DefiLlama MCP Server

Overview

The DefiLlama MCP Server enables AI agents to interact with DefiLlama, a comprehensive DeFi data aggregator. This server provides access to TVL metrics, DEX volumes, protocol statistics, stablecoin data, token prices, yield farming pools, options data, and more — across 8 service groups and 4 upstream hosts.

By implementing the Model Context Protocol (MCP), this server allows Large Language Models (LLMs) to query DeFi data through a Code Mode surface: instead of one tool per endpoint, agents write small JavaScript programs that run in a sandboxed isolated-vm environment against a pre-wired defillama.* client. Four opt-in dynamic tools are available for structured endpoint discovery and dispatch.

Related MCP server: Birdeye MCP Server

Demo

The server in use from Claude. The agent uses search_docs to find the right method, writes a small program for the execute sandbox, and projects only the answer back across the boundary.

"Which protocol has the highest TVL 7-day change?" — the agent loads the tools, calls search_docs to find how to read the change metric, then writes an execute program. It notices the raw leader is a data artifact (a protocol whose TVL jumped from near-zero, reading as a trillion-percent gain) and reasons toward the meaningful answer:

It then distinguishes the literal answer (3Jane Lending) from the meaningful one (STRATO, the top gainer among protocols with enough TVL for the percentage to be credible):

"Pools with high TVL and their 30-day APY" — one execute call fetches the yield pools, ranks them by TVL, and formats apyMean30d into a table:

Requirements

• Node.js >= 22 (required by isolated-vm 6.x for the execute sandbox).

• The published binary's shebang already passes --no-node-snapshot to node. If you invoke node dist/index.js directly, pass --no-node-snapshot yourself: node --no-node-snapshot dist/index.js.

• isolated-vm is declared in optionalDependencies, so pnpm install will succeed on platforms without a prebuilt addon or a compiler toolchain. The server still starts and search_docs still works; only execute will report a load-failure error until you run pnpm rebuild isolated-vm.

• pnpm (for package management and pnpm dlx invocations).

Installation

Using pnpm dlx (Recommended)

To use this server without installing it globally:

pnpm dlx @iqai/defillama-mcp

Build from Source

git clone https://github.com/IQAIcom/mcp-defillama.git
cd mcp-defillama
pnpm install
pnpm run build

Running with an MCP Client

Add the following configuration to your MCP client settings (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json).

Minimal Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "defillama": {
      "command": "pnpm",
      "args": ["dlx", "@iqai/defillama-mcp"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Advanced Configuration (With IQ Gateway)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "defillama": {
      "command": "pnpm",
      "args": ["dlx", "@iqai/defillama-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "IQ_GATEWAY_URL": "your_iq_gateway_url",
        "IQ_GATEWAY_KEY": "your_iq_gateway_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Enabling Dynamic Tools

Start with --tools=dynamic (or set DEFILLAMA_MCP_TOOLS=dynamic) to also register the four endpoint-dispatch tools:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "defillama": {
      "command": "pnpm",
      "args": ["dlx", "@iqai/defillama-mcp", "--tools=dynamic"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Note (Claude Desktop / older MCP clients): Claude Desktop may resolve pnpm/node from an older Node in your PATH, which the server rejects (Node >= 22 is required). If startup fails with a Node version error, see Troubleshooting below.

Configuration (Environment Variables)

All environment variables are optional. DefiLlama's public API works unauthenticated; the API key and gateway settings are for users who have paid access or want caching.

Troubleshooting

requires Node >= 22 / ReferenceError: File is not defined

The server requires Node >= 22 (the execute sandbox uses isolated-vm 6.x). When launched via pnpm dlx/npx, the package's shebang resolves whatever node comes first in the MCP client's PATH — and clients like Claude Desktop often inherit a PATH where an older Node (e.g. from nvm) is first. Under that older Node the server now exits immediately with:

[defillama-mcp] @iqai/defillama-mcp requires Node >= 22 (running v18.17.1).

(Older releases instead crashed with a cryptic ReferenceError: File is not defined from a transitive dependency.)

