Installing alpha-mcp
Add the alpha-mcp trading tools to Claude Code, fund a wallet, and verify it works — a few minutes start to finish.
Requirements
Claude Code CLI, Node.js 18+, and a funded wallet on Base (for paid features).
Install
Pick one of the three install methods.
Set up and verify
1
Verify installation
Restart Claude Code, then:
claude mcp list
You should see alpha or @blockrun/alpha in the list.
2
Set up a wallet
alpha-mcp needs a funded wallet for sentiment analysis queries (paid via x402) and trade execution (USDC for swaps).
# In Claude Code
blockrun setup
Then fund with USDC on Base. See Wallet Setup.
3
Configure (optional)
alpha-mcp uses environment variables for configuration:
# Optional: Custom RPC endpoint
export BASE_RPC_URL=https://mainnet.base.org
# Optional: Custom wallet location
export BLOCKRUN_WALLET_PATH=~/.blockrun/trading-wallet.json
4
Test it works
In Claude Code:
What's the current RSI for ETH?
Claude should call alpha_signal and return technical indicators.
Troubleshooting
"MCP not found"
Restart Claude Code after installation:
# Kill any running instances
pkill -f "claude"
# Start fresh
claude
"Wallet not configured"
Run wallet setup:
blockrun setup
"Permission denied"
Check npm permissions:
npm config set prefix ~/.npm-global
export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH
"Network error"
Verify Base RPC is accessible:
curl https://mainnet.base.org \
-X POST \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_blockNumber","params":[],"id":1}'