Getting Started

Welcome to Universal Crypto MCP! This guide will get you up and running in 5 minutes.

What is Universal Crypto MCP?

Universal Crypto MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that gives AI assistants access to 380+ blockchain tools across 60+ networks. It enables AI agents to:

• 💰 Check balances and transfer tokens
• 🔄 Execute DeFi swaps and lending
• 📊 Fetch real-time market data
• 💳 Make HTTP 402 payments (x402 protocol)
• 🤖 Run autonomous trading agents

Quick Start

Option 1: One-Line Setup (Recommended)

npx @nirholas/universal-crypto-mcp

This starts an MCP server that you can connect to Claude, ChatGPT, or any MCP-compatible client.

Option 2: Install Globally

npm install -g @nirholas/universal-crypto-mcp
universal-crypto-mcp

Option 3: Use with Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration (~/.claude/config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "universal-crypto-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@nirholas/universal-crypto-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ETHEREUM_RPC_URL": "https://eth-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/YOUR_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration

Environment Variables

Create a .env file:

# RPC Endpoints (at least one required)
ETHEREUM_RPC_URL=https://eth-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/YOUR_KEY
BASE_RPC_URL=https://base-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/YOUR_KEY

# For transactions (optional)
PRIVATE_KEY=0x...

# For x402 payments (optional)
X402_PRIVATE_KEY=0x...

# For CEX trading (optional)
BINANCE_API_KEY=...
BINANCE_SECRET_KEY=...

Get RPC URLs

Free RPC providers: - Alchemy - 300M requests/month free - Infura - 100K requests/day free - QuickNode - Free tier available

Your First Commands

Once connected to an MCP client, try these commands:

Check a Wallet Balance

Check the ETH balance of vitalik.eth

Get Token Prices

What's the current price of ETH and BTC?

Analyze a Token

Is the token at 0x... safe to trade?

Get DeFi Rates

What are the current lending rates on Aave for USDC?

Enable Features

Transactions (Requires Private Key)

PRIVATE_KEY=0x... npx @nirholas/universal-crypto-mcp

Now you can:

Swap 0.1 ETH to USDC on Uniswap

x402 Payments

X402_PRIVATE_KEY=0x... npx @nirholas/universal-crypto-mcp

Now you can:

Make a paid request to https://api.example.com/premium

CEX Trading

BINANCE_API_KEY=... BINANCE_SECRET_KEY=... npx @nirholas/universal-crypto-mcp

Now you can:

Buy 0.01 BTC on Binance

Project Structure

For developers building with Universal Crypto MCP:

import { UniversalCryptoMCP } from '@nirholas/universal-crypto-mcp';

const mcp = new UniversalCryptoMCP({
  rpcUrls: {
    ethereum: process.env.ETHEREUM_RPC_URL,
    base: process.env.BASE_RPC_URL,
  },
  privateKey: process.env.PRIVATE_KEY,
});

// Start the MCP server
await mcp.start();

Available Modules

Module	Description	Enabled By Default
wallet	Balance, transfers, signing	✅ Yes
market-data	Prices, charts, analytics	✅ Yes
defi	Swaps, lending, staking	✅ Yes (read-only)
trading	CEX trading	❌ No (needs API keys)
x402	HTTP payments	❌ No (needs key)
agents	Automation	❌ No (needs config)

Enable specific modules:

MODULES=wallet,defi,market-data npx @nirholas/universal-crypto-mcp

Security Notes

⚠️ Important Security Practices:

1. Never share your private key - Use environment variables
2. Use testnets first - Test on Sepolia, Base Sepolia
3. Start with read-only - Don't add private key until needed
4. Use limited approvals - Don't approve unlimited amounts
5. Monitor transactions - Set up wallet alerts

Next Steps

• Installation Guide - Detailed setup instructions
• Configuration - All configuration options
• First Tool Tutorial - Build your first tool
• Tool Catalog - Browse all 380+ tools
• x402 Protocol - HTTP 402 payments

Getting Help

• GitHub Issues
• Discord Community
• FAQ