When using Zerion, you may see a prompt asking you to ‘Approve’ a token before completing a transaction. This is a standard step across most Web3 and DeFi platforms.
Why Approval Is Needed
Approving a token allows a smart contract to access and use that token on your behalf. This step is required when you're:
Swapping tokens
Bridging assets across chains
Interacting with dApps (e.g., lending, staking)
Think of it as unlocking the token so a third-party contract can use it. For example, when trading a token in Zerion for the first time, you’ll be prompted to approve it so Zerion’s smart contract can interact with it.
How It Works
You’ll typically go through a 2-step process:
Approve the token (granting permission)
Complete the transaction (like a swap or bridge)
This only applies to tokens in the Ethereum ecosystem (not need on Solana). You won’t need to approve native assets like ETH or POL as those don’t require smart contract access.
Do I Need to Approve Every Time?
No. Once you've approved a token, you usually don’t need to approve it again unless you have revoked the permission manually.
Revoking Approvals
🔥 Keeping token approvals active can carry security risks. If a smart contract you’ve approved is ever exploited or malicious, your tokens may be at risk.
While approvals granted to Zerion’s router smart contract (used for swaps and bridges) are considered safe, we strongly recommend revoking approvals for:
DApps you no longer use
Projects you don’t fully trust
Unknown or unaudited smart contracts
You can use tools like Revoke.cash to manage and remove unnecessary token approvals.