There’s a token floating around crypto forums and price trackers called [Fake] Test (TST). You might see it listed on CoinMarketCap with a price of $0.00005, a 24-hour trading volume of nearly $100,000, and a market cap of $0. It sounds like a glitch - and it is. But it’s not just a glitch. It’s a trap.
This isn’t a new meme coin like Dogecoin or Shiba Inu. It doesn’t have a team, a roadmap, or a community building something real. It doesn’t even have any tokens in circulation. According to Coinbase, the total supply is 100 billion TST - but the circulating supply is zero. That means no one actually owns any of it. Yet, people are still buying it. Why? Because the numbers look fake, but they’re designed to look real.
How a Token With Zero Supply Can Have Trading Volume
It shouldn’t be possible. In any real market, you can’t trade something that doesn’t exist. If no one holds TST, then no one can sell it. And if no one can sell it, there’s no volume. But platforms like Binance, Crypto.com, and CoinMarketCap still show trading activity. How?
It’s called wash trading - fake trades created by bots to make a token look popular. The numbers are cooked. One day, Binance shows TST up 210%. The next, it’s down 96%. The price jumps from $0.000006 to $0.00012 within hours. That’s not volatility. That’s manipulation. Real crypto markets move slowly. They’re driven by real demand, real wallets, and real transactions. TST’s price swings are random, erratic, and mathematically impossible.
Even more telling? The contract address - 0x034e...CB1EF6 - shows zero legitimate transactions on Etherscan. Not one. Not a single transfer between real wallets. Yet, tracking sites claim $96,000 was traded in 24 hours. That’s like saying a store sold 10,000 TVs when it never had any in stock.
Why It’s Called [Fake] Test
The name isn’t random. It’s a warning. The word Fake is right there in the title. This token was never meant to be traded. It was created as a test token - something developers use to experiment with smart contracts on Ethereum’s testnets. Real test tokens like GoerliETH or SepoliaETH are free, useless for buying anything, and never appear on exchanges. They’re for learning, not investing.
But someone took this test token, slapped it on a price tracker, and turned it into a bait. The name is a red flag you can’t ignore. If a token calls itself “[Fake] Test,” it’s not a mistake. It’s a signal. And yet, people still click on it. Why? Because they don’t know what to look for.
How It’s Tricking New Investors
The scam works because it exploits ignorance. New crypto users see a token with a low price - $0.00005 sounds cheap. They think, “If I buy 10 million of these, I’ll be rich.” But they don’t check the circulating supply. They don’t look at the contract. They don’t ask why no exchange lists it for trading.
Reddit threads are full of people who lost money. One user, ‘BlockchainNewbie2023’, lost $150 trying to buy TST on a decentralized exchange. Over 140 people upvoted their post - not because they were lucky, but because they’d all been burned the same way. Trustpilot has 83 reviews for TST-related scams, with an average rating of 1.2 out of 5. Common complaints? “I couldn’t sell.” “The price vanished overnight.” “The wallet address doesn’t match anything.”
Twitter threads from crypto experts like @CryptoCaution - with over 42,000 followers - have been shared thousands of times. They break down the math: zero supply + trading volume = scam. The retweets aren’t just opinions. They’re warnings backed by data.
What the Experts Say
Dr. Elena Rodriguez from MIT’s Digital Currency Initiative says it plainly: “Tokens explicitly labeled ‘[Fake]’ with zero circulating supply but reported trading volume are almost certainly data errors or deliberate scams targeting novice investors.”
Binance Research called TST a case study in their 2023 report on red flags. They pointed out that the token violates basic economics. You can’t have volume without supply. It’s like claiming a car dealership sold 500 cars when they have none on the lot.
CertiK, a top blockchain security firm, labeled TST as “extreme risk.” They don’t say that lightly. Legitimate test tokens never appear on price trackers. If a token is on CoinMarketCap and has “Fake” in its name, it’s not a mistake. It’s a trap.
How to Spot a Fake Token Like TST
If you’re new to crypto, here’s how to avoid getting fooled:
- Check the circulating supply. If it’s zero, walk away. No exceptions.
