# Claude (claude.ai) — CryptoDataAPI

> Add live crypto market data to Claude on claude.ai: upload the CryptoDataAPI Agent Skill and connect the MCP server via Settings → Connectors. Free tier.

Give **Claude on the web (claude.ai)** live crypto market data — prices, funding, open interest, liquidations, market regimes, Fear & Greed, dealer gamma and whale activity — without installing anything locally.

Two parts: the **Agent Skill** (knowledge — uploaded as a capability zip) and the **[MCP server](/ai-agents/mcp-server)** (live tools — added as a remote Connector). Everything runs in the browser; no Node, no local config.

- **Vendor:** Anthropic
- **Agent docs:** https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11175166-getting-started-with-custom-connectors-using-remote-mcp
- **Config:** `Settings → Connectors  ·  https://cryptodataapi.com/mcp`
- **MCP transports:** http
- **Skill directory:** `Settings → Capabilities (zip upload)`

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

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

## Step 2 — Connect the MCP server (Connector)

Open **Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector** and enter the remote URL `https://cryptodataapi.com/mcp`.

**On authentication:** the connector UI can't attach a custom `X-API-Key` header on every plan. If yours can't, use the **keyless bootstrap** — a few tools (`create_free_api_key`, `list_capabilities`, `get_exchange_links`) work with no key, so ask Claude to call `create_free_api_key` with your email to mint a free key. Be aware: full data access still needs that key on the header, so where the connector can't send headers, the plain-HTTP path or a local client (Claude Desktop) is the reliable way to authenticate. Where custom headers are supported, set `X-API-Key: cdk_live_YOUR_KEY`.

**Connector settings:**
```text
Type:   Custom connector (remote MCP)
URL:    https://cryptodataapi.com/mcp
Header: X-API-Key: cdk_live_YOUR_KEY   (if your plan allows custom headers)
```

## Step 3 — Try these prompts

Enable the connector's tools in the chat's tools menu, then ask for a market read — see the example prompts below.

## Example prompts

- "Mint me a free CryptoDataAPI key for me@example.com, then give me today's market snapshot."
- "What's the current market regime and Fear & Greed reading?"
- "Compare BTC funding rates across exchanges and flag crowded positioning."
- "Which coins have the highest liquidation risk right now?"
- "How healthy is the crypto market today, long-term versus short-term?"

## FAQ

### Does it cost anything?

No. The skill is free, and the **Free** API tier (no card) covers market health, regimes, Fear & Greed, macro, flows, coin profiles and full-universe Hyperliquid funding + open interest. Per-coin quant, gamma and whale signals need [Pro](/pricing).

### The connector can't send my API key — is it still usable?

Partly. The keyless tools (mint a free key, list capabilities, exchange links) work without a header. But most data tools need `X-API-Key`, and some connector UIs can't send custom headers. If yours can't, authenticate via a local client like [Claude Desktop](/ai-agents/claude-desktop) (which passes the key via env), or call our [REST API](/api/docs) directly. We're honest about this — it's a client limitation, not our server's.

### How is this different from Claude Desktop?

claude.ai is browser-based and connects to the **remote** MCP server as a Connector — nothing installed. [Claude Desktop](/ai-agents/claude-desktop) runs locally and uses the **stdio** bridge with your key in an env var, which sidesteps the header limitation above.

## Related

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

---

Canonical: https://cryptodataapi.com/ai-agents/claude-web
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"}