How to Check If an NFT Marketplace Is Legit

Before you connect a wallet or send funds to any NFT marketplace, run these checks. Any single failure is a reason to stop.

The checklist

1. The URL is exactly right. Phishing clones of OpenSea and Magic Eden run constantly in ads and Discord DMs. Type the address or use a bookmark — never click a sponsored search result or a DM link.
2. There’s a real operator. A named company, a help centre, published documentation, verifiable operating history. Anonymous teams offering marketplace services are a hard no.
3. Official fee documentation exists. Legitimate venues publish their fees (see each profile’s “Official fee source” link in the directory). No fee page = treat every cost as unknown.
4. Custody is sane. Established marketplaces are non-custodial — they never hold your NFTs or ask for your seed phrase. No legitimate marketplace will ever ask for your seed phrase or private key.
5. It doesn’t need hype to function. “Earn guaranteed profits”, countdown timers, unsolicited Discord offers — leave.
6. The contract is verifiable. On Etherscan/Solanscan, check the contract address against the venue’s official docs before approving anything.
7. Check our record. If the venue is in the directory, its profile lists operating history, known incidents and scam notes — verified and dated.

If something goes wrong

• Revoke suspicious token approvals via revoke.cash or your wallet’s approval manager.
• Move remaining assets to a fresh wallet — the compromised one stays compromised.
• Report the impersonator to the real marketplace and to Scamwatch (Australia).

Bottom line

Legitimate marketplaces survive scrutiny: real company, published fees, non-custodial, verifiable contracts. If a venue resists any of those checks, the directory already lists ones that pass them.