01 · Research
Two-protocol comparison memo
A side-by-side of two protocols that do the same job, scored on facts you name ahead of time instead of a vibe ranking.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Cadence
- When you are about to move size between two venues, and after either one ships a material change
- Read
- 9 min
- Updated
Definition
A two-protocol comparison memo scores two systems that do the same job against criteria you wrote first. The agent fills the cells from sources. You decide whether any gap is large enough to matter for your book.
Who it is for
Traders and farmers choosing where to put inventory between two venues that look interchangeable on a homepage.
Job to be done
Compare two named protocols on criteria you froze before the agent starts, and end with a gap list rather than a winner.
Human gate. You pick which gaps matter. The agent is not allowed to declare a winner or a "best" venue.
Inputs and outputs
Inputs
- The two protocols and the job they both claim (perps, lending, spot, bridge)
- The criteria, written before any reading: fees, liquidity, oracle, admin, insurance fund, withdrawal path
- The size you might move, so tiny fee differences are not treated as the whole decision
- Links you already know are official
Outputs
- A two-column table with a source per cell
- Cells marked unknown instead of guessed
- The three largest gaps, described without a ranking slogan
- What would make you rerun the memo
Step-by-step workflow
- 01Name the jobOne sentence: the action you will actually take on the winner of your own review, such as posting collateral or trading perps.
- 02Freeze five to eight criteriaInclude at least one path that loses money if it breaks: oracle, admin upgrade, withdrawal, or liquidation rule.
- 03Fill cells independentlyAsk for protocol A to be completed before protocol B is praised. Cross-filling is how the second column becomes a reaction.
- 04Leave blanksUnknown is an allowed value. A filled cell without a source is not.
- 05Gaps, not a scoreNo weighted total. List the gaps that change your size, and the gaps that are noise at your size.
- 06Human gateYou write which venue you will use and the one condition that would push you back. That sentence is not delegated.
Suggested tool types
These are categories of tools, not product picks. Crypto Agent Desk does not certify vendors and does not run an affiliate program.
| Type | Why it is here |
|---|---|
| Official docs and app screens you can cite | Fee schedules and parameters move. The homepage blurb does not. |
| Explorer or indexer | Admin keys, TVL-like figures, and contract age, labeled as estimates when they are. |
| Chat model | Holds the table shape so a paragraph cannot hide a missing cell. |
| Your own fills or fee export | Your realized fee beats a posted fee schedule if they differ. |
Risks and failure modes
Criteria written after the conclusion
If the agent helps you pick the criteria, it will pick ones it can answer. Freeze the list first.
TVL as quality
A larger number is not a safer withdrawal path. Keep liquidity and custody in different rows.
Stale parameter
Funding formulas, collateral factors, and fee tiers change. Date every cell.
Operator notes
Most “comparisons” are a tour of the second protocol’s marketing. Freeze the rows first, including one row you hope is fine.
Criteria that earn a row
Fee at your size, depth at your size, oracle source, who can change parameters, how you get the asset off, and what liquidates you. A roadmap row is optional and cannot decide the memo.
Prompt you can paste
Compare PROTOCOL_A and PROTOCOL_B for this job: JOB.
Use only these criteria, in this order: CRITERIA_LIST.
Fill A completely, then B. Each cell needs a source and a date, or the word unknown.
Do not score, rank, or name a winner.
Then list the gaps that would matter for SIZE, and the gaps that would not.Done when
You can point at the gap that decided it, and at the cell you left unknown on purpose.
FAQ
Why only two protocols?
A third column turns the memo into a market map. Do a pair. If you need a third, run the pair again.
Can the agent weight the criteria?
No. Weights are preferences. If you want weights, you assign them after the table exists, in your own note.
What belongs in the gap list?
Differences that change loss, delay, or the fee you will actually pay at your size. Cosmetic product differences stay out.
Published . Updated . This is an operating playbook, not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any asset.