DefiLlama and Forgd introduce institutional token grades, but warn that AAA does not mean risk-free

DefiLlama and Forgd have introduced an AAA-to-CCC rating system covering 128 of 149 listed tokens, with Uniswap currently holding the dashboard’s only AAA grade at a composite score of 60.80. Summary Universal Token Rating multiplies disclosure and performance scores instead of averaging them. Projects lose points for missing disclosures, weak liquidity arrangements and insider-friendly tokenomics. Submitted project information is checked against exchange, on-chain, and market-maker data. AAA signals strong current conditions but does not predict returns or eliminate investment risks. DefiLlama’s live Universal Token Rating dashboard places Uniswap first with disclosure and performance scores of 7.87 and 7.72, respectively. Meteora follows with an AA grade and a composite score of 58.48, while Curve DAO ranks third at 53.32. Developed with token advisory platform Forgd, the system grades assets by combining what a project discloses with what trading data shows. Its disclosure assessment covers areas such as tokenomics, insider wallets and commercial arrangements, while the performance side examines liquidity, spreads, venue coverage and market-maker conduct. DefiLlama Head of Research Ryan Celaj told crypto.news that both components are required because averaging them could allow strength in one area to conceal serious problems in another. “We’re multiplying a project’s disclosure and performance scores deliberately, because they are both necessary conditions for credibility. And ‘necessary’ is the key word. It’s not that performance and disclosures both factor in. They’re required.” Under the formula, a project with a disclosure score of 10 and a performance score of 2 receives a composite score of 20. Celaj said an average would give the same project a much less critical score despite its weak market performance. You might also like: DefiLlama founder says Apple took months to remove fake app DefiLlama token grades require strength on both axes The two scores range from zero to 10 and are multiplied to produce a result out of 100. AAA begins at 60, meaning a token cannot reach the top category if either component falls below six, even with a perfect score on the other axis. AA starts at 40, with narrower bands separating A, BBB, BB, and B as weaknesses increase. Celaj said the thresholds make the highest grades difficult to obtain while creating distinctions among assets further down the table. Although the letters resemble grades used in conventional finance, Celaj said they do not estimate default probabilities and should not be treated as equivalents to ratings issued by a traditional credit-rating agency. The format was selected because institutional traders already understand the AAA-to-CCC scale. The approach also links stated policies to observable results. A project may publish detailed market-making terms or token-distribution plans, but the performance score tests whether liquidity, trading activity and wallet behavior match those claims.