Revoke x Fairside: The Next Chapter for the Revoke.cash Extension
When we launched the Revoke.cash browser extension, the biggest threat to crypto users was malicious token approvals. If you could catch a bad approval before it drained your wallet, you were safe. That's no longer the case.
Today's scammers don't just rely on approvals and permit messages. They trick users into signing deceptive transactions that look like legitimate ones. They poison your transaction history with look-alike addresses, hoping you'll copy-paste the wrong one. They buy sponsored Google ads that link to phishing sites.
A tool that only watches for bad approvals is no longer enough. But with the work we're doing on the main Revoke webapp, we haven't been able to keep the extension up to date on our own. That's why we've partnered with Fairside to build the biggest update to the Revoke extension yet. Fairside's infrastructure and security systems power many of the new features throughout the extension, from transaction simulation to the advanced features and theft coverage in the Standard plan.
Some of you may have already seen an early version of the updated extension. Over the past three weeks, we rolled out a public beta and gathered a lot of feedback. Based on that feedback, the model has been refined into two tiers: Revoke Sidekick Lite and Revoke Sidekick Standard.
Revoke Sidekick Lite (Free)
The Lite tier includes the core set of protection features powered by the new system, including transaction simulation, approval checking, and Ethos scores on X. Even the Lite tier is much more powerful than the entire previous version of the extension.
Transaction Simulation
The extension now simulates every transaction before you sign it, showing you exactly what will happen: which tokens will leave your wallet, which will arrive, and what approvals will be granted. No more blindly confirming transactions and hoping for the best.
Approval Checker
You can now check your token approvals directly from the extension for a quick overview on the go.
Ethos Scores on X
The extension shows Ethos reputation scores on X profiles, giving you a quick way to assess how trustworthy an account is before you engage with their content or follow their links.
Revoke Sidekick Standard
Revoke Sidekick Standard includes everything in the Lite plan, plus additional features for more advanced protection.
Ad Warnings
Scammers routinely buy Google Ads for popular DeFi protocols, directing users to convincing phishing clones. The extension detects and warns you about sponsored search results to protect you from phishing attacks.
Address Poisoning Detection
Address poisoning is one of the most effective low-effort scams: attackers send zero-value transactions from addresses that look nearly identical to ones you've interacted with, hoping you'll copy the wrong address next time. The extension flags these poisoned addresses on Etherscan and other block explorers before you make a costly mistake.
Impersonator Detection on X
Crypto Twitter is full of impersonators. The Standard plan flags accounts that are likely impersonating trusted figures, so you can spot fakes before you trust their links or advice.
Slow Mode (Hold to Confirm)
For high-value or suspicious transactions, the extension introduces a "hold to confirm" interaction that forces you to pause before signing. This simple friction can be the difference between catching a scam and losing your funds.
Theft Coverage by Fairside
No protection is 100% bulletproof, so Revoke Sidekick Standard also includes theft coverage of up to $30,000 provided by Fairside.
Partnering with Fairside
Keeping a security extension ahead of the threat landscape requires deep, dedicated expertise in real-time threat detection, the kind that Fairside has built their entire company around. The extension is now developed and operated in partnership with Fairside, combining Fairside's security engineering and infrastructure with Revoke's reach and reputation to deliver a stronger product than either of us could build alone.
On Moving to Closed Source
As part of this new setup, the extension is moving to a closed source model. We understand that this is a departure from our open source roots, and we don't take it lightly. But there is a fundamental tension in open source security tooling: the same transparency that allows the community to audit your code also allows the people you're trying to protect against to study it, find gaps, and build workarounds.
This is not a hypothetical concern. We've seen malicious actors specifically target detection logic in open source security tools. Every phishing kit developer and every wallet drainer operator have access to the same source code you do. When your detection rules are public, evading them becomes a matter of reading the code.
This is the same reason that antivirus software, browser security features, and wallet firewalls are typically closed source. The tradeoff between public auditability and effective protection is real, and for a tool whose entire purpose is to catch bad actors, we believe effective protection has to win.
On Fees and Coverage
Revoke Sidekick Lite is free. Transaction simulation, approval checking, and Ethos scores are available at no cost, giving you more protection than the entire previous version of the extension.
Revoke Sidekick Standard adds additional protection features and theft coverage, powered and operated by Fairside. To fund these features, a 0.8% fee is applied to select DEX swaps while the Standard plan is active.
What's Next for the Extension
With the new partnership, expect a lot of new features and improvements to ship on the extension side. The mission hasn't changed, the extension will continue to evolve with new features that help keep you safe throughout the crypto industry. With Fairside's dedicated resources, the extension can now evolve with the focus and attention it needs.