Methodology v1.3 · Last reviewed: May 11, 2026
TokenRadar Methodology
TokenRadar is an independent crypto research platform that turns market data, source evidence, and documented scoring rules into explainable token research. Our scores are analytical signals, not buy/sell recommendations, investment advice, or guarantees of future returns.
What We Measure
Every token profile starts with third-party market data, then adds TokenRadar metrics computed from transparent inputs. Some inputs are objective market fields; others, such as category narrative scores, are curated assumptions that we document instead of presenting as hard facts.
| Metric | Scale | Inputs | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Risk Score | 1-10 | 30-day volatility, market cap, 24h volume-to-cap, ATH drawdown | Higher score means higher observed market risk. |
| Growth Potential Index | 0-100 | ATH drawdown, category-relative market cap, 30-day momentum | Higher score means more recovery or peer-relative upside potential. |
| Narrative Strength | 0-100 | Curated category score inherited from the token's strongest category | Higher score means the asset belongs to a stronger current market narrative. |
| Volatility Index | 0-100 | 30-day coefficient of variation | Higher score means wider recent price swings. |
| Value vs ATH | 0-100% | CoinGecko all-time-high change percentage | 100 means at ATH; 10 means roughly 90% below ATH. |
Risk Score Formula
The Risk Score is a 1-10 score. It is rounded to the nearest whole number and clamped between 1 and 10. Higher scores indicate higher observed market risk.
| Factor | Weight | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| 30-day volatility | 0-2.5 pts | Coefficient of variation. CV at or above 20% reaches max contribution. |
| Market cap | 0-2.5 pts | $10B+ contributes 0; $500M or lower contributes 2.5; between them is linear. |
| Volume-to-cap proxy | 0-2.5 pts | 24h volume / market cap. Above 10% contributes 0; below 1% contributes 2.5. |
| ATH drawdown | 0-2.5 pts | Drawdown reaches max contribution around 90% below all-time high. |
Limitation: the liquidity input is a volume-based proxy. It does not directly measure live order-book depth, bid/ask spread, DEX pool depth, or expected slippage for a specific trade size.
Growth Potential Index
Growth Potential is a 0-100 score designed to show recovery room and peer-relative room, not a forecast. It combines three factors:
- Distance from ATH, up to 40 points: deeper drawdowns receive more recovery-room credit, capped near a 95% drawdown.
- Market cap vs category median, up to 40 points: tokens below their category median market cap receive more relative-upside credit.
- 30-day momentum, up to 20 points: positive 30-day price change contributes up to the cap; negative momentum contributes 0.
Limitation: a token trading far below ATH may be permanently impaired. This metric is a screening aid, not evidence that a prior high will be revisited.
Narrative Strength
Narrative Strength is a curated category score. Each token inherits the highest score from its matched categories. Current high-scoring categories include AI (95), Layer 2 (85), Real-World Assets (80), DePIN (78), meme (75), and gaming (70).
Limitation: narrative scores are editorial assumptions about market attention. They are reviewed periodically, but they are not objective measurements like price, volume, or market cap.
Volatility & Value vs ATH
The Volatility Index uses the 30-day coefficient of variation for daily prices and scales it to a 0-100 display range. Value vs ATH shows the current price as a percentage of the all-time high using the source ATH change percentage.
Limitation: both metrics are backward-looking. They describe recent price behavior and historical peak distance, not future direction.
Data Sources
Market price, volume, market capitalization, rank, supply, ATH, ATL, and category data are sourced primarily from the CoinGecko API. TokenRadar refreshes market data through automated pipelines and recomputes proprietary metrics after each refresh.
CoinGecko data is third-party data. We do not claim CoinGecko endorses TokenRadar, and users should verify critical market fields against primary sources before making financial decisions.
Pre-Launch TGE Discovery
TokenRadar monitors RSS and source feeds from Airdrop Alert, ICO Watch List, CoinTelegraph, Decrypt, and The Block to identify possible token launches, token sales, airdrops, exchange listings, migrations, and graduation events.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Candidate | Weak or early signal that needs additional source evidence. |
| Watchlist | Credible non-official evidence or multiple partial signals. |
| Confirmed TGE | Official, exchange, sale, airdrop, migration, or listing evidence with stronger confidence. |
| Trading / Listed / Graduated | Market evidence appears on a DEX, aggregator, or local CoinGecko-backed token record. |
Limitation: pre-launch records are inherently speculative. A funding round, testnet, or product launch is not treated as proof of a token unless the source explicitly connects it to token launch evidence.
See the live Upcoming Crypto Launches & TGE Tracker for current source evidence and lifecycle labels.
AI & Editorial Process
TokenRadar uses AI to structure research drafts, summarize market context, compare peer positioning, and prepare social updates. The AI is given structured market data, computed metrics, source facts, and content rules. It is not asked to invent tokenomics, investors, contracts, unlock schedules, or official links.
- Automated quality gates: generated articles are checked for minimum length, FAQ presence, financial disclaimers, numeric data points, and prohibited advice phrases.
- Indexing gate: token articles need sufficient liquidity, enough substantive content, required disclaimers, and no prohibited financial-advice phrasing before they are indexable.
- Known limitation: automated checks can catch obvious omissions, but they do not prove every sentence is complete or correct. Readers should verify important claims.
Corrections & Data Issues
Crypto data changes quickly and third-party APIs can contain stale or incomplete fields. If you notice an incorrect price, supply figure, broken source, misleading TGE label, or article issue, send the token name and the specific correction through our contact page.
Commercial Relationships
Some TokenRadar pages contain paid links to exchanges, hardware wallet manufacturers, tax software, charting tools, and similar third-party services. TokenRadar may earn a commission if a user signs up, subscribes, or buys through those links at no additional cost to the user.
Affiliate relationships do not alter Risk Score, Growth Potential, Narrative Strength, Volatility Index, Value vs ATH, TGE confidence, or whether a token is included in coverage. See the full financial and affiliate disclosure.
Methodology Changelog
| Version | Date | Change |
|---|---|---|
| v1.3 | May 11, 2026 | Updated coverage snapshot, clarified score limitations, added AI/editorial process detail, corrected TGE sources, and added commercial relationship disclosure. |
Contact
For questions, corrections, or partnership inquiries, use the contact page or email contact@tokenradar.co.