Fix — pin an absolute Node >= 22. Install the package with a Node 22 toolchain and point the client directly at that Node binary and the installed entry, bypassing PATH entirely:

# with the Node >= 22 you want to run under:
npm install -g @iqai/defillama-mcp@latest
npm root -g        # prints <global>; entry is <global>/@iqai/defillama-mcp/dist/index.js
which node         # absolute path to your Node >= 22 binary

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "defillama": {
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/node22/bin/node",
      "args": [
        "--no-node-snapshot",
        "/absolute/path/to/global/node_modules/@iqai/defillama-mcp/dist/index.js"
      ],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Add "--tools=dynamic" as a third entry in args to enable the dynamic tools.

Alternatively, keep pnpm dlx but force a Node >= 22 onto the front of PATH via the server's env:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "defillama": {
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/node22/bin/pnpm",
      "args": ["dlx", "@iqai/defillama-mcp@latest"],
      "env": { "PATH": "/absolute/path/to/node22/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin" }
    }
  }
}

On Windows, use the ; path separator and Windows-style paths in the PATH override (e.g. "PATH": "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs;C:\\Windows\\System32"), and point command at node.exe / pnpm.cmd.

The absolute-path approach is recommended — it also avoids a per-launch dlx fetch.

Architecture

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Claude Desktop / Cursor / any MCP client                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────┘
                                  │  stdio (JSON-RPC)
                                  ▼
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  defillama-mcp server                                                      │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │  Default tools              │  Dynamic tools (opt-in via --tools=…)  │  │
│  │  ──────────────────────     │  ──────────────────────────────────    │  │
│  │  execute                    │  defillama_resolve                     │  │
│  │  search_docs                │  list_endpoints                        │  │
│  │                             │  get_endpoint_schema                   │  │
│  │                             │  invoke_endpoint  (with jq_filter)     │  │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│            │                              │                                │
│  ┌─────────▼──────────────┐    ┌──────────▼──────────────┐                 │
│  │ isolated-vm sandbox    │    │ direct dispatch         │                 │
│  │ • 128 MiB cap          │    │ • zod schema validate   │                 │
│  │ • 30 s wall clock      │    │ • 5 s / 6 s timeouts    │                 │
│  │ • scope budget+slots   │    │ • jq projection         │                 │
│  └────────────────────────┘    └─────────────────────────┘                 │
│            └──────────────┬──────────────────┘                             │
└───────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                            │  HTTPS  (optional API key or IQ Gateway)
                            ▼
         ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
         │  DefiLlama upstream (4 hosts)                │
         │  api.llama.fi    coins.llama.fi               │
         │  stablecoins.llama.fi  yields.llama.fi        │
         └──────────────────────────────────────────────┘

How execute works (one call's lifetime)

sequenceDiagram
  participant Agent
  participant Tool as execute (tool.ts)
  participant Sandbox as runInSandbox (sandbox.ts)
  participant Guest as Guest JS<br/>(V8 isolate)
  participant Bridge as installServiceCall<br/>(client.ts)
  participant DefiLlama as DefiLlama API

  Agent->>Tool: tools/call execute {code}
  Tool->>Tool: createExecutionScope()<br/>(budget=100, concurrency=10)
  Tool->>Sandbox: runInSandbox(code, installClient)
  Sandbox->>Sandbox: new Isolate({memoryLimit:128MB})
  Sandbox->>Bridge: installDefillamaClient(ctx, scope)
  Bridge-->>Guest: install defillama.protocol.*, defillama.price.*, resolveChain, ...
  Sandbox->>Guest: script.run({timeout:30s})
  Guest->>Bridge: await defillama.protocol.getChains({})
  Bridge->>Bridge: tryReserveBudget<br/>acquireSlot<br/>safeParse(args)
  Bridge->>DefiLlama: HTTPS (5s abort + 6s axios timeout)
  DefiLlama-->>Bridge: JSON
  Bridge-->>Guest: envelope {ok:true, data}
  Guest-->>Sandbox: return projected result
  Sandbox-->>Tool: {ok, result, log_lines, err_lines}
  Tool->>Tool: cancelScope() in finally
  Tool-->>Agent: MCP envelope

The key insight: only the projected return value crosses the V8 boundary. The agent writes JS that loops, joins, and filters; the host sees one returned value, not N intermediate responses.

