The Research Stack

This is the running list of exchanges, wallets, datasets and tools I actually use, or have used, while doing the research on this site.

Nothing here gets in because it has a long feature list or a generous affiliate rate. I’ve dropped tools before after a few weeks of actually relying on them, because the data lineage turned out to be murkier than the marketing page suggested, or because the “real time” dashboard was quietly running twenty minutes behind. A tool earns a spot on this page the boring way: I can trace where its numbers come from, I’ve checked its output against a primary source at least once, and using it doesn’t quietly cost more than it looks like once you count spreads, withdrawal fees and the subscription tier you actually need.

Security and custody matter too, obviously, especially for wallets and exchanges. And total cost is never just the sticker price. I’ve had a “free” tool turn out to be the most expensive one on this list once the execution slippage was added up.

What’s covered here

• Analytics tools — on-chain dashboards, market datasets, portfolio trackers and macro data services.
• Exchanges — liquidity, fees, execution quality, custody, and how they’ve actually handled withdrawals under stress.
• Wallets — key management, transaction safety, recovery, and which networks they actually support well versus just list.
• Trading tools — charting, alerts, terminals, automation, and where each one tends to break.

Some links on this page and in tool reviews may be affiliate links, and a few aren’t yet but might become one. Either way, that never decides the conclusion, and I’ll take a non-affiliate alternative over a worse affiliate one every time. Full disclosure and how I check things generally lives on How This Research Works. Published reviews are under Tools & Platforms.