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Research & DataSimulated project

DeFi Analyst portfolio brief

A simulated research & data exercise for DeFi Analyst. Treat it as realistic practice, not real client or protocol work.

Objective

Choose one protocol and define the real research question

Expected deliverables

Protocol memoMarket dashboardRisk matrixComparative analysisEvent updateSource and methodology note

Recommended workflow

  1. Choose one protocol and define the real research question
  2. Build a source and metric map
  3. Publish a memo with downside cases and monitoring triggers
  4. Review the result against the rubric, then package it as a case study.

Constraints and safety

  • Use only public sources or clearly simulated data.
  • Never include seed phrases, private keys, or wallet secrets.
  • Redact private user, company, security, legal, or compensation information.
  • State every assumption you make.

Tools in practice

DefiLlama
Compare protocol TVL, fees, revenue context, yields, and category movement before validating the numbers against first-party sources.
Dune
Test protocol or token assumptions with onchain and market data, document definitions, and separate observed behaviour from interpretation.
block explorers
Verify transactions, contract addresses, events, token movements, deployment state, and incident claims against chain data.
governance forums
Publish or track proposals, voting windows, delegate discussion, quorum, and execution status while preserving the official record.
Google Sheets or Python
Structure the records behind protocol memo and market dashboard and make review status visible.
risk and market data tools
Test protocol or token assumptions with onchain and market data, document definitions, and separate observed behaviour from interpretation.

What a strong submission shows

  • A protocol deep dive
  • A risk dashboard
  • An exploit or depeg postmortem
  • A comparison with explicit methodology

Weak submission patterns

  • TVL rankings presented as complete analysis
  • Yield screenshots without risk
  • Wallet counts treated as users without caveats

Review rubric

  • Accuracy of claims and sources
  • Relevance to the target role
  • Decision quality and trade-offs
  • Completeness of the deliverable
  • Clarity of communication
  • Honest limitations and next steps

Present it as a case study

  • Explain the problem, sources, decisions, ownership, constraints, output, review, and what you would change.
  • Show the final artifact before the process notes.
  • State what you owned and what belonged to other people.
  • Label the work as simulated, and keep any real contribution clearly separate.

Interview questions this project helps you answer

  1. How would you evaluate high yield that depends on token emissions?

  2. What evidence would make you change a positive thesis on a protocol?

  3. How do you separate protocol risk from market risk?

Turn this into an application