Code Mode

The preferred way to query DefiLlama from an AI agent is the execute + search_docs pair. These two tools handle the full workflow — discovery, projection, multi-step composition — through agent-authored JavaScript.

Default tool surface

By default the server registers exactly two tools:

--tools=dynamic mode

Start the server with --tools=dynamic (or set DEFILLAMA_MCP_TOOLS=dynamic) to register four additional tools:

MCP client configuration with dynamic tools:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "defillama": {
      "command": "pnpm",
      "args": ["dlx", "@iqai/defillama-mcp", "--tools=dynamic"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Or via environment variable:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "defillama": {
      "command": "pnpm",
      "args": ["dlx", "@iqai/defillama-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "DEFILLAMA_MCP_TOOLS": "dynamic"
      }
    }
  }
}

execute — Sandboxed JavaScript

Run arbitrary JavaScript inside a secure isolated-vm sandbox. The sandbox receives a fully-configured DefiLlama client as defillama. All eight service groups are available.

Define async function run(defillama) { ... }; the JSON-serializable return value (plus console.log output) is sent back.

Example — top 5 protocols by TVL:

async function run(defillama) {
  const protocols = await defillama.protocol.getProtocols();
  return protocols
    .sort((a, b) => (b.tvl ?? 0) - (a.tvl ?? 0))
    .slice(0, 5)
    .map(p => ({ name: p.name, tvl: p.tvl, chain: p.chain }));
}

Example — current price of ETH and USDT:

async function run(defillama) {
  return await defillama.price.getCurrentPrices({
    coins: 'coingecko:ethereum,ethereum:0xdac17f958d2ee523a2206206994597c13d831ec7'
  });
}

defillama.* client groups

The defillama client inside execute is split into eight groups that mirror the upstream service architecture:

Resolvers

Three resolver helpers are available inside execute:

• resolveChain(input) — resolves a human name to { name, slug }. Use .name for api.llama.fi groups (protocol, dex, fees, options) and .slug for coins.llama.fi calls (price, blockchain).

• resolveProtocol(input) — resolves a protocol name to its DefiLlama slug string (e.g. "lido").

• resolveStablecoin(input) — resolves a stablecoin name or symbol to its numeric DefiLlama ID string (e.g. "1" for USDT).

Example:

async function run(defillama) {
  const chain = await defillama.resolveChain('BSC');
  // chain = { name: 'BSC', slug: 'bsc' }
  const overview = await defillama.dex.getDexsOverview({ chain: chain.name });
  return overview.protocols?.slice(0, 5).map(p => ({ name: p.name, volume: p.total24h }));
}

Chain name vs. slug convention

DefiLlama uses two chain spellings depending on the host:

• api.llama.fi groups (protocol, dex, fees, options) use the chain display name — e.g. "Ethereum", "BSC".

• coins.llama.fi calls (price, blockchain) use the lowercase slug — e.g. "ethereum", "bsc".

resolveChain(x) returns { name, slug }. Always use .name for api-group parameters and .slug for coins-group parameters.

Price coin format — chain:address

The price group identifies tokens as chain:address, using the lowercase chain slug:

• ethereum:0xC02aaA39b223FE8D0A0e5C4F27eAD9083C756Cc2 — WETH on Ethereum

• coingecko:ethereum — native ETH via CoinGecko ID (no contract address needed)

• bsc:0x55d398326f99059ff775485246999027b3197955 — USDT on BSC

Multiple tokens are comma-separated:

await defillama.price.getCurrentPrices({
  coins: 'coingecko:ethereum,ethereum:0xdac17f958d2ee523a2206206994597c13d831ec7'
})

search_docs — Local Documentation Search

Search the embedded MiniSearch index over all DefiLlama API methods and cookbook entries. Use it first when you're unsure which method or parameters you need, or to find a worked recipe.

Example query: top protocols tvl

Safety limits

The execute sandbox enforces five bounds. Defaults are tuned for legitimate Promise.all-style work.

These limits protect DefiLlama's public rate limits, which are not tied to any user credential.

