Methodology v1.0 · April 2026

ChainScore Methodology

A transparent, multi-dimensional digital asset rating framework

Overview

ChainScore is ChainIntel's proprietary composite rating for digital assets, scored 0–100. It evaluates every asset across six weighted dimensions using real-time and historical on-chain, fundamental, and market data.

Unlike opaque institutional ratings, ChainIntel publishes its full methodology. Bloomberg hides methodology. We publish ours.

Every sub-dimension score is visible in the terminal. Every data source is attributed. Every methodology revision is logged in the changelog.

The 6 Dimensions

Each dimension is scored 0–100 independently, then combined using the weights below.

On-Chain 20%
Fundamentals 20%
Regulatory 15%
Smart Money 20%
Technicals 15%
Adoption 10%
1 On-Chain Health
20%

Metrics

Active addresses (30-day trend), transaction volume, network value-to-transactions ratio (NVT), hash rate or validator count.

Scoring

90+ >90th percentile of 12-month range
50 50th percentile (median baseline)
<20 <10th percentile — network activity decline

Sources

Glassnode, CryptoQuant, Etherscan

2 Protocol Fundamentals
20%

Metrics

Protocol revenue (30-day), TVL if applicable, developer commits (GitHub), fee generation.

Scoring

80+ Revenue growth >20% MoM
50 Flat revenue — stable but no growth signal
<30 Declining revenue and developer activity

Sources

Token Terminal, DefiLlama, GitHub API

3 Regulatory Exposure
15%

Metrics

SEC classification status, ETF approval status, MiCA compliance, FATF travel rule status.

Scoring

90+ Classified commodity + ETF approved
50 Pending classification or partial compliance
<20 Active enforcement action

Sources

SEC EDGAR, EU MiCA registry, ChainIntel regulatory database

4 Smart Money Position
20%

Metrics

Whale wallet accumulation/distribution (30-day), exchange reserve changes, Nansen-labeled institutional flows.

Scoring

85+ Net accumulation >2x distribution
50 Neutral — balanced accumulation and distribution
<30 Net distribution — smart money exiting

Sources

Whale Alert, Glassnode, CryptoQuant

5 Technicals Risk
15%

Metrics

MVRV Z-Score, funding rates, open interest ratio, 200-day moving average position.

Scoring

80+ MVRV <1.5 + positive funding + above 200d MA
50 Mixed signals across indicators
<30 Overextended — high MVRV, negative funding

Sources

CoinGlass, CoinGecko, Glassnode

6 Adoption Metrics
10%

Metrics

Unique address growth (90-day), DEX volume share, institutional custody availability, exchange listing count.

Scoring

85+ >15% address growth + top-10 DEX volume
50 Stable adoption — no significant growth or decline
<30 Declining unique addresses and volume share

Sources

CoinGecko, DefiLlama, IntoTheBlock

Composite Calculation

ChainScore = (OnChain × 0.20) + (Fundamentals × 0.20) + (Regulatory × 0.15)
+ (SmartMoney × 0.20) + (Technicals × 0.15) + (Adoption × 0.10)

Each sub-dimension score is calculated independently using the metrics and thresholds defined above, then combined using fixed weights. The composite score is updated in real time as new data arrives.

Rating Bands

90 – 100 Institutional Grade
75 – 89 Strong
60 – 74 Moderate
40 – 59 Caution
0 – 39 High Risk

Transparency Commitment

Every ChainScore sub-dimension is visible in the terminal. Every data source is attributed. Every methodology change is logged in our changelog. This is how institutional-grade analytics should work.

Disclaimer

ChainScore is an analytical framework, not investment advice. Past performance and current metrics do not guarantee future results. Always conduct independent research. ChainIntel and its operators are not registered investment advisors.