Low Risk

get_balance

Get the native token balance (ETH, MATIC, etc.) for an address

How to control get_balance ↓

What get_balance does on EVM MCP Server

AI agents call get_balance to retrieve information from EVM MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

Low Risk

Why get_balance needs a policy

This tool queries blockchain state to retrieve the balance of an address. It performs no state changes, does not execute code, does not modify data, and does not move funds. It is a straightforward read operation. The low severity reflects that balance queries are informational only and cannot cause harm if misused by an AI agent.

From the tool's definition Tool name is 'get_balance' and description states 'Get the native token balance' — a pure data retrieval operation with no side effects.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_balance gives an agent:

How to control get_balance

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and EVM MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get_balance:

policy.json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "get_balance": {}
  }
}

get_balance is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

  1. Create a free account and register EVM MCP Server — nothing to install.
  2. Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
  3. Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.
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Related tools and policies

Go deeper

Questions about get_balance

What does the get_balance tool do? +

Get the native token balance (ETH, MATIC, etc.) for an address. It is categorised as a Read tool in the EVM MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on get_balance? +

Register the EVM MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_balance: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches EVM MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is get_balance? +

get_balance is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit get_balance? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the get_balance rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block get_balance completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for get_balance. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides get_balance? +

get_balance is provided by the EVM MCP Server MCP server (mcpdotdirect/evm-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every EVM MCP Server tool call.

Start from EVM MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

Free to start. No card required.

25 EVM MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.

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