Crypto Research Skill

Perform comprehensive due diligence on any cryptocurrency by systematically gathering and analyzing data from multiple CMC MCP tools.

Prerequisites

Before starting research, verify the CMC MCP tools are available. If tools fail or return connection errors, ask the user to set up the MCP connection:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cmc-mcp": {
      "url": "https://mcp.coinmarketcap.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-CMC-MCP-API-KEY": "your-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Get your API key from https://pro.coinmarketcap.com/login

Core Principle

Thorough research requires looking at a token from multiple angles. Fetch all relevant data before forming conclusions. Surface both green flags and red flags.

Research Workflow

Step 1: Identify the Token

Call search_cryptos with the token name/symbol to get the CMC ID. If multiple results, clarify with the user which one they mean.

Step 2: Basic Information

Call get_crypto_info to get:

• Project description and category
• Launch date
• Website, social links, documentation
• Tags (DeFi, Layer 1, Meme coin, etc.)

Step 3: Market Data

Call get_crypto_quotes_latest to get:

• Current price and market cap
• 24h, 7d, 30d, 90d, 1y price changes
• Trading volume and volume change
• Circulating supply vs max supply
• Market cap rank

Step 4: Holder Analysis

Call get_crypto_metrics to get:

• Address distribution by holding value ($0-1k, $1k-100k, $100k+)
• Whale concentration (% held by top holders)
• Holder behavior (traders vs cruisers vs long-term holders)

Step 5: Technical Analysis

Call get_crypto_technical_analysis to get:

• Moving averages (7d, 30d, 200d SMA/EMA)
• RSI (oversold \x3C 30, overbought > 70)
• MACD signal
• Fibonacci levels and pivot points

Step 6: Recent News

Call get_crypto_latest_news with limit 5-10 to get recent headlines and sentiment.

Step 7: Deep Dive (if needed)

Call search_crypto_info to answer specific questions about the token's technology, use case, or mechanics.

Analysis Framework

After gathering data, evaluate across these dimensions:

Fundamentals

• What problem does it solve?
• Is there a working product?
• How does it compare to competitors?
• Is the use case sustainable?

Tokenomics

• What % of max supply is circulating?
• Is there inflation or deflation?
• Are there large unlocks coming?
• How concentrated is ownership?

Market Position

• Market cap rank and trajectory
• Volume relative to market cap (healthy turnover?)
• Price trend (accumulation or distribution?)

Risk Factors

Red flags and why they matter:

• Extreme whale concentration (>10% held by few addresses): Large holders can dump and crash price instantly
• Low holder count relative to market cap: Thin holder base means price is easily manipulated
• Declining holder numbers: Smart money may be exiting while retail holds bags
• Negative news sentiment: Ongoing negative coverage often precedes further declines
• Price down >80% from ATH with no recovery: May indicate fundamental problems, not just market cycles
• Very low trading volume: Hard to exit positions without significant slippage

Green flags and why they matter:

• Growing holder base: Organic adoption suggests real demand, not manufactured hype
• High % of long-term holders: Conviction from holders who have done research, less sell pressure
• Healthy distribution across address sizes: Resilient to any single actor manipulating price
• Active development and news flow: Team is shipping, project is alive and evolving
• Strong community engagement: Network effects build value and create sustainable demand

Report Structure

Present findings in this format:

## [Token Name] Research Report

### Overview
- Category: [DeFi/Layer 1/Meme/etc.]
- Launched: [Date]
- Rank: #XX by market cap

### Market Data
- Price: $X.XX
- Market Cap: $X.XX B
- 24h Volume: $X.XX M
- Performance: 24h X.X% | 7d X.X% | 30d X.X% | 1y X.X%

### Supply
- Circulating: X.XX M (XX% of max)
- Max Supply: X.XX M

### Holder Analysis
- Total Addresses: X.XX M
- Whale Concentration: X.X%
- Long-term Holders: XX%
- Holder Trend: Growing/Stable/Declining

### Technical Outlook
- RSI: XX (oversold/neutral/overbought)
- Trend: Above/Below 200d MA
- Key Support: $X.XX
- Key Resistance: $X.XX

### Recent News
- [Headline 1]
- [Headline 2]
- ...

### Green Flags
- [List positive indicators]

### Red Flags
- [List concerns]

### Summary
[2-3 sentence synthesis of the research findings]

Important Notes

• This is research, not financial advice
• Always present both positive and negative findings
• If data is missing or unavailable, note it explicitly
• For very new tokens, some metrics may be limited

Handling Tool Failures

If individual tools fail during research:

1. search_cryptos fails: Cannot proceed without token ID. Ask user to verify spelling or try the contract address.
2. get_crypto_info fails: Skip Overview section, note "Project details unavailable" in report.
3. get_crypto_quotes_latest fails: Report is incomplete without price data. Retry once, then note "Market data unavailable."
4. get_crypto_metrics fails: Skip Holder Analysis section, note "Distribution data unavailable."
5. get_crypto_technical_analysis fails: Skip Technical Outlook section, note "Technical analysis unavailable."
6. get_crypto_latest_news fails: Skip Recent News section, proceed with other data.

Always complete the report with available data rather than abandoning the research entirely.