# Windsurf — CryptoDataAPI

> Add live crypto data to Windsurf Cascade: install the CryptoDataAPI Agent Skill and connect the MCP server via mcp_config.json (serverUrl or stdio). Free.

Give **Windsurf's Cascade** agent 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) and the **[MCP server](/ai-agents/mcp-server)** (live tools). Windsurf reads MCP servers from `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json` (on Windows, `%USERPROFILE%\.codeium\windsurf\mcp_config.json`) and supports both remote streamable-HTTP (`serverUrl` + `headers`) and stdio servers.

- **Vendor:** Codeium
- **Agent docs:** https://docs.windsurf.com/windsurf/cascade/mcp
- **Config:** `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`
- **MCP transports:** http (serverUrl), stdio

## Step 1 — Install the Agent Skill

Install the skill with the skills CLI so Cascade knows how to use our data and workflows. See the [Agent Skill page](/ai-agents/agent-skill) for what's inside.

**Terminal:**
```bash
npx skills add Crypto-Data-API/cryptodataapi-skills -g -y
```

## Step 2 — Connect the MCP server

Open `mcp_config.json` (Windsurf → **Settings → Cascade → MCP Servers → Manage / View raw config**) and add the `cryptodataapi` server. Use the **`serverUrl`** block for the remote HTTP server (recommended — no Node) or the **stdio** block for a local bridge. Replace `cdk_live_YOUR_KEY` with your key — free one at [cryptodataapi.com/login](https://cryptodataapi.com/login).

Save, then hit **Refresh** in the MCP panel so Cascade reloads the server. Windsurf supports variable interpolation in `serverUrl`, `headers`, `env`, etc., so you can reference a secret instead of hardcoding the key.

**mcp_config.json (remote HTTP):**
```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cryptodataapi": {
      "serverUrl": "https://cryptodataapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": { "X-API-Key": "cdk_live_YOUR_KEY" }
    }
  }
}
```

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

## Step 3 — Try these prompts

In Cascade, confirm the tools appear in the MCP panel, then ask for a market read — see the example prompts below.

## Example prompts

- "What's the current market regime and which strategy baskets fit it?"
- "Compare BTC funding rates across exchanges and flag crowded positioning."
- "Which coins have the highest liquidation risk right now?"
- "Pull the daily snapshot and draft a market-summary component for my dashboard."
- "Is dealer gamma amplifying or dampening BTC moves 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 `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json` — as an `X-API-Key` header (remote `serverUrl`) or a `CRYPTODATA_API_KEY` env var (stdio). Use Windsurf's variable interpolation to keep the raw key out of the file.

### The tools don't show up after editing the config — why?

Click **Refresh** in the MCP Servers panel (Windsurf caches the server list). Confirm valid JSON. For a stdio server, make sure Node/`npx` is on PATH; for a remote server, check the `serverUrl` and key. Windsurf also caps the number of active MCP tools, so disable servers you're not using if you hit the limit.

## Related

- [MCP Server](https://cryptodataapi.com/ai-agents/mcp-server)
- [Agent Skill](https://cryptodataapi.com/ai-agents/agent-skill)
- [Cursor setup](https://cryptodataapi.com/ai-agents/cursor)
- [GitHub Copilot setup](https://cryptodataapi.com/ai-agents/github-copilot)
- [REST API docs](https://cryptodataapi.com/api/docs)

---

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