# Claude Desktop — CryptoDataAPI

> Add live crypto market data to Claude Desktop: install the CryptoDataAPI Agent Skill and connect the MCP server via claude_desktop_config.json. Free tier.

Give **Claude Desktop** live crypto market data — prices, funding, open interest, liquidations, market regimes, Fear & Greed, dealer gamma and whale activity — as native MCP tools.

Two parts: the **Agent Skill** (knowledge — installed as a capability zip) and the **[MCP server](/ai-agents/mcp-server)** (live tools — added via `claude_desktop_config.json`). Claude Desktop connects to MCP servers over stdio, so you'll use the `cryptodataapi-mcp` npm bridge, which needs Node.js.

- **Vendor:** Anthropic
- **Agent docs:** https://modelcontextprotocol.io/quickstart/user
- **Config:** `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json  ·  %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`
- **MCP transports:** stdio
- **Skill directory:** `Settings → Capabilities (zip upload)`

## Step 1 — Install the Agent Skill (zip)

Download **`dist/cryptodataapi-skill.zip`** from the [skills repo](https://github.com/Crypto-Data-API/cryptodataapi-skills), then in Claude Desktop open **Settings → Capabilities** and upload it. Claude will consult the skill automatically on crypto-data tasks. See the [Agent Skill page](/ai-agents/agent-skill) for what's inside.

## Step 2 — Connect the MCP server

Make sure **Node.js** is installed (the bridge runs via `npx`). Then open your config file and add the `cryptodataapi` server. The path is `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` on macOS and `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json` on Windows — or use **Settings → Developer → Edit Config**.

Replace `cdk_live_YOUR_KEY` with your key (free one at [cryptodataapi.com/login](https://cryptodataapi.com/login)), save, and fully restart Claude Desktop.

**claude_desktop_config.json:**
```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cryptodataapi": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "cryptodataapi-mcp"],
      "env": { "CRYPTODATA_API_KEY": "cdk_live_YOUR_KEY" }
    }
  }
}
```

## Step 3 — Try these prompts

After restarting, the tools appear under the MCP/tools indicator in the message box. Ask for a market read — see the example prompts below.

## Example prompts

- "Give me a one-call market snapshot: health score, regime, and Fear & Greed."
- "Compare BTC and ETH funding rates and tell me which side is crowded."
- "What's open interest doing across exchanges for BTC over the last 30 days?"
- "Which coins are flashing the highest liquidation risk right now?"
- "Is the market in a risk-on or risk-off regime today?"

## FAQ

### Does it cost anything?

No. The skill is free and the **Free** API tier (no card) covers the whole market-wide picture. Per-coin quant, gamma and whale signals need [Pro](/pricing).

### Where does my API key live?

In the `env` block of `claude_desktop_config.json` on your machine. The bridge reads `CRYPTODATA_API_KEY` and sends it as `X-API-Key` to our API on each call.

### The server won't start — what's wrong?

Almost always Node.js: `npx` must be on your PATH. Confirm with `node -v`, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop (a window reload isn't enough). Check **Settings → Developer** for the server's error log. If tools 401, fix the key in the `env` block.

## Related

- [MCP Server](https://cryptodataapi.com/ai-agents/mcp-server)
- [Agent Skill](https://cryptodataapi.com/ai-agents/agent-skill)
- [Claude Code setup](https://cryptodataapi.com/ai-agents/claude-code)
- [Claude (web) setup](https://cryptodataapi.com/ai-agents/claude-web)
- [REST API docs](https://cryptodataapi.com/api/docs)

---

Canonical: https://cryptodataapi.com/ai-agents/claude-desktop
Machine-readable API map: https://cryptodataapi.com/llms.txt
Agent skill repo: https://github.com/Crypto-Data-API/cryptodataapi-skills (`npx skills add Crypto-Data-API/cryptodataapi-skills -g -y`)
Free API key (no signup): POST https://cryptodataapi.com/api/v1/auth/keys {"email":"you@example.com"}