# read_contract

READ-ONLY — call any view/pure function on any verified-ABI EVM contract. Mirrors Etherscan's "Read Contract" tab and the symmetric counterpart of prepare_custom_call. Use for the long tail of on-chain reads no protocol-specific tool covers: OZ AccessControl role members (getRoleMember(bytes32,uint256), hasRole(bytes32,address)), governance proposal state, oracle prices, vault share prices, Safe owner enumeration, ERC-1155 balances, etc. ABI source: pass abi: [...] inline (preferred when you have the project's published artifact) OR omit it and the tool fetches via Etherscan V2 — refuses on unverified contracts with NO raw-bytecode fallback. Proxies are followed once to the implementation when Etherscan exposes the link. Pass fn as a name ("getRoleMember") when unambiguous, or as the full signature ("getRoleMember(bytes32,uint256)") to disambiguate overloads. args types are validated by viem's encoder — uint256 expects a decimal string, address expects 0x-prefixed hex, bytes32 expects 0x-prefixed 64-hex (e.g. an OZ role hash like keccak256("EXECUTOR_ROLE") = 0xd8aa0f3194971a2a116679f7c2090f6939c8d4e01a2a8d7e41d55e5351469e63). Refuses on functions whose stateMutability is not view or pure — eth_call would simulate a state-changing function and return a hypothetical result that has not occurred on-chain. Use prepare_custom_call for writes.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `read_contract`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/read-contract

## Facts

- Tool: `read_contract`
- Server: VaultPilot MCP (`vaultpilot-mcp`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp.md
- Install: `npx -y vaultpilot-mcp`
- Homepage: https://github.com/szhygulin/vaultpilot-mcp
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 5 (2 required)
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `fn` | string | yes | Function name to call (e.g. "getRoleMember"). Pass the FULL signature ("getRoleMember(bytes32,uint256)") to disambiguate when the ABI has overloads for the same |
| `abi` | array | no | Inline ABI array. When omitted, the tool fetches it via Etherscan V2. Pass it to override the Etherscan ABI, to call a contract whose source isn't yet verified, |
| `args` | array | no | Array of args matching the function's inputs in order. Decimal strings for uint256 (e.g. "0"), 0x-prefixed hex for bytes32/bytes (e.g. an OZ role hash like kecc |
| `chain` | string | no |  |
| `contract` | string | yes | Target contract address. Must be Etherscan-verified OR the `abi` arg must be passed inline. |

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "read_contract",
    "arguments": {
      "fn": "<fn>",
      "contract": "<contract>"
    }
  }
}
```

## Why read_contract is rated Low

This tool retrieves data from smart contracts without modifying state. It calls only view/pure functions, which by EVM design cannot perform state changes or side effects. The exclusive use cases cited (role queries, proposal state, oracle prices, balances) are all read operations. No write, execution of arbitrary code, destructive action, or financial transaction capability is present.

From the tool's own definition: "Tool explicitly labeled 'READ-ONLY — call any view/pure function on any verified-ABI EVM contract.' Description confirms it mirrors Etherscan's read-only 'Read Contract' tab and is used for 'on-chain reads' with examples limited to query operations…"

## Use case

AI agents call read_contract to retrieve information from VaultPilot MCP without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Allowed**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches VaultPilot MCP:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "read_contract": {}
  }
}
```

## Other tools on VaultPilot MCP (188)

- `prepare_btc_lifi_swap` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-btc-lifi-swap.md
- `prepare_btc_rbf_bump` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-btc-rbf-bump.md
- `prepare_jito_stake` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-jito-stake.md
- `prepare_marginfi_init` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-marginfi-init.md
- `prepare_solana_nonce_close` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-solana-nonce-close.md
- `prepare_sunswap_swap` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-sunswap-swap.md
- `prepare_uniswap_v3_burn` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-uniswap-v3-burn.md
- `prepare_uniswap_v3_mint` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-uniswap-v3-mint.md
- `remove_contact` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/remove-contact.md
- `unregister_btc_multisig_wallet` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/unregister-btc-multisig-wallet.md
- `combine_btc_psbts` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/combine-btc-psbts.md
- `pair_ledger_btc` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/pair-ledger-btc.md
- `prepare_aave_repay` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-aave-repay.md
- `prepare_btc_multisig_send` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-btc-multisig-send.md
- `prepare_compound_repay` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-compound-repay.md
- `prepare_compound_supply` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-compound-supply.md
- `prepare_curve_swap` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-curve-swap.md
- `prepare_custom_call` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-custom-call.md
- `prepare_kamino_init_user` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-kamino-init-user.md
- `prepare_kamino_supply` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-kamino-supply.md
- `prepare_lido_unstake` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-lido-unstake.md
- `prepare_lido_unwrap` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-lido-unwrap.md
- `prepare_lido_wrap` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-lido-wrap.md
- `prepare_native_stake_deactivate` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-native-stake-deactivate.md
- `prepare_native_stake_delegate` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-native-stake-delegate.md
- `prepare_rocketpool_unstake` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-rocketpool-unstake.md
- `prepare_safe_tx_execute` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-safe-tx-execute.md
- `prepare_solana_lifi_swap` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-solana-lifi-swap.md
- `prepare_solana_nonce_init` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-solana-nonce-init.md
- `prepare_solana_swap` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp/prepare-solana-swap.md
- …and 158 more: https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/io-github-szhygulin-vaultpilot-mcp