Overview
CRCI is a free directory of trust scores for Cardano DeFi apps, the lending, swaps, and staking tools that run on automated rulebooks (smart contracts) without a central operator. Reviewers read a project's public material and grade how transparent, accountable, and user-protective it is, so different projects can be compared on the same checklist instead of by reputation alone.
The platform is run by Chromahex Research and Confidence Insights Corp. and funded through Project Catalyst, the community grants program for Cardano. CRCI does not hold user funds, take payment from rated projects, or judge a token's price. It rates the homework a project has done before asking the public for trust, drawing only on the website, whitepaper, tokenomics, team page, and audits the project has already published.
Key Features
- One number that summarises the homework. Each reviewed project gets a CRCI Score from 0 to 100, plus two letter grades, one for how clearly the project explains itself and one for how well it has executed on those plans1.
- A 28-point checklist grouped into 8 categories. The checklist covers communication, token distribution, team visibility, audits, user protection, industry recognition, social engagement, and a running tally of any failures along the way1.
- Token charts drawn the same way every time. CRCI redraws each project's token allocation onto a standard chart, which makes it easier to spot heavy insider shares or short vesting periods that get hidden when each project picks its own style1.
- Reviews built only from public sources. Reviewers stick to information the project has already published, so anyone can re-check a CRCI grade against the same material the team used2.
- Pledge of Excellence for repeat reviews. Projects can opt in to ongoing reviews and earn a badge that signals willingness to be re-checked over time. Later slip-ups can pull an earlier score down through a Cumulative Demerits tally3.
What to Expect
If you are a casual investor doing homework on a DeFi app before depositing funds, the CRCI Scores page gives you a leaderboard of reviewed Cardano projects with their token ticker, total score, and two letter grades side by side2. Clicking any name opens a full report with grades across the 8 categories, the standardised token chart, and written notes on what raised or lowered the score.
If you build a Cardano project yourself, the methodology pages and the Pledge of Excellence program double as a checklist of what serious reviewers look for3.
CRCI covers Cardano DeFi only, with a dozen-plus reviewed projects rather than the full ecosystem. The team is upfront that scores are a starting point for risk management, not a guarantee that a project is safe. The scoreboard, methodology, and broader work were funded through Project Catalyst Funds 10, 11, and 1245.
