Counterparty MCP Server

Give AI agents the ability to interact with Counterparty — the token protocol built on Bitcoin. Query balances, assets, orders, and dispensers. Compose, sign, and broadcast transactions. Works with any MCP-compatible client.

Install

No download needed — just add the config below to your AI client. npx fetches and runs the server automatically.

Claude Desktop

Add to claude_desktop_config.json (how to find it):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "counterparty": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@21e14/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

claude mcp add counterparty -- npx -y @21e14/mcp-server

With signing (see Signing & Broadcasting):

claude mcp add counterparty \
  -e SIGNER_PRIVATE_KEY=L1aW4aubDFB7yfras2S1mN... \
  -e SIGNER_ADDRESS=bc1q... \
  -- npx -y @21e14/mcp-server

Manage servers with claude mcp list, claude mcp get counterparty, or claude mcp remove counterparty.

VS Code (Copilot)

Use Ctrl+Shift+P → MCP: Add Server → Stdio, then enter:

npx -y @21e14/mcp-server

Or add to .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "counterparty": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@21e14/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Cursor

Add to .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "counterparty": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@21e14/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "counterparty": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@21e14/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

ChatGPT

In ChatGPT desktop, go to Settings → Beta Features → MCP Servers, then add:

npx -y @21e14/mcp-server

Any MCP Client

The server speaks stdio. Point any MCP-compatible client at:

npx -y @21e14/mcp-server

That's it. The agent can now query the Counterparty network and compose unsigned transactions.

Signing & Broadcasting

To let the agent sign and broadcast transactions, add a signing key:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "counterparty": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@21e14/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "SIGNER_PRIVATE_KEY": "L1aW4aubDFB7yfras2S1mN...",
        "SIGNER_ADDRESS": "bc1q..."
      }
    }
  }
}

This enables the sign_and_broadcast tool. Signing gives the AI agent the ability to spend funds — read the security guidance below.

Bot wallet pattern (recommended)

1. Generate a fresh keypair offline. Don't reuse an existing wallet or generate keys through the AI.
2. Fund it with only what you're willing to risk. This is your blast radius.
3. Use a segwit address. P2WPKH (bc1q...), P2SH-P2WPKH (3...), or P2TR (bc1p...). Legacy P2PKH is not supported.
4. One key, one address. No HD derivation. Counterparty reuses addresses by design.
5. Keep main holdings elsewhere. The bot wallet is disposable.

Compose-only mode

Without signing keys, the server returns unsigned transaction hex from all compose tools. You can review and sign offline with your own tooling. This is the safest mode.

Transaction verification

sign_and_broadcast extracts and returns the embedded OP_RETURN data from the transaction before signing — done locally without trusting the API, so the agent can verify the transaction matches what was requested.

Environment Variables

Variable	Required	Description
COUNTERPARTY_NODE	No	Counterparty node URL (default: https://api.counterparty.io:4000)
SIGNER_PRIVATE_KEY	No	WIF-encoded private key for signing
SIGNER_ADDRESS	No	Bitcoin address for the signing key

Tools

Query (24)

Tool	Description
get_balances	All token balances for an address
get_balance	Single asset balance for an address
get_asset_info	Asset metadata (supply, divisibility, issuer)
get_asset_balances	All holders of an asset
get_assets	Search/list assets
get_issuances	Issuance history for an asset
get_owned_assets	Assets issued by an address
get_orders	DEX orders
get_order	Single order by hash
get_order_matches	Matches for an order
get_orders_by_pair	Order book for a trading pair
get_asset_orders	Orders involving an asset
get_address_orders	Orders by address
get_dispensers	Dispensers
get_dispenser	Single dispenser by hash
get_dispensers_by_asset	Dispensers for an asset
get_address_dispensers	Dispensers by address
get_dispenses	Purchases from a dispenser
get_dividends	Dividend distributions for an asset
get_address_transactions	Transaction history for an address
get_sends	Token transfers from an address
get_transaction	Single transaction by hash
get_utxo_balances	Tokens attached to a UTXO
get_latest_block	Latest block info

Compose (18)

Tool	Description
compose_send	Send tokens to an address
compose_mpma	Multi-party multi-asset send
compose_order	Place a DEX order
compose_cancel	Cancel an open order
compose_btcpay	Pay for a matched BTC order
compose_issuance	Create or update an asset (supports inscriptions)
compose_dispenser	Create, open, or close a dispenser
compose_dispense	Buy from a dispenser
compose_dividend	Distribute dividends to holders
compose_broadcast	Broadcast a message (supports inscriptions)
compose_sweep	Sweep all assets to a destination
compose_destroy	Permanently burn tokens
compose_fairminter	Create a fair launch (supports inscriptions)
compose_xcp420_fairminter	XCP-420 compliant fair launch
compose_fairmint	Mint from an active fair launch
compose_attach	Attach tokens to a UTXO
compose_detach	Detach tokens from a UTXO
compose_movetoutxo	Move a UTXO to a new output

Bitcoin (4)

Tool	Description
sign_and_broadcast	Sign and broadcast (requires signing keys)
broadcast_transaction	Broadcast an already-signed transaction
get_fee_estimate	Current fee rate estimate
decode_transaction	Decode raw transaction hex

Utility (3)

Tool	Description
unpack_transaction	Decode a Counterparty message from a transaction
get_server_info	Node status and version
api_request	Raw API request to any endpoint (full API reference)

Resources

The server includes protocol documentation that agents can read for context:

• counterparty://protocol-overview — Assets, quantities, DEX, dispensers, fair minting, fees, and operational tips
• counterparty://xcp420-standard — XCP-420 fair launch standard
• counterparty://quick-start — Step-by-step workflows for common operations

Development

git clone https://github.com/XCP/mcp-server.git
cd mcp-server
npm install
npm test

Test locally:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "counterparty": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/mcp-server/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

License

MIT