics. Devs could reset the smart contract at any time, which they eventually did — after which courts officially recognized them as Ponzi schemes.
Another pyramid, Lion’s Share, first launched on Tron and later migrated to Polygon. Both networks are also filled with copycat projects, scam NFTs, and fake staking pools.
TON: Scam Mini-Apps & Fake Exchanges
Some of the most common TON scams include:
- Scam tap-to-earn games — Users can only earn tokens through donations in TON, but the project dies before any listings or airdrops happen. Another variation — devs keep most of the tokens and manipulate prices, ensuring players cash out far less than they put in.
- Fake crypto exchanges — Some platforms appear legitimate but lack any real liquidity, making trading practically impossible.
- Scam staking bots — Bots with no team information offering 10%+ APY — but once you stake your tokens, you can never withdraw them.
- Pyramid schemes & scam casinos — Nothing new here.
TON scams will likely continue until Telegram tightens its mini-app moderation policies.
Solana: The Land of Rug Pulls & Meme Coins
Common Solana scams include:
- Classic pump-and-dump schemes — Fake hype, artificial price surges, and inevitable crashes.
- Rug pulls — Liquidity suddenly drained from DeFi projects like BFT, leaving investors with worthless tokens.
So, Which Blockchains Are the Most Scam-Infested?
However, the type of scam depends on the blockchain’s structure and user base. Stay cautious, double-check projects, and always DYOR before investing.
