A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for tracking cryptocurrency whale transactions using the Whale Alert API

• Overview
• Features
• Prerequisites
• Installation
• Usage
  • Running in Development Mode
  • Integrating with Claude Desktop
  • Direct Execution
• Examples
• API Key Configuration
• License
• Acknowledgements

The whale-tracker-mcp server is a Python-based implementation of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) that integrates with the Whale Alert API. It enables real-time tracking and analysis of large cryptocurrency transactions ("whale" movements) by exposing tools, resources, and prompts to MCP-compatible clients like Claude Desktop.

This server is designed for cryptocurrency enthusiasts, developers, and analysts who want to monitor whale activity directly within their LLM-powered workflows.

• Tools:
  • get_recent_transactions: Fetch recent whale transactions with optional filters for blockchain, minimum value, and limit.
  • get_transaction_details: Retrieve detailed information about a specific transaction by its ID.
• Resources:
  • whale://transactions/{blockchain}: Expose recent transactions for a specified blockchain as contextual data.
• Prompts:
  • query_whale_activity: A reusable template for analyzing whale transaction patterns, optionally filtered by blockchain.
• Asynchronous API Calls: Uses httpx for efficient, non-blocking requests to the Whale Alert API.
• Environment Variable Support: Securely manage your API key via a .env file.

• Python: Version 3.10 or higher.
• Whale Alert API Key: Sign up at whale-alert.io to obtain an API key.
• MCP Client: Compatible with MCP clients like Claude Desktop or the MCP Inspector.

To install Whale Tracker for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @kukapay/whale-tracker-mcp --client claude

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/kukapay/whale-tracker-mcp.git
cd whale-tracker-mcp

2. Install dependencies: We recommend using uv for dependency management:

uv add "mcp[cli]" httpx python-dotenv

Alternatively, use pip:

pip install mcp httpx python-dotenv

3. Set up your API key: Create a .env file in the project root and add your Whale Alert API key:

WHALE_ALERT_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Test the server locally with the MCP Inspector:

mcp dev whale_tracker.py --with-editable .

This opens a web interface where you can explore the server's tools, resources, and prompts.

Install the server into Claude Desktop for seamless integration:

mcp install whale_tracker.py --name "WhaleTracker" -f .env

• --name "WhaleTracker": Sets a custom name for the server in Claude Desktop.
• -f .env: Loads the API key from the .env file.

Restart Claude Desktop after installation. Look for the hammer icon in the input box to confirm the server is loaded, then try commands like:

• "Show me recent whale transactions on Bitcoin."
• "Get details for transaction ID 123456789."
• "Analyze whale activity on Ethereum."

Run the server standalone for custom deployments:

python whale_tracker.py

Or use the MCP CLI:

mcp run whale_tracker.py

Here’s how you might interact with the server in Claude Desktop:

What are the latest whale transactions on Ethereum with a minimum value of $1,000,000?

The server calls get_recent_transactions with blockchain="ethereum" and min_value=1000000.

Tell me about transaction ID 123456789.

The server uses get_transaction_details to fetch and display the transaction data.

Analyze recent whale transactions on Bitcoin.

The query_whale_activity prompt triggers an analysis based on the whale://transactions/bitcoin resource.

The server requires a Whale Alert API key, which is loaded from the WHALE_ALERT_API_KEY environment variable. To configure it:

• Create a .env file:

WHALE_ALERT_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

• Ensure python-dotenv is installed (included in the dependencies).
• The server will automatically load the key at startup.

Alternatively, pass the key directly when running the server:

mcp install whale_tracker.py -v WHALE_ALERT_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

• Whale Alert for providing the API to track cryptocurrency whale transactions.
• Model Context Protocol team for the MCP specification and Python SDK.
• httpx for a robust HTTP client library.

Happy whale tracking! 🐳