TVL
TVL, or total value locked, is a metric used in decentralized finance (DeFi) to measure the total amount of assets deposited into a protocol’s smart contracts. It is often expressed in U.S. dollars and is used to gauge the size, popularity, and overall health of a DeFi application or ecosystem.
TVL, or total value locked, is a metric used in decentralized finance (DeFi) to measure the total amount of assets depos...
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Sep 2026 · Freshness Score: 50%
What is TVL?
TVL, or total value locked, is a metric used in decentralized finance (DeFi) to measure the total amount of assets deposited into a protocol’s smart contracts. It is often expressed in U.S. dollars and is used to gauge the size, popularity, and overall health of a DeFi application or ecosystem.
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TVL aggregates the dollar value of all assets held in a protocol, whether in liquidity pools, lending markets, or vaults. Analytics platforms like DefiLlama sum these deposits across every protocol and chain, using token prices and on-chain
TVL is the most common headline metric for DeFi growth and is used by users, researchers, and media to gauge market share. It can be inflated by double-counting, borrowing to deposit, or price appreciation, so it must be read alongside user
Knowledge Graph
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Overview
Total Value Locked, or TVL, is a metric used in decentralized finance to measure the total amount of assets deposited into a protocol's smart contracts, usually expressed in U.S. dollars. It is widely used to compare the size and adoption of DeFi protocols and chains. Higher TVL generally indicates more capital and user trust, though it is not a direct measure of safety.
How It Works
TVL aggregates the dollar value of all assets held in a protocol, whether in liquidity pools, lending markets, or vaults. Analytics platforms like DefiLlama sum these deposits across every protocol and chain, using token prices and on-chain balances. Because it is dollar-denominated, TVL moves with asset prices as well as with real inflows and outflows.
Why It Matters
TVL is the most common headline metric for DeFi growth and is used by users, researchers, and media to gauge market share. It can be inflated by double-counting, borrowing to deposit, or price appreciation, so it must be read alongside user numbers and volume. For choosing between protocols, TVL indicates liquidity depth, which reduces slippage and risk of bank runs.
Related Concepts
TVL is tracked by analytics tools like DefiLlama and applies across Liquidity Pools, Lending protocols, and Yield strategies. It is a key dimension in comparing DeFi projects and chains.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is TVL?
TVL, or total value locked, is a metric used in decentralized finance (DeFi) to measure the total amount of assets deposited into a protocol’s smart contracts. It is often expressed in U.S. dollars and is used to gauge the size, popularity, and overall health of a DeFi application or ecosystem.
How does TVL work?
Total Value Locked, or TVL, is a metric used in decentralized finance to measure the total amount of assets deposited into a protocol's smart contracts, usually expressed in U.S. dollars. It is widely used to compare the size and adoption of DeFi protocols and chains. Higher TVL generally indicates
Why does TVL matter in Web3?
TVL aggregates the dollar value of all assets held in a protocol, whether in liquidity pools, lending markets, or vaults. Analytics platforms like DefiLlama sum these deposits across every protocol and chain, using token prices and on-chain balances. Because it is dollar-denominated, TVL moves with