Wash trading is the art of looking busy. The same party — or tightly linked parties — buys and sells an asset with itself to paint volume, momentum and “everyone is here”. Charts glow. Depth looks alive. Independent interest may be thin.
You will meet the trick on obscure tokens, some prediction-market contracts and anywhere promoters need a screenshot of activity. It sits beside cousins such as layering and spoofing in the market-abuse vocabulary. For a retail reader the test is rude: if almost all volume vanishes when a few wallets pause, you were watching theatre.
Do not chase a candle solely because a Telegram desk says “look at the volume”. Ask who is on the other side when you want out.
Start at Get help. Anyone selling paid unlocks or “lawyer recoveries”: Fake recovery.
This article is for general information only. It is not legal or financial advice. Details change. If you have lost money, contact your bank or card issuer and use the routes on the help pages.