Research · Strategy · Distribution
Digital Asset Research & Advisory
Castle Labs is a crypto research and advisory firm for teams operating in digital asset markets. We help protocols, ecosystems, funds and crypto-native businesses understand their market, sharpen their positioning and reach the people who shape adoption.
Operating model
Research comes first. Strategy follows. Distribution is built in from the start.
- Yearly research publications
- 180+
- Newsletter readers
- 7,000+
- Institutional readers
- 2,500+
- Saved for Arbitrum DAO through governance research
- $10M
Yearly research publications
Newsletter readers
Institutional readers
Saved for Arbitrum DAO through governance research
Clients include Arbitrum, Starknet, EigenLayer, Mantle, OpenEden, Ondo, Variational
Market context
Research that can carry through to market
A protocol can be infrastructure, a financial product, a governance system and a traded asset at the same time. Research has to account for the technology, market structure, incentives and audience around it.
Castle helps teams establish the evidence, define their market position and distribute the work to builders, allocators and crypto-native audiences.
What Castle does
Three connected service lines
Build authority
Research Media
Long-form research, market reports, protocol deep dives, ecosystem maps and narrative analysis for teams that need more than promotional content.
- Technical and market research reports
- Protocol and ecosystem deep dives
- Sector and competitor analysis
- Data visualisation and onchain evidence
Make better decisions
Strategic Advisory
Research-led advisory for protocols, foundations, funds and digital asset businesses evaluating markets, positioning, incentives and ecosystem strategy.
- Ecosystem strategy
- Protocol and market positioning
- Governance and incentive analysis
- Competitive landscape reviews
Reach the market
Research Distribution
Research repurposing and placement across Castle's own channels, designed to put credible narratives in front of the people who shape perception.
- Chronicle placements
- Newsletter sponsorship
- Research repurposing
- Owned social distribution
Research, strategy and distribution in one engagement
Castle starts with evidence, turns it into a clear strategic position and plans distribution around the audience that needs to act on it.
Research house first
Commercial work is grounded in public research discipline.
Crypto-native, institutionally readable
Technical enough for builders; clear enough for allocators and executives.
Narrative backed by evidence
Market framing supported by data, protocol knowledge and onchain context.
Distribution-aware strategy
Content is built around how crypto readers discover, share and act.
Operator-led advisory
Practical recommendations rather than abstract thought leadership.
Evidence of work
Public research and client work
Castle publishes across DeFi, L2s, RWAs, privacy, prediction markets, trading, AI and market structure. Client work spans long-form research, ecosystem analysis, incentive reviews, advisory briefs, research media, distribution campaigns and market positioning.
Arbitrum ARDC
Research advisory and DAO ecosystem analysis
Elected research seat, 5 deliverables
Arbitrum Unlocked
Sustained research media and ecosystem distribution
54 pieces, 487K+ impressions
Mantle
Ecosystem research and market positioning
4 research pieces, 50.4K+ impressions
Starknet BTCFi
Sector research and ecosystem narrative development
34 KOLs, 1.5M+ impressions
Flagship research
8 flagship reports across core crypto markets
Sectors we cover
Research desks behind the advisory work
Market Structure & Capital Flows
Castle Labs market structure research on liquidity, volatility, tokenisation, capital flows, and how digital asset markets actually move.
Real-World Assets & Tokenisation
Castle Labs research on real-world assets, tokenised markets, institutional adoption, RWA collateral, credit, treasuries, commodities, and equities.
DeFi & Onchain Finance
Castle Labs research on DeFi and onchain finance: vaults, lending, stablecoins, yield infrastructure, tokenised assets, and institutional adoption.
Networks, Rollups & Ecosystems
Castle Labs research on Ethereum L2s, app ecosystems, rollup economics, ecosystem strategy, and the networks competing for users and liquidity.
AI, Agents & Autonomous Finance
Castle Labs research on AI and digital assets: agentic finance, autonomous curation, AI tokens, verifiable compute, and machine-led markets.
Perp DEX & Onchain Trading Research
Castle Labs research on perp DEXs and onchain trading: Hyperliquid, Lighter, Variational, TradeXYZ, RWA perps, options, funding rates and venue microstructure.
Protocol & Ecosystem Deep Dives
In-depth Castle Labs research on leading protocols, ecosystems, tokenomics, architecture, adoption, and market positioning.
Privacy, Identity & Compliance Infrastructure
Castle Labs privacy research on Zcash, Railgun, Aztec, FHE, MPC, TEEs, identity, selective disclosure, and compliance-ready privacy infrastructure.
Prediction Markets & Volatility
Castle Labs research on prediction markets, binary outcomes, onchain options, volatility venues, Polymarket, Kalshi, and information markets.
Policy, Regulation & Institutional Access
Castle Labs coverage of digital asset regulation, MiCA, SEC posture, privacy rules, compliance infrastructure, and institutional access.
What clients say
“Castle has been organized, thoughtful, and flexible throughout time working with them. It's rare to find team players. Whether it's KOL management or research, would definitely recommend.”
“Having worked with Castle Labs on several Arbitrum DAO incentive and grant programs, I can vouch for their expertise and professionalism. They are a highly experienced team, fully dedicated to delivering results on every project they take on.”
“At OpenEden, we value partners who combine real protocol experience with high-quality, opinionated research. Castle Labs brings a strong understanding of both crypto-native dynamics and institutional expectations, translating complex market shifts into clear, actionable insights.”
Who Castle works with
Choose the right path
Match the mandate to the work
Build authority
- Research reports
- Feature articles
- Sector analysis
- Protocol explainers
Make better strategic decisions
- Advisory retainers
- Strategy memos
- Landscape reviews
- Incentive analysis
Reach the market
- Newsletter sponsorship
- Chronicle placements
- Research repurposing
- Owned channel distribution
Build a full research campaign
- Narrative strategy
- Research calendars
- Long-form reports
- Performance reviews
How Castle works
- 01
Diagnose
Understand the market, audience, objective and existing narrative.
- 02
Research
Build the evidence base: technical context, onchain data, history, incentives and market narratives.
- 03
Position
Turn research into a sharper thesis: what matters, why now and who needs to understand it.
- 04
Produce
Create the output: report, article, campaign, memo, dashboard, advisory brief or distribution plan.
- 05
Distribute
Help the work travel through Castle channels, Chronicle, X-native formats, creators and communities.
FAQs
What does a digital asset research firm do?
A digital asset research firm analyses crypto markets, protocols, ecosystems, assets and onchain activity to produce insight that supports decisions, strategy and communication.
Is Castle Labs a crypto research firm or a crypto advisory firm?
Castle is both. We produce public and client-facing research, and we support teams with strategic advisory across market positioning, ecosystem strategy, governance, incentives, research media and distribution.
How is Castle different from a crypto marketing agency?
Castle is research-led. We start with the market, the evidence, the audience and the strategic objective. The output can be content, advisory or distribution, but the foundation is research.
Who does Castle Labs work with?
Castle works with protocols, ecosystems, foundations, funds, infrastructure companies, DeFi teams, digital asset businesses and institutions entering crypto.
Does Castle produce long-form crypto research reports?
Yes. Castle produces long-form digital asset research across perpetual DEXs, DeFi, RWAs, L2s, privacy, prediction markets, options, tokenisation and broader crypto market structure.
How does Castle distribute the research it produces?
Through its own channels: the Castle newsletter to 7,000+ readers, Chronicle placements, research repurposing and Castle's social accounts on X, Substack, LinkedIn and Telegram.
Bring Clarity to the Market
Have a market, protocol or narrative that needs to be understood properly? Speak to Castle.
Speak to Castle