> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.credprotocol.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# FAQ

> Frequently asked questions about Cred Protocol

The answers to all your questions, at least the main ones! If you don't see an answer you're looking for, please ask in the [Cred Community Discord Server](https://discord.gg/MtDHUX9mD6). The Cred Protocol team and community members are ready to jump in and help.

***

## General

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How does it work?">
    Cred Protocol uses on-chain analytics to quantify lending risk at scale. We correlate transaction history with the account owner's ability to fulfil obligations, specifically, repay loans.

    Our machine learning credit score model is comprised of a set of features that have been selected to capture the holistic view of an account's on-chain risk. When combined, they create a predictive score that quantifies the creditworthiness of an account.

    As the web3 ecosystem continues to grow and mature, we are always looking to add features that inform the model and improve the score. This process of continuous development is driven by our search for new data sources as they emerge, including new lending protocols, chains, and broader web3 projects.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is the score range?">
    Cred Scores range from 300 to 1000, similar to traditional credit scoring systems. The ranges are:

    | Score    | Range     |
    | -------- | --------- |
    | 920-1000 | Excellent |
    | 840-919  | Very Good |
    | 750-839  | Good      |
    | 640-749  | Fair      |
    | 300-639  | Low       |
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Which blockchains are supported?">
    Cred Protocol supports 10 blockchain networks:

    * Ethereum
    * Base
    * Polygon
    * Arbitrum
    * Optimism
    * Avalanche
    * BNB Chain
    * Celo
    * Scroll
    * Linea

    See [Chains & Protocols](/chains-and-protocols) for full details on coverage.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What lending protocols do you track?">
    We track borrowing and lending activity across major DeFi protocols including:

    * Aave V2 and V3 (Ethereum, Base)
    * Compound V2 (Ethereum)

    Historical coverage also includes data from MakerDAO, Liquity, Radiant, Venus, and other protocols. See [Chains & Protocols](/chains-and-protocols) for the complete list.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Credit Factors

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What factors affect my score?">
    Revealing the individual features that contribute to the score would potentially lead to people being able to 'game' the score and improve it without improving their underlying fundamental behaviours. In order to preserve the score's integrity while also providing transparency, the features are grouped into high-level 'Credit Factors'.

    | Factor             | Description                                                          | Impact |
    | ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------ |
    | Borrowing History  | Features linked to historical loan repayment performance             | Most   |
    | Wallet Composition | Features linked to the asset breakdown within an account             | High   |
    | Wallet Health      | Features linked to the size and volume of activity within an account | Medium |
    | Interactions       | Features linked to the account's involvement in the web3 ecosystem   | Medium |
    | Trust              | Features linked to trust and transparency                            | Low    |
    | New Credit         | Features linked to recent and open credit history                    | Low    |

    To find out more about the credit factors, read [How Does It Work?](/how-it-works)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I improve my score?">
    The easiest way to improve your score is to use lending protocols, take out loans and then repay them successfully. This demonstrates strong creditworthiness that will be reflected in a higher credit score.

    However, there are ways to improve your credit score beyond interacting with lending protocols. The Credit Factors represent groups of features that contribute to the score—improving behaviour in any of these areas would have a positive impact on your score:

    * **Build borrowing history**: Successfully repay loans on supported lending protocols
    * **Maintain healthy positions**: Keep collateralization ratios well above liquidation thresholds
    * **Diversify your portfolio**: Hold a mix of assets across different token types
    * **Establish identity**: Connect attestations like ENS domains and Gitcoin Passport
    * **Stay active**: Consistent, legitimate on-chain activity over time builds credibility
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why is my account unscorable?">
    We are able to score any account with on-chain Ethereum mainnet transactions. If your account does not have any Ethereum mainnet transactions, it will not be given a score. Once your account has transactions, it will be possible to score it.

