Orca Crypto
Security term

Token approval

Permission you grant a contract to spend your tokens.

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Updated 2026-08-303 min readDefinition
Definition

Permission you grant a contract to spend your tokens.

Before a DEX can swap your tokens it needs permission to move them. Many apps request an unlimited approval so you never have to approve again, which is convenient and dangerous.

That permission persists until you revoke it. If the contract is later exploited, the attacker can drain every wallet that still has an open approval.

In practice

Review and revoke old approvals every few months at revoke.cash. It costs a little gas and prevents a whole category of loss.

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