How to revoke token approvals on OP Mainnet
Guide · 01 Oct 2026
Token approvals on OP Mainnet work the same way as anywhere else on the EVM: when you use a dapp, you grant a contract permission to move a specific token, and that permission stays until you revoke it. If that contract is later compromised, the approval is what lets an attacker move your funds.
What an approval actually is
An ERC-20 approval calls approve(spender, amount). Setting the amount to zero removes the permission. Some dapps ask for an unlimited approval so you do not have to approve again — those are the ones most worth reviewing.
How to revoke an approval on OP Mainnet
1. Find your approvals. Review them with Shingan (/approvals in Telegram) or inspect your address on https://optimistic.etherscan.io. 2. Build the revoke transaction. A revoke is just approve(spender, 0) — no funds move, only the permission changes. 3. Sign it in your wallet and pay the network fee in ETH. 4. Wait for confirmation. Once mined, the allowance is zero.
What it costs
Revoking costs only gas on OP Mainnet, paid in ETH. There is no Shingan fee, and nothing is transferred.
Good habits
- Revoke approvals to contracts you no longer use.
- Revoke anything you do not recognise.
- Check again after trying a new dapp for the first time.
FAQ
Does revoking cost anything besides gas?
No. A revoke changes a permission, not a balance, so the only cost is the network fee in ETH.
Can a revoke move my tokens?
No. approve(spender, 0) only sets an allowance to zero. It cannot transfer funds.
Where can I see approvals on OP Mainnet?
On https://optimistic.etherscan.io you can inspect your address and its approvals, or use Shingan in Telegram to review them with plain-English risk notes.
Related reading: how to revoke a token approval and what an unlimited approval means.