Local MCP

Prerequisites

Complete these steps before connecting your AI client. If you only need market data (no trading), you can skip the private key step and go straight to your client’s setup page from the Quickstart guide.

1

Install Python and uvx

Open Terminal — press Cmd + Space, type “Terminal”, and press Enter.

Python

Python 3.10 or higher is required. Check your version:

$python3 --version

If the version is below 3.10 or the command is not found, install Python from python.org/downloads.

uvx

uvx is a fast Python package runner used to download and start the MCP server automatically.

$brew install uv

Or install via pip:

$pip install uv

Verify the installation:

$uvx --version

If you prefer not to install Python or uvx directly, you can run the MCP server inside a Docker container. Requires Docker.

$git clone https://github.com/tradeparadex/mcp-paradex-py.git
$cd mcp-paradex-py
$docker build . -t mcp-paradex-py
$
$# Read-only mode (public market data only)
$docker run --rm -i mcp-paradex-py
$
$# With trading capabilities
$docker run --rm -e PARADEX_ACCOUNT_PRIVATE_KEY=your_key -i mcp-paradex-py
2

Get your Paradex private key

All trading features require a Paradex account private key. Market data tools work without one — you can skip this step if you only need market data.

  1. Go to Paradex and connect your wallet.
  2. Navigate to Settings → API Keys and create a new key.
  3. Copy the private key — you’ll use it in the next step.

Your private key controls access to your trading account. Never share it publicly or commit it to version control. For more details, see Authentication.

Testnet first? Use PARADEX_ENVIRONMENT=testnet and get test funds from the Paradex testnet faucet.

3

Connect your client

Return to the Quickstart guide and click your client to continue setup.