The traditional metric of Total Value Locked (TVL) is being scrutinized as an inadequate measure for assessing the true value of DeFi lending protocols. As the decentralized finance sector evolves, TVL is criticized for not accurately reflecting capital efficiency or genuine lending activity. The metric's ambiguity can lead to misleading interpretations of a protocol's success. Modern lending platforms are increasingly focusing on yield optimization and liquidity provision, moving away from mere directional trading. This shift highlights the growing importance of yield-cycling strategies and the need to attract stablecoin and base asset supply to enhance protocol performance. These developments suggest that new metrics are needed to better capture the dynamics of DeFi lending.