    Similarly, rather than giving a brand new account with no transactions a score of 0, we will return 'Unscorable' as there are insufficient transactions to generate a meaningful score.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How often is my score updated?">
    Scores are calculated in real-time based on current on-chain data. However, responses are cached for 5 minutes to optimize performance. This means your score reflects activity up to 5 minutes old.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Multiple Wallets

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What if I have multiple wallets?">
    We are able to provide a score to a single account on the basis of its transaction history. Similarly, if you have a number of accounts, we are able to amalgamate their combined transaction history to produce a single score for the entire group.

    Use the batch scoring endpoint or pass multiple addresses to get an aggregated score across wallets.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I link my wallets together for a combined score?">
    Yes. The `/score/` endpoint accepts multiple addresses and returns an aggregated score that considers the combined activity across all provided wallets. This is useful for multi-sig wallets, DAO treasuries, or users who want their complete on-chain history considered.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Security & Gaming Prevention

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do you stop someone 'gaming' the score?">
    Our score is designed so that creditworthiness is informed by legitimate account activity. We have layers of on-chain analysis, fraud mitigation techniques, and a suite of Accountability APIs that surface consequences for bad actors. We don't publish exact details of our scoring algorithm to mitigate manipulation.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do you mitigate someone boosting their credit score by transacting with their own accounts?">
    Using on-chain analytics, we're able to track transactions which pass between different accounts and back to the same account, helping to mitigate "self-dealing" which may inflate transaction volumes and aspects of the score.

    Other aspects of the score are focused on Trust and evaluate multiple "proofs of humanity" ranging from verified credentials to fully KYC'd identities, which make it more difficult for an account to be abandoned or transferred.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do you prevent someone building up a good credit score, taking out a loan and then intentionally defaulting?">
    Where appropriate, we verify identity. We use proprietary on-chain analytics to mitigate fraud and partner with leading identity verification and attestation protocols to support the credit decisioning process.

    In addition, we're actively exploring privacy-preserving identity attestation approaches which combine security and pseudonymity.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## API & Integration

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I get an API key?">
    1. Sign up at [app.credprotocol.com](https://app.credprotocol.com)
    2. Navigate to the Dashboard
    3. Create a new API key in the Console section

    See the [Quickstart guide](/quickstart) for detailed instructions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What's the difference between sandbox and production endpoints?">
    **Sandbox endpoints** (`/api/v2/sandbox/...`) return deterministic mock data for testing. They're free to use, don't count against your quota, and respond instantly without making blockchain queries.

    **Production endpoints** (`/api/v2/...`) return real credit scores and reports based on live on-chain data. These count against your API quota and take longer to respond as they query multiple data sources.

    Use sandbox during development, then switch to production when you're ready to go live.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What are the usage limits?">
    API usage is measured in Cred Units (CUs) based on your plan:

    | Plan       | Cred Units/Month | Price    |
    | ---------- | ---------------- | -------- |
    | Free       | 1,000            | \$0      |
    | Pro        | 50,000           | \$249/mo |
    | Enterprise | Unlimited        | Custom   |
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do you support ENS names?">
    Yes. All endpoints that accept an address parameter also accept ENS names (e.g., `vitalik.eth`). The ENS name is automatically resolved to its corresponding Ethereum address.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Privacy & Data

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Is my data private?">
    Cred Protocol analyzes publicly available on-chain data. We don't store personal information beyond what's necessary for your account (email for authentication). The blockchain data we analyze is already public—we simply aggregate and analyze it to produce credit scores.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do you share my data with third parties?">
    We don't sell or share your personal account information. Credit scores and reports are only accessible via authenticated API requests using your API key. The on-chain data we analyze is already publicly available on the blockchain.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I dispute my score?">
    Since scores are calculated from on-chain data, they reflect your actual blockchain activity. If you believe there's an error in how your activity is being interpreted, please reach out to us on [Discord](https://discord.gg/MtDHUX9mD6) or contact support.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Still have questions?

<Card title="Join our Discord" icon="discord" href="https://discord.gg/MtDHUX9mD6">
  Get help from the Cred Protocol team and community members
</Card>