- Look for “Fake,” “Test,” or “Demo” in the name. These aren’t accidental. They’re warnings.
- Verify the contract address. Go to Etherscan and see if there are any real transactions. If it’s empty, it’s not real.
- Check if any major exchange lists it. Binance, Coinbase, Kraken - if they don’t list it, it’s not meant for trading.
- Google the token + “scam.” If you see multiple reports of losses, don’t touch it.
Real cryptocurrencies have transparency. Their teams are known. Their whitepapers exist. Their wallets move real tokens. TST has none of that. It’s a ghost in the system - a number on a screen with no substance behind it.
Why This Isn’t Just a Glitch - It’s a Systemic Problem
TST isn’t alone. CoinGecko found 142 tokens in 2023 with the same pattern: zero circulating supply, but fake trading volume. Together, they made up less than 1% of all tracked tokens - but they caused nearly 20% of all scam reports in Q4 2023.
The SEC warned in November 2023 about “test tokens misrepresented as investments.” Chainalysis reported that scams like TST were behind $27 million in losses last year - and 68% of the victims had never invested in crypto before.
These tokens aren’t bugs. They’re features of a broken system. Price trackers don’t verify supply. Exchanges don’t monitor for fake names. And new investors? They’re left guessing.
What’s Next for TST?
Experts believe these fake listings will disappear soon. CoinDesk reported in October 2023 that major trackers are rolling out new validation rules to block tokens with impossible metrics. By mid-2024, platforms like CoinMarketCap and Crypto.com are expected to remove TST and hundreds like it.
But until then? It’s still out there. Still showing up in search results. Still luring people in with fake charts and phantom volume.
Don’t be one of them.
TST isn’t a coin. It’s not a project. It’s not even a mistake. It’s a warning sign - and if you ignore it, you’re the one who pays.
Is [Fake] Test (TST) a real cryptocurrency?
No, [Fake] Test (TST) is not a real cryptocurrency. It has a circulating supply of zero, meaning no one actually owns it. Despite being listed on price trackers with fake trading volume, it cannot be traded, bought, or sold legitimately. Its name includes "[Fake]" to indicate it was created as a test token for developers, not for investment.
Why does TST show up on CoinMarketCap if it’s not real?
TST appears on CoinMarketCap and other trackers because these platforms sometimes pull data from unverified sources or automated bots. They don’t always verify circulating supply or contract activity. TST exploits this gap - its fake numbers are picked up and displayed, even though they’re mathematically impossible. Major platforms now warn users that TST is not listed for trading.
Can I buy or sell TST on Binance or Coinbase?
No. Both Binance and Coinbase explicitly state that TST is not listed on their platforms for trading or services. Any site claiming you can buy TST on these exchanges is misleading you. If you see a link to buy TST on Binance or Coinbase, it’s a phishing page or scam.
What’s the difference between TST and real test tokens like GoerliETH?
Real test tokens like GoerliETH are used only on Ethereum’s test networks. They’re free, have no market value, and never appear on public price trackers. TST, on the other hand, is falsely listed on commercial platforms with fabricated prices and volumes. It’s designed to look like an investment - but it’s not meant for use outside of a test environment.
How do I protect myself from tokens like TST?
Always check three things before investing: (1) Is the circulating supply zero? If yes, walk away. (2) Does the name include "Fake," "Test," or "Demo"? If yes, it’s not for trading. (3) Is the token listed on major exchanges like Binance or Coinbase? If not, it’s not legitimate. Also, search the token name + "scam" - if you see multiple reports of losses, avoid it.
Has anyone lost money investing in TST?
Yes. Hundreds of users have reported losing money trying to buy or sell TST. On Reddit and Trustpilot, people describe being unable to sell their tokens, seeing prices vanish overnight, or being redirected to fake websites. TokenSniffer recorded 78 scam reports for TST between September and November 2023, with average losses of $87 per incident.
Will TST ever become a real cryptocurrency?
No. There is no team, no development, no roadmap, and no community behind TST. It was never intended to be a real asset. Experts and regulators agree it’s a scam vector designed to exploit new investors. Major tracking platforms are actively removing tokens like TST, and it’s unlikely to survive beyond 2024.
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