Configuration

January 29, 2026 · View on GitHub

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):

Default values
Configuration file
Environment variables
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

First Tool - Use your first crypto tool
Deployment - Deploy to production