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altFINS MCP Server

1. What is the altFINS MCP Server?​

The altFINS MCP Server provides a secure, structured, and AI-friendly interface to powerful crypto analytics, market data, news, and portfolio information via the Model Context Protocol (MCP) — an open standard for connecting AI models to external tools and data sources.

By connecting your favorite AI client to the altFINS MCP Server, you get direct access to real-time crypto market data, technical analysis, screener results, historical indicators, news, calendar events, and portfolio data — all through natural language conversations.

Key benefits:

  • Ask questions in plain English and get live market data — no coding required
  • Works with multiple AI clients: Claude Desktop, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Microsoft Copilot Studio, and more
  • Professional-grade crypto analytics powered by altFINS data — no AI hallucinations
  • Build advanced AI-driven trading tools, dashboards, and automation workflows with minimal integration effort

2. How to Connect to the MCP Server​

2.1 MCP Server Endpoint​

The MCP server is available at:

https://mcp.altfins.com/mcp

This endpoint supports Streamable HTTP MCP transport.

2.2 Authentication​

All requests to the MCP Server require API key authentication.

Authentication Header:

X-Api-Key: YOUR_ALTFINS_API_KEY
  • The API key must be sent with every MCP request.
  • Requests without a valid API key will be rejected.
  • The API key identifies your altFINS account and defines your access scope.

How to get your API key: Visit How to Create an altFINS API Key for a step-by-step guide.

2.3 Available MCP Tools​

Once connected, your AI client will automatically discover the following tools:

ToolDescription
ScreenerScreen and filter thousands of crypto assets by technical indicators (RSI, MACD, SMA), trends, candlestick patterns, categories, exchanges, and more
Technical AnalysisGet curated trade setups and professional analyst views for specific coins
OHLCV DataRetrieve historical and latest price candle data (Open, High, Low, Close, Volume)
Analytics HistoryAccess historical time-series data for any technical indicator or financial metric
NewsSearch and filter crypto news articles by coin, keyword, source, and date
Calendar EventsFind upcoming crypto events — AMAs, exchange listings, airdrops, partnerships, conferences
PortfolioView your connected crypto portfolio holdings across exchanges and wallets

3. Connect altFINS MCP Server to Your AI Client​

3.1 Claude Desktop​

Claude Desktop supports MCP servers through local stdio bridges. Since the altFINS MCP Server is a remote HTTP server, we use the mcp-remote package as a bridge.

Prerequisites:

  • Claude Desktop installed (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise plan required)
  • Node.js installed (version 18 or later)

Step-by-step setup:

Step 1. Open Claude Desktop and go to Settings (gear icon) → Developer → Edit Config

This opens the claude_desktop_config.json file. The file is located at:

  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Step 2. Add the altFINS MCP server configuration.

For Windows, paste the following into the config file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "altfins-mcp-server": {
      "command": "cmd",
      "args": [
        "/c",
        "npx",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.altfins.com/mcp",
        "--header",
        "X-API-Key: ${API_KEY}"
      ],
      "env": {
        "API_KEY": "YOUR_ALTFINS_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

For macOS / Linux, paste the following:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "altfins-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.altfins.com/mcp",
        "--header",
        "X-API-Key: ${API_KEY}"
      ],
      "env": {
        "API_KEY": "YOUR_ALTFINS_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: Replace YOUR_ALTFINS_API_KEY with your actual altFINS API key. The ${API_KEY} in the args references the environment variable defined in env, so the key is never hardcoded in the command line arguments directly.

Step 3. Save and close the config file.

Step 4. Completely quit and restart Claude Desktop (not just close the window — fully exit the application and reopen it).

Step 5. Look for the hammer icon (🔨) in the bottom-left of the chat input area. This confirms the MCP server is connected and tools are available.

Step 6. Start a new conversation and try asking a question, for example:

  • "Give me a complete technical analysis of SOL"
  • "Find coins with RSI below 30 and bullish MACD"
  • "Show me the latest crypto news about Ethereum"

Claude will automatically use the altFINS MCP tools to fetch live data and answer your question.

