Pause Sui Token - Global Halt with Deny Cap V2

The 20lab Sui pause token tool lets the deny cap V2 holder halt all transfers of a Sui coin network-wide with a single transaction. Unlike freezing (which targets individual addresses), pausing affects every wallet holding the token simultaneously.

The tool requires Deny Cap V2 with the pausable feature enabled at token creation. It's designed for emergency response: security incidents, smart contract vulnerabilities, major upgrades, or coordinated market attacks. Tokens created with the 20lab Sui token generator using the pausable feature can use this tool. Hands-on walkthrough: how to pause a Sui token.

Both restrict transfers but operate at different levels:

• Freezing targets specific addresses. Only the frozen wallets lose the ability to send or receive the token; everyone else trades normally. Used for compliance, security holds, and selective restrictions.
• Pausing affects the entire token network-wide. No address can send or receive, all DEX trading halts, and all DeFi interactions stop. Used for emergency response only.

The two are independent: pausing doesn't unfreeze frozen addresses, and unpausing doesn't unfreeze them either. Frozen addresses must be unfrozen separately even after a token is unpaused.

To pause or unpause a Sui token with 20lab:

1. Connect the wallet that holds the deny cap V2
2. Enter your token's coin type or address
3. Select Pause or Unpause
4. Confirm the transaction

The 20lab interface verifies you hold deny cap V2 and that the pausable feature is enabled on the token before allowing the operation. Once confirmed, the pause/unpause takes effect immediately across the entire Sui network.

Only the wallet holding the deny cap V2 can pause tokens that were created with the pausable feature enabled. This is typically:

• The original creator (if pausable was enabled at deployment and they still hold the cap)
• Any wallet the deny cap V2 has been transferred to
• A multisig wallet if the cap was delegated
• A Move smart contract that owns the deny cap V2 with proper pause authorization

Not all tokens can be paused - only those created with the pausable feature enabled using deny cap V2.

When a Sui token is paused, comprehensive restrictions apply across the network:

• All transfers blocked - No address can send or receive the token
• Trading halts - No swaps can execute on Cetus, Bluefin, Aftermath, or any other Sui DEX
• DeFi protocols freeze - Lending, staking, and other token interactions stop
• Liquidity provision and withdrawal blocked - LPs can't add to or remove from pools
• Global effect - The entire token ecosystem is suspended until unpaused

Pausing is recorded on-chain and visible on Sui Explorer. Previously frozen addresses remain frozen when the token is unpaused - the two restrictions are independent.

Pausing is reserved for genuine emergencies because of its network-wide impact:

• Active exploits - Stopping a confirmed contract vulnerability mid-attack
• Critical bugs - Halting transfers while patching a fatal contract issue
• Major upgrades - Safely executing protocol migrations
• Coordinated market attacks - Defending against organized liquidity manipulation
• Regulatory orders - Complying with legal directives affecting the entire token

Pausing should be rare. Frequent pauses destroy trust and signal operational instability. Most projects with pausable tokens go their entire lifecycle without using it, and many revoke deny cap V2 once they're confident no emergency intervention will ever be needed.

No - unpausing does not affect frozen addresses. Pause and freeze are completely separate functions in Sui's deny cap V2 model:

• When you unpause, normal transfers resume for all non-frozen addresses
• Frozen addresses remain frozen and continue to be blocked
• You must unfreeze them separately with the freeze tool's unfreeze function

This separation is intentional. It lets you, for example, pause the token during an exploit, freeze the attacker's wallet, then unpause normal operations while keeping the attacker's address locked indefinitely.

No - pause functionality is not enabled by default and requires specific configuration at token creation:

• Standard Sui coins - Cannot be paused. No deny cap exists.
• Tokens with regular Deny Cap (V1) - Can be frozen address-by-address but cannot be globally paused.
• Tokens with Deny Cap V2 and pausable flag - Can be paused by the cap holder.
• Tokens created with the 20lab Sui token generator using the pausable feature - Can be paused by the cap holder.
• Tokens with revoked deny cap - Cannot be paused or frozen.

Pausing requires explicit enablement during token creation. On 20lab, the pausable feature can be enabled alongside the freezable feature for full deny cap V2 functionality.

Yes - token pauses are highly visible across the ecosystem:

• All transfer attempts fail with a clear "token paused" error
• The pause status is visible on Sui Explorer and Suiscan
• Wallet interfaces (Sui Wallet, Suiet, Slush) may display pause indicators
• DeFi protocols and DEX frontends show the token as inactive or untradeable
• Pause and unpause transactions are recorded on-chain with timestamps

Because of the significant impact, projects with pausable tokens should establish clear communication procedures for pause and unpause events - including notifications through official channels and expected resolution timelines.