Methodology

How we build a ranking

Every ranking on this site starts from a specific product problem — exchange interfaces, DeFi protocols, wallets, payments infrastructure, blockchain infrastructure, or stablecoins and fintech-crypto — because these are genuinely different design briefs, not variations on the same "crypto design" theme. We identify agencies with real, repeated, named evidence in that specific category, not a general web3 portfolio with one relevant project buried in it.

How we verify facts

Every claim in a ranking — founding year, named clients, funding milestones, TVL figures, platform-specific case studies — is checked against the agency's own site or another independently verifiable source, never a directory profile or a self-submitted bio. Where a detail couldn't be confirmed, we either dropped it or left it out rather than publish an unverified number. Crypto moves fast, and agency websites, client relationships, and even company names change quickly — where something has shifted, we use the current, accurate information rather than repeat outdated details.

What earns a spot in a ranking

• Category-specific depth. A firm with one relevant project in an otherwise unrelated portfolio doesn't rank the same as a firm with real, repeated evidence in that exact category — a wallet, an exchange, a DeFi protocol, or infrastructure specifically.
• Verifiable, shipped work, not concept portfolios. Crypto design portfolios are full of polished screens for products that never launched or never got real users — we prioritize agencies with named, live, or verifiably shipped products.
• An honest "not for." Every entry states plainly who the agency is a poor fit for, not just who it's right for. We consider that as load-bearing as the recommendation itself.

What keeps an agency off a ranking

We exclude firms we can't independently verify have done genuine, named work in the specific category being ranked. We exclude agencies whose primary business is web3 marketing, PR, or token-launch growth services with design as a minor, secondary offering, when the page in question is specifically about design work. Submitting a listing request doesn't guarantee inclusion — every agency, self-submitted or not, is checked against the same standard.

How often rankings change

Crypto and web3 move quickly — agency websites change, case studies get taken down, companies rebrand or merge, and new evidence emerges. We revisit rankings periodically and correct anything that's gone stale. If you spot something out of date, see the Contact page — we'd rather fix it than leave it published incorrectly.