Is Tornado Cash a scam?
EXTREME RISK · 73/100Tornado Cash (TORN) has an automated risk score of 73/100 — extreme risk. Tornado Cash is controlled by a very small number of wallets: On-chain: the top 10 holders control 85.7% of supply (burn and labelled exchange/staking/LP wallets excluded; team/vesting contracts counted) — extreme concentration that allows single-hand price control. With this little distribution, the price can be pinned and dumped at will — the defining trait of a market-manipulation token. Down 99% from its all-time high — among the deepest drawdowns we measure. Over half the supply (~52%) is held off-market — a single coordinated seller can dictate the price.
Automated assessment · updated 12 August 2026
Tornado Cash
tornEXTREME$5.610
-14.82% (24h)
updating live price…
Risk Assessment
Risk Score
EXTREME RISK
Driven primarily by drawdown from all-time high (25 of 25 points). Every contributing factor is itemised below.
measured 2026-08-12 · 7 factors evaluated
Here is what the public data shows about Tornado Cash, ordered by how strongly each factor contributes to the score:
- Drawdown From All-Time High: Down 99% from its all-time high — among the deepest drawdowns we measure.
- On-Chain Holder Concentration: On-chain: the top 10 holders control 85.7% of supply (burn and labelled exchange/staking/LP wallets excluded; team/vesting contracts counted) — extreme concentration that allows single-hand price control.
- Supply Structure: Over half the supply (~52%) is held off-market — a single coordinated seller can dictate the price.
- Market Cap Risk: Market cap under $100M — moderate manipulation risk.
These are automated, opinion-based indicators from public data — not financial advice or an allegation of wrongdoing. See our methodology.
Why this asset is flagged as high-risk
The patterns below are automated, opinion-based observations from public market data. They describe statistical risk indicators — not proof of wrongdoing by any project or person.
A small number of insider/team wallets control most of the supply (very low free float). This allows single-hand price control — pinning the price high to drain leveraged short positions via funding, then dumping the entire position for a sudden 90%+ collapse
Verified on-chain: after excluding burn and labelled exchange, staking and liquidity wallets (team/vesting contracts are counted), the top 10 holders control more than half of the supply. This is direct evidence that a handful of wallets can dictate the price and dump it at will
Risk Factor Breakdown
Each factor is scored independently and weighted to calculate the total risk score.
Drawdown From All-Time High
Price Action
25/25
100%
How far the price sits below its peak. Deep drawdowns are common to abandoned and post-collapse tokens, but also to assets in a prolonged bear market — on its own this measures price history, not conduct.
Volume Anomaly
Trading Signals
1/20
5%
Abnormal volume-to-market-cap ratio is the primary indicator of wash trading or liquidity traps
Market Cap Risk
Market Structure
3/15
20%
Small market caps can be trivially manipulated by a single large holder (whale)
Supply Structure
Tokenomics
7/20
35%
Free float (circulating vs total/max supply). A low float means both future dilution from locked reserves and concentration enabling single-hand price control (estimated; verified holder data is scored separately).
Price Volatility
Price Action
2/15
13%
Extreme short-term price swings are a hallmark of coordinated pump-and-dump schemes
On-Chain Holder Concentration
Tokenomics
22/22
100%
Verified holder data. Burn and labelled exchange, staking, bridge and LP wallets are excluded; unlabelled contracts (often team/vesting multisigs) are counted. Over 50% in the top 10 enables single-hand price control.
Not contributing (1): Transparency Gaps — 0 points.
Key Metrics
Protect Yourself
- • Never invest more than you can afford to lose entirely
- • Check token concentration — if top 10 wallets hold >50%, be cautious
- • Verify the team is public and doxxed
- • Read the smart contract audit before buying
- • Be wary of unrealistic APY promises
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Community Comments
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What the contract allows
Ethereum · measured 2026-09-15
Tornado Cash’s deployed contract grants its owner 1 privilege that can affect your position. These are properties of the code itself, not allegations about anyone’s conduct — many legitimate projects retain them deliberately.
Owner can pause all transfers
Trading and transfers can be halted, locking holders in place.
Checked and not present: change any wallet balance, blacklist wallets, mint new tokens, ownership can be reclaimed after renouncing, contract has a hidden owner, contract can self-destruct.
Source code: published and verified, so the deployed bytecode can be independently reviewed.
Contract analysis from GoPlus Labs · verify on-chain. An upgradeable contract can change after this reading.
Tornado Cash holder-concentration history
7 daily measurements · -0.3 pts over the period
FraudCoins.com has measured the share of Tornado Cash’s supply held by its top 10 non-exchange wallets on 7 days since 23 Jul 2026. The highest reading was 86.2% on 27 Jul 2026; the most recent reading is 85.7% on 11 Aug 2026.
Composite risk score (0–100)
Recorded measurements (7)
| Date measured | Top 10 hold | Flagged |
|---|---|---|
| 85.7% | Yes | |
| 86.1% | Yes | |
| 86.2% | Yes | |
| 86% | Yes | |
| 86.2% | Yes | |
| 86.1% | Yes | |
| 86% | Yes |
Each row is an automated measurement taken on the date shown, using public on-chain holder data with burn and labelled exchange, staking, bridge and liquidity wallets excluded. Historical readings describe what our model measured on that date — they are not statements about the project’s conduct then or now, and are not financial advice.
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Frequently asked questions about Tornado Cash
Is Tornado Cash a scam?
We do not allege that Tornado Cash (TORN) is a scam, and we have no evidence of wrongdoing by anyone associated with it. What we can tell you is what we measured: Its ten largest private wallets hold 85.7% of supply (exchange, staking, bridge and burn addresses excluded). That places it at 73/100 on our automated scale, which we label extreme risk. A high score means the asset has structural characteristics that have historically preceded losses — not that fraud has occurred. These are automated, opinion-based indicators from public market and on-chain data — not statements of fact, financial advice, or allegations of wrongdoing.
Why is Tornado Cash flagged as extreme risk?
Tornado Cash's risk score is driven mainly by: drawdown from all-time high — Down 99% from its all-time high — among the deepest drawdowns we measure; on-chain holder concentration — On-chain: the top 10 holders control 85.7% of supply (burn and labelled exchange/staking/LP wallets excluded; team/vesting contracts counted) — extreme concentration that allows single-hand price control; supply structure — Over half the supply (~52%) is held off-market — a single coordinated seller can dictate the price.
Who controls Tornado Cash's supply?
On-chain data shows the top 10 holders of Tornado Cash control 85.7% of the supply, after excluding burn and labelled exchange, staking, bridge and liquidity wallets. At that level, a small number of wallets can move the price at will and sell their position at once.
Is Tornado Cash safe to buy?
FraudCoins.com does not give buy or sell recommendations, and no cryptocurrency is safe. Tornado Cash scores 73/100 (extreme risk) on our automated risk model. Always do your own research and never invest more than you can afford to lose.