Is Autopilot Safe?
Risk Grade: B- (29/100)
Autopilot is rated as moderate risk — some novel mechanisms, generally well-understood.
Limited Data Available
This protocol has limited public documentation. Our analysis may not fully capture all risk dimensions.
Moderate risk — convenient automated veAERO strategy but high Aerodrome concentration and limited docs.
Autopilot is an automated veAERO yield strategy on Base that locks AERO, votes on Aerodrome gauges, and auto-compounds rewards non-custodially. With $12M TVL, it simplifies Aerodrome ve-tokenomics but concentrates all exposure in one protocol.
TVL
$237,000
Mechanisms
5
Interactions
4
Value Grade
D+
Key Risks for Autopilot Users
Funds locked in veAERO — cannot withdraw if AERO drops
100% Aerodrome concentration
Limited documentation
Top Risk Factors
- •Concentrated risk in Aerodrome and its gauge system
- •Limited documentation
- •Strategy depends on AERO token value
- •Automated voting introduces smart contract risk
How Autopilot Compares to Peers
Autopilot ranks #21 of 116 Yield protocols (top quartile — safer than most). At a risk score of 29/100, it's 8 points safer than the sector average of 37/100.
Adjacent peers: Sanctum Reserve (B-, 28/100) is ranked just safer, and Felix USDhl (B-, 29/100) is ranked just riskier.
See the full Yield sector leaderboard or the Autopilot vs Felix USDhl comparison.
Common Questions about Autopilot
Plain-English answers based on Autopilot's scores across Hindenrank's 8 risk dimensions. The highest-scoring (riskiest) dimension is Documentation Gaps (7/10).
Has Autopilot ever been hacked or exploited?
Autopilot has had some operational issues or moderate incidents in its history. The track record dimension scored 6/15 — not catastrophic, but enough to flag. Look at the specific events and whether they were addressed by the team before drawing conclusions.
How much money is at stake in Autopilot?
Autopilot currently holds a small TVL — exit liquidity is a real concern at this size. Smaller TVL means individual depositors carry a larger share of any loss event, and it can be harder to exit a position quickly during stress.
What's the worst-case scenario for Autopilot?
Hindenrank has identified specific collapse scenarios for Autopilot. The most prominent: "AERO Token Price Collapse". The trigger condition is AERO drops 50%+ while veAERO locked. Reading through the full scenario list on the protocol page is the single best way to understand the actual failure modes — generic "smart contract risk" is rarely the thing that takes a protocol down.
Is Autopilot regulated or insured?
Autopilot has some regulatory exposure (4/10), typical of mid-sized DeFi protocols. There is no specific enforcement action on record, but the structure includes elements that regulators have flagged in similar protocols. No DeFi protocol carries FDIC-style insurance — even with low regulatory risk, depositors are not protected in the way bank customers are.
What are the biggest red flags for Autopilot?
Hindenrank's retail-focused risk audit flagged: Funds locked in veAERO — cannot withdraw if AERO drops 100% Aerodrome concentration Limited documentation
Should beginners deposit into Autopilot?
Autopilot is rated B-, which is acceptable for users who understand the protocol's mechanism. Beginners should read the full risk breakdown and only deposit after they can articulate the top three failure modes. If you cannot explain how the protocol works, do not deposit.
How does Autopilot compare to safer Yield alternatives?
Autopilot is one protocol in Hindenrank's Yield coverage. The safest Yield protocols on the leaderboard tend to share three traits: a long incident-free track record, conservative mechanism design, and high-quality public documentation. Compare Autopilot against the full Yield ranking before committing capital.
For the full 8-dimension score breakdown, the radar chart, and dependency graph, see the Autopilot risk report.
Read the Full Autopilot Risk Report
This protocol has 2 collapse scenarios. 1 high-severity interaction risks identified. See the full mechanism classification, interaction matrix, and deep-dive recommendations.
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