
Connection details
Etherscan runs two servers, both over the Streamable HTTP transport. The authenticated server uses your API key and has every tool. The keyless server needs no API key and has limited tools and rate limits.Get started
The steps below connect the authenticated server. First, create a free API key if you do not have one. Then pick your client below and follow it end to end. Or use the keyless server without an API key, with limited tools and rate limits: usehttps://mcp-keyless.etherscan.io/mcp as the URL and leave out the API key.
- Claude Desktop
- Claude Code CLI
- Codex Desktop
- Codex CLI
Claude Desktop is Anthropic’s desktop chat app.
1
Add Etherscan to your config
In Claude Desktop, open Settings > Developer > Edit Config to open the 
In the file that opens, add the Requires Node.js.
claude_desktop_config.json file.
etherscan server (replace YourApiKey with your key):claude_desktop_config.json
2
Confirm it's connected
Save, then fully quit Claude Desktop and reopen it. Then open Settings > Developer and look for 
etherscan under Local MCP servers with a running badge.
3
Ask your first question
Ask in plain language and approve the tool calls when prompted:In this example, it calls two tools:
To label the addresses involved with their Etherscan name tags, follow up with:This uses
get_transaction_by_hashfor the sender, recipient, amount, and input dataget_transaction_receiptto confirm the transaction succeeded

get_address_labels, a PRO+ tool available on the Pro Plus plan.Example prompts
Ask in plain language and let the agent pick the tools. Copy one to try it:Tools
The authenticated server exposes 21 tools. The keyless server exposes 16 of them, leaving out the five PRO tools, which require a paid plan. The agent selects and calls them for you; you rarely name a tool yourself.Good to know
- Read-only. Every tool reads public onchain data. Nothing signs or sends a transaction.
- On the authenticated server, every tool call uses your API quota. Each MCP tool call makes one or more Etherscan API requests, and every request counts toward your API plan’s rate limits, exactly like calling the API directly. See Rate limits.
- The keyless server is rate limited. Its limits are separate from API plans. For higher limits and PRO tools, use the authenticated server.
- Guard against prompt injection. Enable your client’s human-confirmation prompts, and be cautious when combining Etherscan with other MCP servers in the same session.




