# Ecosystem Catalog Guide

How to search the solana-new catalogs for competitive intelligence.

## Available Catalogs

| Catalog | Count | Location |
|---------|-------|----------|
| Repos | 59 | `~/.claude/skills/data/catalogs/clonable-repos.json` |
| Skills | 78 | `~/.claude/skills/data/catalogs/solana-skills.json` |
| MCPs | 49 | `~/.claude/skills/data/catalogs/solana-mcps.json` |

These are installed automatically alongside the skills.

## How to Search

### Repos (clonable-repos.json)
- Each repo has: id, category, description, keywords, repo URL
- Categories: DeFi, Agents, Frontend, Programs, Infrastructure, Data, Gaming
- Search by keyword match on description + keywords fields
- A repo in the catalog means someone built something in this space

### Skills (solana-skills.json)
- Official skills (15): Solana Foundation maintained
- Community skills (63): Protocol-specific (Jupiter, Orca, Helius, Phoenix, etc.)
- A skill existing means there's enough demand for guided development in that area

### MCPs (solana-mcps.json)
- Each MCP has: id, name, category, description, keywords
- An MCP existing means there's infrastructure supporting builders in that space

## When Catalogs Aren't Installed

The catalog JSONs may not be available locally. When they're missing, fall back to live data:

- **Protocol landscape**: Use DefiLlama API (`https://api.llama.fi/protocols`) or DefiLlama MCP to get current protocols by category and TVL. Filter by chain (Solana).
- **Competition check**: Search DefiLlama for protocols in the same category, compare TVL and volume trends.
- **Ecosystem health**: Check if the target category has growing aggregate TVL on Solana — signals demand.
- **SDK availability**: Check npm for `@protocol-name/sdk` packages, verify recency.

See `data/solana-knowledge/04-protocols-and-sdks.md` → "Protocol Health Verification" for criteria.

## What to Look For

1. **Direct hits**: A repo/skill/MCP that does exactly what the user wants to build → strong competition signal
2. **Adjacent tools**: Tools in the same category that solve a different problem → ecosystem health signal
3. **Missing tools**: No repos/skills/MCPs in the target space → either underserved or no demand
4. **Skill + MCP combos**: If both exist for a domain, the space is maturing
5. **Protocol health**: A protocol-specific skill/MCP exists but the protocol is dead → the skill is useless. Always verify.

## Reporting

Always tell the user:
- How many catalog entries relate to their idea
- Which specific repos/skills/MCPs are most relevant
- Whether the ecosystem tooling supports or competes with their concept
- Whether recommended protocols are healthy (verified via live data, not just catalog presence)