MCP: The Bridge Between Large Language Models and Web3

MCP (Model-Context Protocol) is an innovative open protocol that provides a standardized way for large language models to securely access external tools, data sources, and services. Unlike traditional plugin systems, MCP adopts a client-server architecture, achieving seamless integration between models and external systems through a standardized protocol interface.

Core Advantages of MC

1. Standardized Interface: A unified protocol specification that avoids redundancy in independently developed integration solutions for various applications.
2. Security: Strict access control and sandbox mechanisms ensure the secure access of external tools.
3. Scalability: Supports a variety of tool types, from simple API calls to complex data processing workflows.
4. Interoperability: Clients supporting MCP can use compatible services to achieve true cross-platform compatibility.

Application Scenarios of Web3 and MCP

In the Web3 field, MCP can provide rich blockchain interaction capabilities for large language models:

• Asset Inquiry: View balances and transaction history of various tokens
• On-chain operations: sending transactions, deploying contracts, invoking smart contracts
• DeFi Integration: Interacting with DeFi applications such as DEX, lending protocols, and liquidity mining.
• Cross-chain operations: Support for multi-chain asset management and cross-chain transfers
• NFT Management: Query, Transfer, Trade NFT Assets

Next, we will build a simple Web3 MCP service using nodejs and typescript to gain a deeper understanding of how MCP works and best practices.

Build Web3 MCP Services

1. Create Project

First, create a project folder and initialize:

mkdir mcp-web3-demo cd mcp-web3-demo npm init -y

Install the necessary dependencies:

npm install @anthropic-ai/sdk ethers dotenv typescript ts-node @types/node

Configure TypeScript:

json { "compilerOptions": { "target": "es2020", "module": "commonjs", "strict": true, "esModuleInterop": true, "outDir": "./dist", "rootDir": "./src" } }

Update package.json:

json { "scripts": { "start": "ts-node src/index.ts", "build": "tsc" } }

2. Write MCP server

Create a simple tool to get the Sepolia testnet balance:

typescript import { ethers } from 'ethers'; import { MCPServer } from '@anthropic-ai/sdk';

const provider = new ethers.providers.JsonRpcProvider('YOUR_RPC_URL');

const server = new MCPServer();

server.tool('getBalance', async (address: string) => { const balance = await provider.getBalance(address); return ethers.utils.formatEther(balance); });

server.listen(3000, () => { console.log('MCP server running on port 3000'); });

process.on('uncaughtException', console.error);

3. Debugging Service

Compile TypeScript code:

npm run build

Debugging with the MCP Inspector tool:

npx @anthropic-ai/mcp-inspector

4. Function Expansion

Further improve service functions, such as supporting multiple EVM networks, querying gas, sending transactions, and querying token information.

5. Integrate in Cursor

Integrate the improved MCP service into Cursor IDE to achieve an intelligent Web3 development experience.

Usage Example

In Cursor's AI assistant, you can easily perform Web3 operations:

1. Check address balance: "Check the balance of address 0xE21E97Ad8B527acb90F0b148EfaFbA46625382cE on Sepolia"

2. Send Transaction: "Transfer 0.1 ETH to address 0x2c1d9ef7ccede70d77e6038701cd63138dd920a0"

Future Outlook

The combination of MCP and Web3 opens up infinite possibilities for developers. Future directions to explore include:

• Support for more blockchains (such as Bitcoin, Solana, TRON)
• Achieve cross-chain operations
• Integrate more DeFi protocols
• Develop complex NFT trading features

MCP builds a bridge between large language models and the Web3 world, making complex blockchain operations so simple that they can be completed with just one sentence. This innovation will greatly promote the popularization and application of Web3 technology.