Keep the keys
A trading wallet connects to exchanges and signs transactions, so it's more exposed than a wallet you only hold funds in. A few habits keep that in check. Staying Safe on Solana covers general wallet security, including how to store your seed phrase and the warning signs of a scam.
Signing transactions
Every action onchain requires you to sign a transaction in your wallet, and on Solana one signature can move everything in the wallet at once. Fake exchanges are built around this: the site copies a real one, the wallet connection screen behaves normally, and the transaction you're asked to sign doesn't look like a transfer.
Reach exchanges through your own bookmark: Search results and ads regularly lead to fake versions of sites people have used before.
Read what you're signing: Your wallet shows what a transaction does. If it moves funds when you only expected to connect, reject it.
Slow down when you're being hurried: Countdown timers, limited spots and expiring offers are there to stop you checking.
Tokens you didn't buy
Unexpected tokens turn up in wallets. They're advertising: the name or description points at a website, and the website is where a loss can happen. The token itself can't do anything while it sits there.
Don't visit the site it points to: That's what the token is for.
Don't try to sell it: Many are built so they can't be sold, and some let the creator burn or seize them at will.
Hide it: Most wallets let you hide tokens from view.
Check how the supply is held
Token ownership is public. If a small number of wallets hold most of the supply, they can sell into you and control the price action. Check this before initiating the trade.
Use more than one wallet. A trading wallet holds what you're actively trading and connects to exchanges. A second wallet holds longer-term positions and connects to nothing. If the trading wallet is compromised, the loss is limited to what was in it.
Only trade what you can afford to lose. Money you need for something else has no place in a trading position.