Example: Claude Desktop with altFINS MCP Server​

Here is a real example of asking Claude Desktop "Give me a complete technical analysis of SOL" — Claude automatically calls the altFINS MCP Server and returns a professional technical analysis with real-time data:

Claude Desktop — SOL Technical Analysis prompt and response Claude Desktop using altFINS MCP Server to analyze SOL

And here is an example of the kind of rich, visual dashboard that can be generated from altFINS MCP data:

SOL Technical Analysis Dashboard SOL Technical Analysis dashboard generated from altFINS MCP Server data

3.2 Visual Studio Code (GitHub Copilot)​

VS Code supports remote MCP servers natively through GitHub Copilot's Agent Mode. No bridge package is needed — you can connect directly via HTTP.

Prerequisites:

Step-by-step setup:

Step 1. Open VS Code.

Step 2. Open the Command Palette: press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (macOS).

Step 3. Type "MCP: Open User Configuration" and select it. This opens your mcp.json file.

Step 4. Add the altFINS MCP server configuration:

{
  "servers": {
    "altfins-mcp-server": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.altfins.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-Api-Key": "YOUR_ALTFINS_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: Replace YOUR_ALTFINS_API_KEY with your actual altFINS API key.

Security tip: To avoid storing your API key in plain text, you can use VS Code's secure input feature:

{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "altfins-api-key",
      "description": "Enter your altFINS API Key",
      "password": true
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "altfins-mcp-server": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.altfins.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-Api-Key": "${input:altfins-api-key}"
      }
    }
  }
}

With this setup, VS Code will securely prompt you for the API key each time the server starts.

Step 5. Save the mcp.json file.

Step 6. You should see a "Start" button appear in the file editor for your MCP server. Click it to launch the server. If prompted, confirm that you trust the server.

Step 7. Open the Copilot Chat panel: press Ctrl+Alt+I (Windows/Linux) or Ctrl+Cmd+I (macOS).

Step 8. Switch to Agent Mode using the dropdown at the top of the chat panel.

Step 9. Click the "Select Tools" icon (wrench/gear) to verify the altFINS MCP server tools are listed and enabled.

Step 10. Start asking questions! For example:

  • "What are the top 10 coins by market cap with bullish momentum?"
  • "Show me BTC's RSI history over the last 30 days"
  • "Any upcoming events for SOL this week?"

GitHub Copilot will detect that it needs data from the altFINS MCP server and will ask you to confirm the tool call before executing it.

3.3 Microsoft Copilot Studio​

Microsoft Copilot Studio has built-in support for connecting to remote MCP servers with API key authentication — no code or bridges required.

Prerequisites:

  • Access to Copilot Studio (requires a Copilot Studio license)
  • A Microsoft work or school account
  • Your altFINS API key

Step-by-step setup:

Step 1. Go to copilotstudio.microsoft.com and sign in.

Step 2. Open an existing agent or create a new one.

Step 3. Navigate to the Tools tab in your agent.

Step 4. Click "Add a tool" → "New tool" → "Model Context Protocol".

Step 5. The MCP onboarding wizard appears. Fill in the following fields:

  • Server name: altFINS Crypto Analytics
  • Server description: Provides real-time crypto market data, technical analysis, screener results, news, calendar events, historical indicators, and portfolio information from the altFINS platform.
  • Server URL: https://mcp.altfins.com/mcp

Important: Write a clear, descriptive server description. The AI agent uses this text to decide when to call your MCP server during conversations.

Step 6. For Authentication, select "API Key".

Step 7. Configure the API key settings:

  • Type: Select "Header"
  • Parameter name: X-Api-Key
  • Parameter label: altFINS API Key

Step 8. Click "Create".

Step 9. You will be prompted to "Create Connection". This is where you enter your actual API key value:

  • Paste your altFINS API key (e.g., afns_sk_1.xxxxxxxxxxxx)
  • Click "Create"

Step 10. The "Add tool" dialog appears. You will see the list of tools discovered from the altFINS MCP server (screener, technical analysis, news, etc.). Enable the tools you want your agent to use.

