Agent Skills vs MCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the Agent Skills and MCP MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Agent Skills when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Finance & Fintech domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: OAuth 2.0 (Freemium).
• You have access to required keys: X_API_KEY.
• Primary tools included: 200+ crypto tools across 7 blockchains, Supports swaps, DeFi, NFTs, conditional orders, and cross-chain bridges, OAuth 2.0 + PKCE and API key authentication.

Explore Agent Skills Details

Choose MCP when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Finance & Fintech domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
• Primary tools included: Generates executable swap calldata, Supports EVM chain IDs including Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum, and Polygon, Accepts native ETH and ERC-20 token addresses.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Agent Skills EmblemCompany Finance & Fintech	MCP Finance & Fintech
Summary	200+ crypto tools for AI agents across 7 blockchains (Solana, Ethereum, Base, BSC, Polygon, Hedera, Bitcoin). Swaps, DeFi yield, conditional orders, NFTs, cross-chain bridges, and market intelligence. Hosted MCP at https://emblemvault.ai/api/mcp with OAuth 2.0 + PKCE for one-line install in Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and any MCP-compatible client. API key and x402 per-tool-call micropayments also supported.	MCP server for SwapAPI - get executable token swap calldata for EVM chains
Category & Scope

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations

Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "emblemcompany-agent-skills": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "skills"
      ],
      "env": {
        "X_API_KEY": "YOUR_X_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-207": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@swapapi/mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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