How to choose a token locker.

Committing tokens to a locker is a trust decision about a contract you probably haven't read. Here's what actually distinguishes them, in the order that matters.

1. Admin access over locked funds

The first and most important question: can anyone other than the lock owner move the tokens? Some lockers include an owner or emergency function that can withdraw any position. If that exists, the lock protects your tokens from you and from nobody else.

Check by reading the withdrawal function in the verified source. It should require the caller to be the position's owner and the unlock time to have passed, with no branch that bypasses either.

2. Whether unlock times can be shortened

A lock that can be shortened is a promise with extra steps. Look for whether the extend function accepts any value or only a later one. Extend-only is the property you want, and it should be enforced in code rather than in the interface.

3. Verified source

If the locker's own contract isn't verified on the block explorer, nothing above can be checked. A locker asking you to trust unverified code while selling verifiability is a contradiction worth walking away from.

4. Custody model

Some services hold tokens in wallets they control and present a dashboard. That's custody, not locking. You've replaced a smart contract guarantee with a company promise. The tokens should sit in a contract whose rules are the only thing governing them. More on the distinction.

5. Fee structure

A flat fee in the native currency is predictable. A percentage of the locked tokens means the locker takes a position in every project it serves, and it scales with your success rather than with the service provided. HoodLock charges a flat 0.005 ETH per lock and never takes a share of the tokens.

6. Whether the proof is public and permanent

The point of locking is that other people can verify it. A locker whose records live behind a wallet connection, or whose "proof" is a dashboard screenshot, hasn't delivered the thing you paid for. What you want is a page anyone can open without a wallet that reads live from the chain, and a path from that page to the raw transaction on the block explorer.

7. Token compatibility

Not every token behaves like a standard ERC-20. Tokens with transfer fees deliver fewer tokens than requested, and some non-standard implementations return nothing where a boolean is expected. A locker should handle these predictably — either supporting them correctly or refusing them clearly. What you don't want is a lock that silently records the wrong amount.

Running the check

Common questions

What makes a token locker trustworthy?

No admin path to locked funds, unlock times that can only be extended, verified source code, non-custodial design, and public proof pages that read live from the chain. Each one is checkable in the contract before you commit anything.

Can a locker's team steal locked tokens?

Only if the contract lets them. Some lockers include an owner or emergency withdrawal function that can move any position. Read the withdrawal function in the verified source and confirm it requires the position owner and an elapsed unlock time, with no bypass.

Is a percentage fee or a flat fee better?

A flat fee is predictable and doesn't scale with your project's success. A percentage of locked tokens means the locker takes a position in every project it serves. HoodLock charges a flat 0.005 ETH and never takes a share of tokens.

What if my token has a transfer fee?

Fee-on-transfer tokens deliver fewer tokens than requested, so a locker must either handle that correctly or reject the token clearly. The outcome to avoid is a lock that silently records an amount it doesn't actually hold.

Keep reading

• The token locker in detail
• Custodial vs non-custodial locking
• Reading contracts on Blockscout
• What is a liquidity lock?
• HoodLock's security model
• Rolling your own locker