---
title: Connect Hive to Claude Desktop
lastUpdated: '2026-06-06'
nextjs:
  metadata:
    title: "Install Hive in Claude Desktop | Crypto MCP Setup"
    description: "Connect Claude Desktop to Hive as a Custom Connector for live crypto prices, DeFi, wallets, and security tools."
    alternates:
      canonical: https://www.hiveintelligence.xyz/install/claude-desktop
    keywords: "claude desktop crypto, claude mcp crypto, claude custom connector, hive claude desktop, claude crypto data"
---

**Connect Claude Desktop to Hive with Claude's Custom Connectors flow.** Use the managed remote endpoint for normal setup, then verify that Claude can call a live Hive tool in a new chat. {% .lead %}

{% ai-doc-actions path="/install/claude-desktop" title="Claude Desktop Install Guide" /%}

---

## Before you start

1. Claude Desktop installed from [claude.ai/download](https://claude.ai/download). macOS or Windows.
2. A Hive API key from [/dashboard/keys](/dashboard/keys).
3. A Claude plan that supports Custom Connectors. Free is limited to one custom connector; Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise have higher limits. (Source: [Anthropic — Custom Connectors using remote MCP](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11175166-getting-started-with-custom-connectors-using-remote-mcp).)

---

## Recommended: Custom Connector (managed remote endpoint)

This is the path Anthropic recommends for any remote MCP server. You add the connection through Claude Desktop's UI, not the config file — Claude Desktop's `claude_desktop_config.json` is stdio-only and **does not accept** `url`+`headers` entries.

### 1. Open Custom Connectors

In Claude Desktop:

1. Click your account avatar → **Settings**
2. Click **Connectors** in the sidebar
3. Hover over **Add custom**, then click **Web**

### 2. Configure Hive

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Name | `Hive` |
| URL | `https://mcp.hiveintelligence.xyz/mcp` |
| Authentication | Bearer token |
| Token | Your Hive API key from [/dashboard/keys](/dashboard/keys) |

Click **Add**. Claude Desktop will validate the connection and list the tools Hive exposes.

### 3. Verify it worked

Start a new chat and ask:

> *"What is the current price of Bitcoin and Ethereum?"*

Claude calls Hive's `get_price` tool and replies with live numbers. The tool-call indicator should appear in the chat — click it to inspect the request.

---

## Alternative: stdio via the local Node wrapper

If you can't add a Custom Connector (no internet to `mcp.hiveintelligence.xyz`, corporate proxy that only trusts Node's HTTP client, air-gapped setup), Claude Desktop can spawn Hive as a local subprocess via stdio. This *is* the path that goes through `claude_desktop_config.json`.

Requires Node 20 or higher on your PATH.

### 1. Open the config file

In Claude Desktop: **Settings → Developer → Edit Config**. This opens `claude_desktop_config.json` in your default editor.

| OS | Path |
| --- | --- |
| macOS | `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` |
| Windows | `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json` |

### 2. Add this stdio config

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hive": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "-p", "hive-intelligence", "hive"],
      "env": {
        "HIVE_API_KEY": "YOUR_HIVE_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

The local wrapper reads `HIVE_API_KEY` from the subprocess environment and forwards every request to Hive with `Authorization: Bearer` attached.

### 3. Restart Claude Desktop

Quit fully (⌘Q on macOS, right-click the dock icon → Quit) and reopen. Claude picks up the new MCP server on launch.

---

## What to ask once connected

Hive exposes a compact root discovery layer and a full [369-tool callable catalog](/tools/live-catalog). Claude discovers tools through MCP at runtime; for the full REST catalog, use authenticated `GET /api/v1/tools` or the public [Live Catalog](/tools/live-catalog). Try:

- *"Check if token `0x6B175474E89094C44Da98b954EedeAC495271d0F` is safe to buy — honeypot, owner risks, liquidity depth."*
- *"Which DeFi pools on Ethereum have a 7-day yield above 10% with at least $10M TVL?"*
- *"What's the profit and loss of `vitalik.eth`'s wallet this year?"*
- *"Has any whale moved more than $5M of USDC onchain in the last 24 hours?"*
- *"Compare BTC perpetual funding rates across Binance, Bybit, and OKX right now."*

---

## Troubleshooting

**The Custom Connectors menu is missing or greyed out.** You're on a Claude plan or version that hasn't enabled custom MCP connectors. Update Claude Desktop (Claude menu → Check for Updates), or upgrade to Pro/Team/Enterprise. As of 2026, Free supports one custom connector.

**The connector says "couldn't connect" or "401".** Double-check the API key at [/dashboard/keys](/dashboard/keys). The key is a long string starting with `hive_live_…`; enter it exactly, with no extra spaces.

**Hive tools don't appear in chat.** Open the connector in Settings → Connectors → Hive, click **Refresh tools**, then start a new chat. Existing chats don't pick up newly added connectors.

**Connection error from a corporate network.** `mcp.hiveintelligence.xyz` may be blocked. Test on a home network to isolate. If you must stay behind the firewall, use the stdio alternative above — it routes through Node and can pick up your proxy environment variables.

**`Command not found: npx`** (stdio alternative only). Install Node.js 20 or higher from [nodejs.org](https://nodejs.org), then restart Claude Desktop.

**`HIVE_API_KEY is invalid`** (stdio alternative only). Verify the key at [/dashboard/keys](/dashboard/keys). The key value goes inside the JSON string, no extra quotes.

---

## Other clients

- [Claude Code](/install/claude-code) — Anthropic's terminal CLI
- [Cursor](/install/cursor) — IDE-native MCP support
- [All clients](/install) — full list

---

## Next steps

- [Agent Resources](/ai-agent-hub) — what Claude can build with Hive wired in
- [Tools Reference](/tools) — every tool Claude can call
- [Data Sources](/data-sources) — the upstream providers Hive normalizes