How do I evaluate if a cryptocurrency is legitimate or a scam?

Red flags: anonymous team, no whitepaper, promises of guaranteed returns, sudden celebrity endorsements, no working product. Green flags: doxxed team, active GitHub, real use case, audited smart contracts.

Check CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko for basic info. Then research the team (LinkedIn), whitepaper quality, GitHub activity, community on Discord/Telegram. If they promise 10x guaranteed, it is a scam.