🚨 PancakeSwap “Random” Winners Weren’t So Random?

[johnblockbuster]

On-chain sleuthing shows that over 850 of the 1,700 wallets rewarded in PancakeSwap’s $250K trading competition were funded by other winning wallets.
This points to coordinated wash trading rather than pure luck.

️ What Happened

Contest ran July 7 – Aug 5 with 3 trade-volume tiers ($2K / $5K / $10K).

Supposedly random winners across five Binance Alpha tokens (LOT, BR, MILK, NODE, MORE).

Chain analysis shows BNB moving wallet → wallet → wallet, each hitting the trade threshold and cashing prizes.

Odds of so many directly-linked wallets winning randomly? Close to zero, per League of Traders.

Why It Matters

Fairness risk: Sponsors like League of Traders put up ~$50K each expecting a fair lottery.

Trust issue: PancakeSwap’s DEX reputation is at stake if prize draws can be gamed.

Regulatory heat: Wash trading—artificially inflating volume—is a red flag for regulators.

️ For Traders & DeFi Projects

Don’t chase volume-only contests without clear on-chain draw verification.

Demand verifiable randomness (VRF) or transparent smart contracts for prize selection.

Be wary of “free money” marketing—clusters can siphon rewards.

PancakeSwap hasn’t commented yet and is already promoting its next trading competition with a bigger $300K pool.

Question for the community:
Would you join another PancakeSwap trading contest without auditable on-chain randomness?