How do I install Ordinals?

Copy the stdio config for Cursor, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or VS Code on this page. It uses the publisher's install, not a PlugMCP proxy.

Does Ordinals need an API key?

The publisher lists these environment variables: HIRO_API_KEY, ORDISCAN_API_KEY, MAGIC_EDEN_API_KEY.

What transport does Ordinals use?

Ordinals runs locally over stdio.

When was Ordinals last checked?

Last checked 2026-11-09. Bitcoin Ordinals MCP Server — inscriptions, runes, BRC-20, collections & rare sats

Ordinals MCP server

1{2 "mcpServers": {3 "io.github.expertvagabond-ordinals": {4 "command": "npx",5 "args": [6 "-y",7 "[email protected]"8 ],9 "env": {10 "HIRO_API_KEY": "<secret>",11 "ORDISCAN_API_KEY": "<secret>",12 "MAGIC_EDEN_API_KEY": "<secret>"13 }14 }15 }16}

ordinals-mcp

The most complete Bitcoin Ordinals MCP server. 24 tools covering inscriptions, runes, BRC-20 tokens, collections, rare sats, and marketplace data. Aggregates Hiro, Ordiscan, and Magic Eden APIs with intelligent caching and automatic failover.

The only alternative (ordiscan-mcp) has 25 npm downloads and covers a fraction of the surface. This server is the production-grade option.

Install

npx ordinals-mcp@latest

Or install globally:

npm install -g ordinals-mcp
ordinals-mcp

Configure

Add to your MCP config (claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.mcp.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ordinals": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "ordinals-mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "HIRO_API_KEY": "your-key",
        "ORDISCAN_API_KEY": "your-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

At least one of HIRO_API_KEY or ORDISCAN_API_KEY is required. Both are free:

Provider	Rate Limit	Get Key
Hiro (primary)	500 RPM	platform.hiro.so
Ordiscan (fallback)	--	ordiscan.com/docs/api
Magic Eden (optional)	--	docs.magiceden.io

Tools (24)

Inscriptions (5)

Tool	Description	Key Params
`get_inscription`	Full inscription details by ID or number	`id`
`search_inscriptions`	Search inscriptions with filters (type, mime, date range)	`query`, `filters`
`get_inscription_content`	Raw content of an inscription	`id`
`get_inscription_transfers`	Transfer history for an inscription	`id`
`get_inscription_traits`	Traits and attributes of an inscription	`id`

Address Queries (4)

Tool	Description	Key Params
`get_address_inscriptions`	All inscriptions held by a Bitcoin address	`address`
`get_brc20_balances`	BRC-20 token balances for an address	`address`
`get_rune_balances`	Rune balances for an address	`address`
`get_address_rare_sats`	Rare satoshis held by an address	`address`

Runes (6)

Tool	Description	Key Params
`get_rune_info`	Detailed rune metadata (etching, supply, holders)	`rune`
`list_runes`	List all runes with pagination and sorting	`offset`, `limit`
`get_rune_holders`	Top holders of a specific rune	`rune`
`get_rune_activity`	Recent activity (mints, transfers, burns) for a rune	`rune`
`get_rune_market_info`	Market data -- floor price, volume, listings	`rune`
`get_rune_unlock_date`	Unlock/availability date for time-locked runes	`rune`

BRC-20 (3)

Tool	Description	Key Params
`get_brc20_token`	Token details (supply, limit, holders, deploy info)	`ticker`
`get_brc20_activity`	Recent activity for a BRC-20 token	`ticker`
`get_brc20_holders`	Top holders of a BRC-20 token	`ticker`

Collections (3)

Tool	Description	Key Params
`get_collection_info`	Collection metadata, floor price, volume	`slug`
`get_collection_inscriptions`	Inscriptions within a collection	`slug`
`get_collection_listings`	Active marketplace listings for a collection	`slug`

Sats & Transactions (3)

Tool	Description	Key Params
`get_sat_info`	Sat rarity, name, and inscription history	`sat_number`
`get_tx_inscriptions`	Inscriptions in a Bitcoin transaction	`txid`
`get_tx_runes`	Rune operations in a Bitcoin transaction	`txid`

Why This One?

24 tools, full coverage. Inscriptions, runes, BRC-20, collections, rare sats, and marketplace data. No other Ordinals MCP covers all six categories.
Multi-API with automatic failover. Aggregates Hiro (primary, 500 RPM), Ordiscan (fallback), and Magic Eden (marketplace). If one API rate-limits, requests automatically route to the next.
Intelligent caching. TTLs tuned per data type -- sat rarity (24h), inscription metadata (5m), collection info (2m), balances (1m), marketplace listings (30s). Stale cache serves as last resort during outages.

Architecture

Request --> Cache (TTL + ETag)
  |--> HIT: return cached
  |--> MISS:
      |--> Hiro (primary, 500 RPM)
      |     |--> Success: cache + return
      |     |--> Rate limited: Ordiscan (fallback) --> Stale cache (last resort)
      |--> Magic Eden (marketplace-specific)

Environment Variables

Variable	Required	Description
`HIRO_API_KEY`	Yes*	Hiro API key (free)
`ORDISCAN_API_KEY`	Yes*	Ordiscan API key (free)
`MAGIC_EDEN_API_KEY`	No	Higher marketplace rate limits
`CACHE_TTL_SECONDS`	No	Default cache TTL (default: 300)

*At least one required.

Development

git clone https://github.com/ExpertVagabond/ordinals-mcp.git
cd ordinals-mcp
npm install
npm run build
npm run inspector    # MCP Inspector for testing

License

MIT -- Purple Squirrel Media

Ordinals

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