What zeta-chain-cli MCP server does
The zeta-chain-cli MCP server exposes the ZetaChain command-line interface to supported AI coding assistants. ZetaChain is used for building and interacting with universal applications that span multiple chains. Through the CLI, an assistant can work with EVM, Solana, Bitcoin, Sui, and TON environments, as well as ZetaChain universal applications.
The underlying CLI supports project creation from templates, local multi-chain development, chain and application queries, cross-chain calls, and token transfers. This makes the MCP interface relevant for development workflows where an agent needs to create a project, inspect connected-chain data, or invoke a documented ZetaChain operation rather than only edit source files.
How it works
The zeta-chain-cli MCP server is provided by the zetachain command. After the CLI is installed, its MCP installation command configures the connection for a selected client. Claude Code and Cursor are explicitly supported by the installation examples. Restarting the AI editor activates the configured server, and zetachain mcp list reports installation status.
The MCP layer passes requests to ZetaChain CLI functionality. The README describes this as allowing AI assistants to execute ZetaChain commands; it does not define a separate list of MCP-specific tool names. Command documentation is available with zetachain docs, while individual command help can be inspected with --help.
Setup and configuration
Node.js 18 or newer and Git are required. Git is used for template cloning. Docker 24 or newer is optional and is needed for the localnet workflow.
Install the CLI globally with:
npm install -g zetachain@latest
The CLI can also be run without a global installation using npx zetachain@next new. The @next tag provides a bleeding-edge build, while the global installation example uses the latest release.
After installation, configure the zeta-chain-cli MCP server for a client:
zetachain mcp install --client claude
zetachain mcp install --client cursor
Use zetachain mcp list to check the configuration or zetachain mcp remove --client claude to remove the Claude configuration. The README also provides a Smithery cloud installation for quick setup.
Tools and capabilities
Supported CLI workflows include:
- Creating ZetaChain application projects from templates with
zetachain new.
- Starting a local multi-chain development environment with
zetachain localnet start.
- Querying cross-chain fees, contracts, balances, transactions, and tokens.
- Making cross-chain calls involving Solana, Sui, Bitcoin, TON, and ZetaChain universal applications.
- Transferring supported tokens between connected chains.
These capabilities cover both local development and interaction with connected-chain resources. The README does not specify which individual commands are exposed as separate MCP tools, so tool-level names and argument schemas should be confirmed through the CLI documentation.
Limitations and notes
The local installation is recommended when the assistant needs access to the local filesystem, accounts, or localnet. The Smithery cloud version runs on remote servers and cannot access those local resources. Docker is not listed as a general prerequisite, but it is required for the optional localnet workflow. The provided material does not document environment variables, authentication settings, or detailed account-management behavior.