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Configuration

Universal Crypto MCP can be configured through environment variables, a config file, or CLI arguments.

Environment Variables

Core Settings

Variable Description Default
NODE_ENV Environment mode production
LOG_LEVEL Logging level (DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR) INFO
MCP_TRANSPORT Transport mode (stdio, http, sse) stdio
MCP_PORT HTTP/SSE server port 3000

API Keys

Variable Description Required For
COINGECKO_API_KEY CoinGecko Pro API key Enhanced market data
BINANCE_API_KEY Binance API key Trading tools
BINANCE_API_SECRET Binance API secret Trading tools
BINANCE_US_API_KEY Binance US API key US trading
BINANCE_US_API_SECRET Binance US API secret US trading
CRYPTOPANIC_API_KEY CryptoPanic API key News tools
ETHERSCAN_API_KEY Etherscan API key Contract verification
INFURA_API_KEY Infura API key RPC fallback
ALCHEMY_API_KEY Alchemy API key RPC fallback

x402 Payment Settings

Variable Description Default
X402_PRIVATE_KEY EVM private key for payments -
X402_CHAIN Default chain arbitrum
X402_MAX_AMOUNT Maximum payment amount 1.0
X402_AUTO_PAY Enable automatic payments false

Wallet Settings

Variable Description Default
PRIVATE_KEY EVM wallet private key -
MNEMONIC HD wallet mnemonic phrase -
RPC_URL Custom RPC endpoint Chain default

Configuration File

Create a .universal-crypto-mcp.json file in your project root or home directory:

{
  "transport": "stdio",
  "logLevel": "INFO",
  "modules": {
    "trading": {
      "enabled": true,
      "exchanges": ["binance", "binance-us"]
    },
    "marketData": {
      "enabled": true,
      "providers": ["coingecko", "dexpaprika"]
    },
    "defi": {
      "enabled": true,
      "protocols": ["aave", "uniswap", "compound"]
    },
    "wallets": {
      "enabled": true,
      "chains": ["ethereum", "arbitrum", "base", "polygon"]
    },
    "payments": {
      "enabled": true,
      "x402": {
        "chain": "arbitrum",
        "maxAmount": "1.0",
        "autoPay": false
      }
    }
  },
  "rpc": {
    "ethereum": "https://eth.llamarpc.com",
    "arbitrum": "https://arb1.arbitrum.io/rpc",
    "base": "https://mainnet.base.org",
    "polygon": "https://polygon-rpc.com"
  }
}

CLI Arguments

Override settings via command line:

# Transport mode
npx @nirholas/universal-crypto-mcp --http --port 8080

# Log level
npx @nirholas/universal-crypto-mcp --log-level DEBUG

# Enable specific modules
npx @nirholas/universal-crypto-mcp --modules trading,market-data

# Custom config file
npx @nirholas/universal-crypto-mcp --config ./my-config.json

Priority Order

Configuration is applied in this order (later overrides earlier):

  1. Default values
  2. Configuration file
  3. Environment variables
  4. CLI arguments

Module-Specific Configuration

Trading Module

{
  "modules": {
    "trading": {
      "enabled": true,
      "exchanges": ["binance"],
      "sandbox": false,
      "defaultPairs": ["BTC/USDT", "ETH/USDT"]
    }
  }
}

DeFi Module

{
  "modules": {
    "defi": {
      "enabled": true,
      "protocols": ["aave", "uniswap", "compound"],
      "slippageTolerance": 0.5,
      "gasMultiplier": 1.2
    }
  }
}

Wallet Module

{
  "modules": {
    "wallets": {
      "enabled": true,
      "chains": ["ethereum", "arbitrum"],
      "confirmations": 1,
      "gasStrategy": "fast"
    }
  }
}

Security Best Practices

Never Commit Secrets

Add to your .gitignore:

.env
.env.local
*.key
*-key.json

Use Environment Variables

Store sensitive data in environment variables, not config files:

export X402_PRIVATE_KEY="0x..."
export BINANCE_API_KEY="..."
export BINANCE_API_SECRET="..."

Limit Permissions

When using API keys: - Enable only required permissions - Use IP whitelisting when available - Set spending limits for exchange APIs

Test with Small Amounts

Always test with small amounts before enabling larger transactions:

{
  "modules": {
    "payments": {
      "x402": {
        "maxAmount": "0.01"
      }
    }
  }
}

Next Steps