Overview
Three years ago, a "crypto CLI" was a niche tool for a niche audience — Web3 developers, DeFi builders, Solana specialists. That framing is now outdated.
As developers integrated AI assistants like Claude and Cursor into their workflows, they started asking those assistants to do things they couldn't: check token prices, execute swaps, fund wallets, and interact with on-chain protocols. The demand wasn't coming from crypto developers — it was coming from every developer who realized their AI assistant lacked financial capabilities.
The MoonPay CLI (@moonpay/cli) is the most straightforward way to close that gap. It's an MCP server that gives any AI assistant or application a complete financial stack — payments, swaps, balances, and on-chain execution — through a single interface, with no blockchain expertise required.
Key benefits
No blockchain expertise required — describe your intent in plain English, and the CLI handles execution
Pay per request, not per subscription — agents pay on-chain, automatically, with no key rotation or subscription management
Embed crypto payments in any app — what once required significant infrastructure work becomes a few tool calls
Chain-agnostic by default — Solana, Ethereum, Polygon, and Base are all supported through a single interface
Works with your existing MCP stack — integrates exactly like any other MCP server
Who should use this
The CLI is relevant to your stack if you're building any of the following.
AI agents that need funding
Agents often need to pay for services — API calls, on-chain transactions, or premium data. The CLI lets an agent pay per request, on-chain, automatically.
Apps with embedded payments
Adding crypto payments to an application has traditionally required significant infrastructure work. The CLI reduces this to a few simple tool calls.
Autonomous agents with real-world consequences
Building systems that monitor conditions and take financial action? The CLI gives agents a standard, reliable interface for financial execution.
Anything that talks to Solana, Ethereum, Polygon, or Base
The CLI is chain-agnostic and handles cross-chain complexity through a single interface.
Note: You don't need to build all of these. If any one of these use cases applies to your project, the CLI is relevant to your stack.
How it works with MCP
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a standard that lets AI assistants like Claude and Cursor call external tools through a consistent interface. The MoonPay CLI is an MCP server, so it integrates exactly like any other MCP tool — it just happens to provide financial capabilities.
Tip: Need platform-specific MCP setup instructions for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, or OpenClaw? See Connect MoonPay to any MCP-compatible AI.
Add the following snippet to your AI assistant's MCP configuration:
</> JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"moonpay": {
"command": "mp",
"args": ["mcp"]
}
}
}
Note: Restart your AI assistant after adding the MCP configuration for the changes to take effect.
That's the entire configuration. Once added, your AI assistant has access to the full financial stack.
Install and get started
Time to complete: about 5 minutes to install, 15 minutes to explore all core capabilities.
Important: Before running /moonpay-missions, make sure you've logged in and created a wallet. Run mp login and mp wallet create first, or follow the full setup guide in MoonPay CLI for AI agents.
Step 1: Install the CLI
</> Bash
npm install -g @moonpay/cli
Step 2: Add the MCP configuration
Add the MCP config snippet above to your AI assistant (Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible tool), then restart the assistant.
Step 3: Run the guided walkthrough
</> Bash
/moonpay-missions
Tip: Not sure what to expect from /moonpay-missions? Read Agentic finance 101: The MoonPay CLI explainer for a full overview first.
The missions walkthrough covers every core capability — from checking your first balance to setting up an automated DCA strategy.
FAQs
Do I need to be a blockchain or Web3 developer to use this?
Do I need to be a blockchain or Web3 developer to use this?
No. The CLI is designed for any developer building AI agents or applications that need financial capabilities. You describe your intent in plain English and the CLI handles the execution.
Which blockchains does the CLI support?
Which blockchains does the CLI support?
The CLI currently supports Solana, Ethereum, Polygon, and Base. It manages cross-chain complexity through a single interface, so you don't need to handle that logic yourself.
Is this only useful for crypto apps?
Is this only useful for crypto apps?
Not at all. Research agents, automated portfolio managers, alert systems that execute trades, and commerce agents that send and receive payments are all examples of intelligent applications — not "crypto apps" — that benefit from financial execution capabilities.
Does the CLI require subscription management or API key rotation?
Does the CLI require subscription management or API key rotation?
No. Agents can pay per request, on-chain, automatically. There's no subscription to manage and no keys to rotate.