Step 11. Click "Add" to finalize.

Step 12. Test your agent by opening a conversation and asking:

  • "What is the current technical outlook for BTC?"
  • "Find AI coins with strong momentum on the daily timeframe"
  • "Show me the latest crypto news about Solana"

Your Copilot Studio agent will now automatically use the altFINS MCP tools to answer crypto-related questions with real-time data.

4. Programmatic Access (Code Examples)​

For developers who want to connect to the altFINS MCP Server programmatically, we provide ready-to-use code examples in Python, TypeScript, and Java (LangChain4j).

👉 View Code Examples on GitHub

The examples cover:

  • Connecting to the MCP server with API key authentication
  • Listing available tools
  • Calling the screener, technical analysis, news, OHLCV, and calendar tools
  • Building an AI agent with LangChain4j that automatically uses altFINS MCP tools

5. Example Business Use Cases​

Here are practical examples showing how AI agents can leverage the altFINS MCP Server.

5.1 AI Crypto Market Analyst Assistant​

  • Goal: Enable an AI assistant to answer professional-grade crypto market questions using real altFINS analytics instead of hallucinations.
  • Example prompts:
    • "What is the current technical outlook for BTC?"
    • "Is ETH bullish or bearish right now?"
    • "Give me a complete technical analysis of SOL"

5.2 Automated Crypto Trading Signal Screening​

  • Goal: Automatically screen the market for assets matching predefined technical or fundamental conditions.
  • Example prompts:
    • "Find coins with bullish momentum and strong trend on the daily timeframe"
    • "Show me AI coins on Binance with RSI below 30"
    • "Which assets just had a golden cross (SMA50 crossing above SMA200)?"

5.3 Portfolio-Aware AI Investment Assistant​

  • Goal: Allow AI to provide personalized insights based on your actual crypto portfolio.
  • Example prompts:
    • "Analyze my portfolio and tell me which assets look technically weak"
    • "What is the total value of my holdings?"
    • "Are there any upcoming events for coins in my portfolio?"

5.4 AI-Driven Crypto News & Event Intelligence​

  • Goal: Automatically monitor news and calendar events and explain their market relevance.
  • Example prompts:
    • "Are there any important events or news for SOL this week?"
    • "What are the latest crypto news about DeFi?"
    • "Show me hot trending events in the crypto market"

5.5 Historical Indicator Backtesting & Research​

  • Goal: Support quantitative analysis and strategy validation using historical indicator data.
  • Example prompts:
    • "Show me BTC's RSI14 history over the last 30 days"
    • "How has ETH's market cap changed this year?"
    • "Compare SMA50 and SMA200 trends for ADA over the last 90 days"

5.6 AI-Powered Market Monitoring & Alerts (n8n Automation)​

  • Goal: Automatically notify users when market conditions change.
  • Example prompts:
    • "Notify me when RSI crosses above 70 for BTC on 1h"
    • "Alert me when any top-50 coin breaks below its SMA200"

5.7 AI-Enhanced Natural Language Screener​

  • Goal: Let users describe screener filters in natural language instead of configuring complex filters manually.
  • Example prompts:
    • "Show me mid-cap coins with strong momentum and bullish MACD"
    • "Find Solana ecosystem meme coins that are near their all-time high"
    • "Which DeFi tokens have the highest 24h volume and are in an uptrend?"

MCP example Real chat examples (MCP)

6. Platform Compatibility Summary​

AI ClientConnection MethodAPI Key AuthSetup Complexity
Claude Desktopstdio bridge via mcp-remote✅ via --header flagMedium — requires Node.js
VS Code (GitHub Copilot)Native HTTP✅ via headers in configEasy — no extra tools needed
Microsoft Copilot StudioNative MCP wizard✅ built-in Header/Query optionEasy — no code required
Claude APINative mcp_servers parameter✅ via authorization_tokenFor developers
n8nHTTP MCP node✅ via custom headerMedium — automation workflow
Python / TypeScript / JavaMCP SDK✅ via custom headersFor developers — see examples