With thousands of cryptocurrencies, finding tradeable opportunities requires a systematic watchlist. Random scrolling leads to random results.
This guide shows you how to build a watchlist system that surfaces the best opportunities consistently.
- Too many tokens to track manually
- Good setups get missed
- No process for prioritization
- Reactive instead of proactive trading
A tiered watchlist system that:
- Filters the universe to manageable size
- Ranks opportunities by quality
- Alerts you when setups develop
- Tracks your analysis over time
Tokens you always monitor:
Tokens near tradeable setups:
Tokens with potential:
Everything else worth knowing:
-
Screened for basic criteria
-
Checked during sector rotation
-
Source for Tier 3 additions
-
Review frequency: Monthly
-
Action: Scan for standouts
- Set criteria for tokens that matter: Liquidity minimums: - Daily volume > $10M for day trading
- Daily volume > $1M for swing trading
- Listed on major exchanges
Fundamental filters: - Working product or clear roadmap
- Active development
- Real usage metrics
Category limits: - Maximum 30% in any single sector
- Diversified across market caps
- Include uncorrelated assets
- Start from the top down: Tier 1: Your current holdings + top 5 by conviction
Tier 2: Next 20 highest conviction
Tier 3: Screen universe for interesting setups
Tier 4: Remaining universe that meets basic criteria
For each token, track:
- Current price and key levels
- Thesis (why it's on the list)
- Criteria for tier promotion/demotion
- Last review date
- Rate each watchlist token on these factors: Technical (40%)
- Proximity to key level: 1-10
- Chart pattern quality: 1-10
- Trend alignment: 1-10
- Volume confirmation: 1-10
Fundamental (30%)
- Development activity: 1-10
- Adoption metrics: 1-10
- Tokenomics: 1-10
Catalysts (20%)
- Upcoming events: 1-10
- Narrative momentum: 1-10
Risk (10%)
- Liquidity: 1-10
- Correlation to existing positions: 1-10
Technical = (Level + Pattern + Trend + Volume) / 4 × 0.4
Fundamental = (Dev + Adoption + Tokenomics) / 3 × 0.3
Catalyst = (Events + Narrative) / 2 × 0.2
Risk = (Liquidity + Correlation) / 2 × 0.1
Total Score = Technical + Fundamental + Catalyst + Risk
- 8-10: High priority, prepare to trade
- 6-8: Good opportunity, monitor closely
- 4-6: Keep watching, not urgent
- <4: Consider removing from watchlist
| Column |
Content |
| A |
Token Symbol |
| B |
Tier (1-4) |
| C |
Current Price |
| D |
Key Support |
| E |
Key Resistance |
| F |
% to Support |
| G |
% to Resistance |
| H |
Thesis |
| I |
Technical Score |
| J |
Fundamental Score |
| K |
Catalyst Score |
| L |
Risk Score |
| M |
Total Score |
| N |
Last Reviewed |
| O |
Alert Price |
| P |
Notes |
% to Support (F): =(C2-D2)/C2
% to Resistance (G): =(E2-C2)/C2
Total Score (M): =I2*0.4+J2*0.3+K2*0.2+L2*0.1
Days Since Review: =TODAY()-N2
- Total Score > 7: Green highlight
- Days Since Review > 14: Red text
- % to Support < 5%: Yellow highlight (approaching level)
- **Name:** Text
- **Tier:** Select [1, 2, 3, 4]
- **Current Price:** Number
- **Support:** Number
- **Resistance:** Number
- **Thesis:** Text
- **Technical Score:** Number (1-10)
- **Fundamental Score:** Number (1-10)
- **Catalyst Score:** Number (1-10)
- **Risk Score:** Number (1-10)
- **Total Score:** Formula
- **Last Reviewed:** Date
- **Next Event:** Date
- **Category:** Select [L1, DeFi, Gaming, AI, Meme, etc.]
- **Exchange:** Multi-select
- **Alert Set:** Checkbox
-
Active Trading View: Filter: Tier = 1 or 2
-
Sort: Total Score descending
-
Weekly Review View: Filter: Last Reviewed < 7 days ago
-
Sort: Tier ascending
-
Approaching Levels View: Filter: % to Support < 5% OR % to Resistance < 5%
Sort: % to level ascending
-
Catalyst Calendar View: Calendar by Next Event
-
Filter: Next Event exists
For each Tier 2 token, set alerts at:
- Support level (potential entry)
- Resistance level (potential breakout)
- Stop loss level if positioned
Alert when:
Monitor for:
- Protocol updates
- Partnership announcements
- Exchange listings
- Regulatory news
- Check Tier 1 positions
- Review Tier 2 approaching levels
- Scan for triggered alerts
- Update any changed scores
- Review all Tier 2 tokens
- Scan Tier 3 for promotions
- Update thesis documents
- Check upcoming catalysts
- Full Tier 3 review
- Universe scan for additions
- Remove stale entries
- Reassess tier assignments
- Review watchlist performance
You can't effectively track 500 tokens. Keep active watchlist (Tier 1+2) under 30.
Old entries clog your system. Set criteria for removal:
- No trade after 3 months
- Thesis invalidated
- Score dropped below 4
Markets change. Review and update scores regularly, not just when adding new tokens.
Future you needs context. Document why each token is on the list and what would make it a trade.
import requests
def fetch_prices(symbols):
"""Fetch current prices for watchlist"""
prices = {}
for symbol in symbols:
# Use CoinGecko, CoinMarketCap, or exchange API
response = requests.get(f"https://api.coingecko.com/api/v3/simple/price?ids={symbol}&vs_currencies=usd")
prices[symbol] = response.json()[symbol]['usd']
return prices
def check_alerts(watchlist, current_prices):
"""Check if any tokens hit alert levels"""
alerts = []
for token in watchlist:
price = current_prices.get(token['symbol'])
if price <= token['support'] * 1.02:
alerts.append(f"{token['symbol']} approaching support at {token['support']}")
if price >= token['resistance'] * 0.98:
alerts.append(f"{token['symbol']} approaching resistance at {token['resistance']}")
return alerts
Use GOOGLEFINANCE or API calls to auto-update prices:
=IMPORTDATA("https://api.coingecko.com/api/v3/simple/price?ids=bitcoin&vs_currencies=usd")
- Define your universe criteria
- Create initial Tier 1 list (
5-10 tokens)
- Set up tracking spreadsheet or Notion
- Document thesis for each token
- Build out Tier 2 (
15-25 tokens)
- Calculate scores for all tokens
- Set up basic alerts
- Establish daily review routine
- Add Tier 3 tokens
- Refine scoring criteria
- Build automation for price updates
- Create views for different workflows
- Maintain daily/weekly/monthly routines
- Refine system based on what works
- Track watchlist-to-trade conversion rate
- Optimize for quality over quantity
How many tokens should be on my watchlist?
Active trading tiers (1+2): 20-35 tokens. Radar tier (3): 50-100. Universe (4): Unlimited but filtered.
Should I use multiple watchlists?
One integrated system with tiers works better than separate lists. Use views to filter for different purposes.
How often should I add new tokens?
Monthly universe scans are sufficient. Add to radar when genuinely interesting, not just because something is pumping.
What tools are best for watchlist management?
Notion for flexibility, Google Sheets for simplicity and formulas, TradingView for chart-integrated tracking.
