DeFi Strategy & Protocol Economics Advisors · OBOL rating
CryptoEconLab review
CryptoEconLab is a cryptoeconomics consultancy that spun out of Protocol Labs in 2022, where it served as Filecoin's in-house economics team.
6.9/10
Mixed
Score breakdown
Category rubric →- Published research and modelsweight 25%10.0avg 7.5
- Client-confirmed workweight 20%5.7avg 3.8
- Recent economics workweight 20%10.0avg 6.9
- Conflict-of-interest disclosureweight 15%0.0avg 1.7
- Named teamweight 10%3.0avg 6.0
- Transparent termsweight 10%10.0avg 8.0
this service category average across 15Score = Σ mark × weight. A criterion with nothing published scores 0. Methodology.
The evidence behind each mark
Scoring rules →| Criterion | Mark | What we found | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Published research and models | 10.0 | Publishes open code and models (GitHub CELtd, including the MechaFIL digital twin), an arXiv agent-based modelling paper, and client papers with simulators. | github.com ↗ | 22 September 2026 |
| Client-confirmed work | 5.7 | 7 named client case studies once Filecoin is set aside (it was CEL's in-house work at Protocol Labs before the 2022 spin-out, not a client engagement); 4 are confirmed by the client side: Revnet founder jango.eth on X, a Hellas article on its official X account, Secured Finance docs and the Palette Labs whitepaper listing CEL authors. | docs.secured.finance ↗ | 22 September 2026 |
| Recent economics work | 10.0 | Most recent dated economics work: cryptoeconomic analysis of Hellas, a trustless tensor compute network, published 19 February 2026. | cryptoeconlab.com ↗ | 22 September 2026 |
| Conflict-of-interest disclosure | 0.0 | No conflict-of-interest policy, independence statement or compensation disclosure was found on the site (about, services, FAQ and portfolio content checked). | cryptoeconlab.com ↗ | 22 September 2026 |
| Named team | 3.0 | The firm's site credits only 'CryptoEconLab Team'; researchers (Axel Cortes Cubero, Kiran Karra, Tom Mellan and others) are identifiable only via arXiv, FIP-0036 and a client whitepaper, and leadership roles are not stated. | arxiv.org ↗ | 22 September 2026 |
| Transparent terms | 10.0 | Describes design, audit and MiCA services, gives timelines of 4-6 weeks (basic) to 8-12 weeks (comprehensive), and states that design costs range from $50,000 to $150,000+. | cryptoeconlab.com ↗ | 22 September 2026 |
What we liked, and what fell short
Liked
- Open research output: arXiv paper (2307.15200), public GitHub repositories (CELtd/mechafil-jax and others) and interactive simulators
- Long, publicly documented track record in Filecoin governance (for example FIP-0036, which credits CEL modelling)
- Several clients confirm the work on their own channels (Hellas, Secured Finance docs, Palette Labs whitepaper)
Fell short
- The website names no team members; people can only be identified through third-party papers and client documents
- No conflict-of-interest policy or disclosure of how the firm is paid
- Much of the portfolio is concentrated in the Filecoin and Protocol Labs ecosystem