Is that Crypto Project REAL or HYPE? Alice Liu, Ryan Celaj & AJC on BYOR Crypto Research Framework

*“How do you build a research edge in a noisy, AI‑driven market?”* In this Binance Online 2026 panel, CoinMarketCap’s Alice Liu (Head of Research) hosts Ryan Celaj (Head of Research, now DeFiLlama Research) and AJC (Average Joe Crypto, Messari) to walk through BYOR—Build your own framework, then let AI take it from 90 to 100. From where to start (passion over perfunctory), how to separate signal from noise, and spotting real traction (organic usage, retention, founder quality, product/revenue, GitHub), to using AI the right way (don’t outsource thinking; use it for validation, editing, design, and discovery), they outline practical workflows you can apply today. The trio also covers market reads (ETF flows, “Saylor effect,” macro uncertainty, willingness to bid new projects), crypto’s two paths (TradFi alignment vs. a return to roots), and why privacy is back as a serious narrative—alongside RWA perps, prediction markets, and agentic payments. *📚 Resources:* ➡️ CoinMarketCap: https://coinmarketcap.com ➡️ DeFiLlama Research: https://defillama.com/reports ➡️ Messari research Hub: https://messari.io/research *In this episode, you’ll learn:* ✅ BYOR fundamentals: start with topics you care about; develop taste; avoid “AI slop”—form your own hypotheses first ✅ Spotting long‑term vs. hype: organic usage and retention; beware incentives; founder quality and access; real product/revenue; GitHub traction ✅ Using AI without losing your edge: validation (counter‑views, papers), copy‑editing, graphics/design, and fast discovery (Llama AI/CMC AI) ✅ Market reads: ETF flows and Saylor buys; macro uncertainty (rates, geopolitics), and the “willingness to bid” new projects as an altseason tell ✅ Convergence: RWA perps, prediction markets, and crypto’s two paths—TradFi alignment vs. privacy/decentralization “return to roots” ✅ What’s hot next: privacy’s resurgence (beyond ZEC/XMR), agentic payments, and how bear‑ish lulls are the best time to go deep and build expertise *⏱️ Timestamps:* ⏳ 00:00 – Introduction with Alice Liu (CoinMarketCap) ⏳ 00:30 – How's 2026 been for CoinMarketCap? ⏳ 02:00 – Handling the stage over with Messari + DeFiLlama ⏳ 02:48 – How's the markets recently in 2026 (till May)? RWAs/tokenization ATHs; AI narratives; BTC ⏳ 04:51 – Research Framework for crypto by AJC: Start with interest; don’t outsource thinking to AI ⏳ 07:32 – Research Framework for crypto by Ryan: Feedback loops with other researchers ⏳ 09:13 – Spotting long‑term projects vs. hype ⏳ 13:35 – Using AI to be a better researcher (tools and workflows like Llama AI) ⏳ 17:21 – Alice: Aggregate multiple data sources for better prompts ⏳ 18:07 – Crypto market indicators: what Ryan (DefiLlama) and AJC (Messari) is watching and why ⏳ 21:07 – TradFi x Crypto convergence: How they are feeling ⏳ 25:16 – “Research inflation” and the role of AI (Alice) ⏳ 26:15 – Closing question: what's most exciting in the next 6 months + advice ⏳ 28:58 – Outro #binanceonline #CoinMarketCap #Messari #DeFiLlama #RWA #PredictionMarkets #binance *⚠️ RISK WARNING:* Digital asset prices can be volatile. The value of your investment may go down or up and you may not get back the amount invested. You are solely responsible for your investment decisions and Binance is not liable for any losses you may incur. It is your responsibility to ascertain whether you are permitted to use the services of Binance based on your individual circumstances. Not financial advice. For more information, see our Terms of Use and Risk Warning. *📢 Join the conversation:* ➡️ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/binance ➡️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/binance ➡️ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/binance ➡️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@binance ➡️ LinkedIn: https://www.din.com/company/binance ➡️ Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/binance *🔗 Download Binance here (iOS, Android):* https://binance.onelink.me/y874/cb98de36 *🔗 Sign up for Binance here:* https://www.binance.com/en?ref=ERQKP7ND&utm_source=BinanceYoutube&utm_medium=GlobalSocial&utm_campaign=GlobalSocial