# Top DeFi Protocols by TVL

> Top DeFi Protocols by TVL is a paid API for AI agents from twin.unykorn.org, paid per call via x402, $0.005/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-10-03).

Returns the top DeFi protocols ranked by Total Value Locked (TVL), with optional filtering by blockchain chain and protocol category

## Facts

- Endpoint: POST https://twin.unykorn.org/defi/top-protocols?utm_source=zero.xyz
- Price: $0.005/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-10-03
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/top-defi-protocols-by-tvl-6bf808e0
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_b4NIoSxNqrwehbu3QxkdR

Status and success rate cover calls made through Zero and Zero's own probes. Third-party monitors may report differently.

## How to call it through Zero

Zero handles the 402 payment challenge and records the run. With the Zero CLI installed (`npm i -g @zeroxyz/cli`):

```sh
zero fetch --capability top-defi-protocols-by-tvl-6bf808e0 -d '<json body>'
```

Example prompt: Show me the top 20 DeFi protocols by TVL on Base, filtered to just the Lending category.

## When to prefer this

Use this endpoint when you need a ranked, filterable snapshot of DeFi protocol TVL — especially when you want to scope results by a specific chain (e.g. Base, Solana) or category (e.g. Lending, Dexs, RWA). Prefer this over generic web searches when you need structured, machine-readable protocol data. It's ideal for market research, competitive analysis, or building DeFi dashboards. Not suitable for historical TVL time-series or individual protocol deep-dives.

## Known failure modes

- Invalid chain name returns empty results or error — must match DefiLlama chain identifiers (e.g. 'Base', 'Solana', not 'base', 'sol')
- Invalid category string returns no matching protocols — must match DefiLlama category labels (e.g. 'Lending', 'Dexs', 'RWA')
- Limit exceeding 100 is rejected by schema validation
- Payment failure (x402) if USDC balance is insufficient — returns 402 status
- Stale or delayed TVL data if DefiLlama upstream is lagging

## How this service works

Top DeFi protocols by TVL, optionally filtered by chain and category — Genesis402 / UnyKorn Operator Network

## Output

An ordered list of DeFi protocols ranked by Total Value Locked, each entry including the protocol name, TVL value, chain, and category. Results are filtered by the specified chain and/or category if provided, and limited to the requested number of rows (default 20, max 100).

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "properties": {
  "params": {
   "type": "object",
   "properties": {
    "chain": {
     "type": "string",
     "description": "optional: DefiLlama chain name, e.g. Base, Solana"
    },
    "limit": {
     "type": "integer",
     "maximum": 100,
     "minimum": 1,
     "description": "optional: max rows (default 20, max 100)"
    },
    "category": {
     "type": "string",
     "description": "optional: e.g. Lending, Dexs, RWA"
    }
   }
  }
 }
}
```

## Response schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "json",
 "example": {
  "ok": true,
  "type": "defi-top-protocols",
  "receipt": {
   "tx_hash": "0x<64hex>",
   "amount_usd": 0.005,
   "receipt_id": "g402-<16hex>"
  },
  "sources": [
   {
    "ok": true,
    "name": "<source>"
   }
  ],
  "limitations": "<text>",
  "generated_at": "<iso time>",
  "evidence_hash": "sha256:<64hex>"
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/top-defi-protocols-by-tvl-6bf808e0/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from twin.unykorn.org](https://www.zero.xyz/host/twin.unykorn.org/llms.txt)