I've interviewed over 200 founders on my podcast on Binance Live. I've seen projects pump to billions and collapse to zero.

After years in this space, here's my checklist before I put my name behind anything:

1. Regulated structure : Not "we're working on compliance." I mean already operating under real regulatory frameworks. Europe, MENA, doesn't matter where show me the license.

2. Real reserves :If a project claims to be backed by assets, those assets need to be in a segregated vault, managed by professionals, verifiable. Not a multisig wallet controlled by the founder's cousin.

3. A founder with skin in the game : I want to see someone who had a career before crypto. Someone who doesn't need this to work to pay rent. That changes the incentive structure completely.

Most projects fail at least one of these. The rare ones that pass all three? Those are the ones I pay attention to.

What's your checklist? Drop it in the comments.