The sandbox also blocks the source-level identifiers process., require(, import(, and eval( at submission time as a defense-in-depth check.

Schema validation is enforced on every guest call: arguments are zod-parsed against the method's published schema before reaching the upstream service. Invalid arguments return a clear error message rather than propagating to the API.

invoke_endpoint with jq_filter

invoke_endpoint (in --tools=dynamic mode) accepts an optional jq_filter that projects the response before it crosses back to the agent — reduces response size and skips client-side parsing.

{
  "name": "defillama.protocol.getChains",
  "params": {},
  "jq_filter": "[.[] | {name, tvl}] | sort_by(-.tvl) | .[0:5]"
}

Common patterns:

The filter runs through jqts (pure-JS, no native jq binary) so it works on every platform.

Error envelopes

Every tool returns the MCP standard { content: [{ type, text }], isError } envelope. The text is JSON containing one of:

Errors never throw across the VM boundary — every guest-side failure surfaces as an { ok: false, error } envelope.

Migrating from earlier versions

The ~19 endpoint-specific defillama_* tools are removed. Use execute for multi-step workflows, or start with --tools=dynamic for the per-endpoint dispatch triad:

• list_endpoints — discover available endpoints and their qualified names.

• get_endpoint_schema — inspect parameters and response shape for a specific endpoint.

• invoke_endpoint — call a single endpoint with optional jq_filter for host-side projection.

The OPENROUTER_API_KEY, LLM_MODEL, and GOOGLE_GENERATIVE_AI_API_KEY env vars are no longer recognized.

ADK Usage

@iqai/defillama-mcp exports an ADK-compatible helper:

import { getDefillamaTools } from "@iqai/defillama-mcp/dist/adk/index.js";

// Default surface (execute + search_docs) — 2 tools
const tools = getDefillamaTools();

// With dynamic tools enabled — 6 tools
const allTools = getDefillamaTools({ dynamic: true });

getDefillamaTools() returns BaseTool[] from @iqai/adk. These wrap the same MCP tool implementations and can be dropped into any ADK agent.

Development

Build Project

pnpm run build

Development Mode (Watch)

pnpm run watch

Linting & Formatting

pnpm run lint
pnpm run format

Tests

pnpm test

Release Management

pnpm changeset          # Create a release note
pnpm version-packages   # Apply pending changesets
pnpm publish-packages   # Build and publish

Project Structure

src/
├── index.ts                     # Server entry point (FastMCP registration)
├── env.ts                       # Env validation (dotenv + zod)
├── config.ts                    # Per-group cache TTLs
├── types.ts                     # Shared TypeScript types
├── adk/index.ts                 # getDefillamaTools() ADK adapter
├── services/                    # DefiLlama API client (one *.service.ts per domain)
│   └── base.service.ts          # RequestOptions, IQ-Gateway + direct fetch
├── lib/
│   ├── entity-resolver.ts       # resolveChain / resolveProtocol / resolveStablecoin
│   └── utils/                   # logger, error-handler
├── mcp/
│   ├── tools.ts                 # defillama_resolve (dynamic mode)
│   ├── execute/                 # Code Mode: sandbox + client + scope + tool
│   ├── search-docs/             # MiniSearch index + tool + cookbook recipes
│   ├── endpoints/               # list_endpoints / get_endpoint_schema / invoke_endpoint
│   ├── instructions/            # instructions.md → instructions.generated.ts
│   └── catalog/                 # tool-metadata + response-schemas (shared)
└── enums/chains.ts              # Bundled chain catalog (fallback when live fetch fails)

scripts/
├── build-docs-index.ts          # Pre-build: tool-metadata + cookbook → embedded-index.ts
└── build-instructions.ts        # Pre-build: instructions.md → instructions.generated.ts

tests/integration/               # End-to-end tests (spawn the built server)

Resources

• DefiLlama API Documentation

• Model Context Protocol (MCP)

• DefiLlama Platform

• IQ AI

Disclaimer

This project is an unofficial tool and is not directly affiliated with DefiLlama. It interacts with DeFi protocol data via DefiLlama's public API. Users should exercise caution and verify all data independently. DeFi involves risk.

License

ISC