"Don't trust, verify." This is the ethos of the blockchain. In traditional finance, you trust the bank not to gamble with your deposits (spoiler: they do). In Web3, you don't have to trust anyone.
Read the Contract
You don't need to be a Solidity expert, but you need to understand the basics. Is the liquidity locked? Is the contract renounced? Are there admin keys that can mint infinite tokens? Blind trust gets you rugged.
Transparency is a double-edged sword. Everything is visible, including your mistakes. This radical transparency forces a higher standard of ethics. If a protocol acts mainly, the chain remembers forever.
Safety Tip: Always use a "burner wallet" for interacting with new or unverified contracts. Never sign a transaction you don't understand.