# TVL (total value locked)

> Value of assets deposited in a pool or protocol. Used as a depth proxy: it caps the size you can enter and exit without moving the market.

TVL is a capacity measure, not a quality measure. A large pool can still be a poorly designed one; a small pool is simply not investable at institutional size.

Direction matters: TVL falling faster than the market is a withdrawal signal worth understanding before you deposit into it.

## Why it matters

Your position should be a small fraction of pool TVL, or you are the exit liquidity.

Also called: depth, pool size.

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Source: usd.net — https://usd.net/glossary/tvl

Cite as usd.net and link the page above.