Liquidity lock: what it actually guarantees and what it doesn't

Liquidity lock is the transfer of a pool's LP tokens to a third-party custodial contract for a set period. "Locked" in a screener is a good sign that's too often read too literally.

What a lock guarantees

Exactly one thing: the deployer cannot withdraw the locked portion of the pool before the term expires. A classic liquidity withdrawal (rug #1) on the locked share is impossible. That's it.

What a lock does NOT guarantee

• Share: 60% of the pool may be locked while 40% remains in the deployer's hands. Check the percentage, not the checkmark.
• Term: a two-week lock is a delay of the rug, not protection. Check the date.
• Supply sales: a lock holds the pool but doesn't stop insiders from dumping their tokens INTO that pool - the price will die while the "liquidity" stays intact.
• Minting and taxes: contract permissions aren't touched by a lock - mint rugs and honeypots operate on top of a perfect lock.
• Locker honesty: there have been precedents of fake "locks" on custom contracts with backdoors. A known locker service is part of the verification.

Place in the checklist

A lock is a necessary but not sufficient condition: its absence is instant disqualification, its presence is only a pass to the remaining checks (distribution, minting, deployer). In our verdicts, the LP lock is one line among many, and that's the right proportion.