Frequently Asked Questions about the Bybit MCP Server

Q: What is an MCP Server? A: MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open protocol that standardizes how applications provide context to Large Language Models (LLMs). An MCP Server, like this Bybit integration, acts as a bridge, allowing AI models to access and interact with external data sources and tools—in this case, the Bybit cryptocurrency exchange.

Q: What is the UBOS Asset Marketplace? A: The UBOS Asset Marketplace is a platform where users can discover, share, and deploy AI-related tools and integrations, including MCP Servers like this one. UBOS is a full-stack AI Agent Development Platform focused on bringing AI Agents to every business department.

Q: What Bybit API functionalities does this MCP Server expose? A: This server provides full access to Bybit’s v5 API, including:

• Market data (tickers, order book, klines, funding rates, etc.)
• Trading (order placement, amendment, cancellation, batch operations)
• Position management (leverage, margin, stops, P&L tracking)
• Account information (wallet balances, account settings)

Q: Is this server production-ready? A: Yes, this server is designed for production use with features such as:

• Complete API coverage
• Docker support
• VS Code integration
• Comprehensive testing
• Safety controls (trading disabled by default)

Q: How do I install the Bybit MCP Server? A: You can install the server using several methods:

• Smithery: A command-line tool for installing MCP servers.
• uv: A Python package manager.
• pip: The standard Python package installer.
• Docker: A containerization platform.

Q: What are the prerequisites for installation? A: The primary prerequisites are:

• Python 3.13+
• uv package manager (recommended)

Q: How do I configure the server? A: Configuration is primarily done through environment variables:

• BYBIT_API_KEY: Your Bybit API key.
• BYBIT_API_SECRET: Your Bybit API secret.
• BYBIT_TESTNET: Set to true to use the Bybit testnet.
• BYBIT_TRADING_ENABLED: Set to true to enable trading operations.

Q: How do I enable trading? A: To enable trading, you must explicitly set the BYBIT_TRADING_ENABLED environment variable to true. Trading is disabled by default for safety.

Q: What is testnet and how do I use it? A: Testnet is Bybit’s testing environment, where you can experiment with trading using fake money. To use testnet, set the BYBIT_TESTNET environment variable to true.

Q: What safety controls are in place? A: The server includes several safety controls:

• Trading is disabled by default.
• Testnet support is available.
• Trading tools are only visible when trading is enabled.
• API keys should have minimal required permissions.

Q: How do I integrate this server with Claude Desktop? A: You can integrate the server with Claude Desktop by adding a configuration block to your Claude Desktop MCP settings file (claude_desktop_config.json). Example configurations are provided in the documentation for Docker, uvx, and local development setups.

Q: What kind of questions can I ask Claude Desktop once the server is configured? A: You can ask questions like:

• “What’s my USDT balance?”
• “What’s the current price of BTCUSDT?”
• “Show me the order book for ETHUSDT”
• “Place a limit buy order for 0.001 BTC at $95,000”

Q: How do I use this server with VS Code? A: You can integrate the server with VS Code by adding a configuration block to your VS Code settings.json file. Configurations are provided for both local development and Docker setups.

Q: How do I test the server? A: You can test the server using:

• The MCP inspector (npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector uv run bybit-mcp)
• Unit tests (uv run pytest tests/)

Q: What are the supported categories for trading? A: The server supports trading in these categories:

• Linear (USDT perpetual, USDC perpetual, USDC futures)
• Inverse (Inverse perpetual, Inverse futures)
• Option (Options trading)
• Spot (Spot trading pairs)

Q: What do I do if I encounter issues? A: If you encounter issues:

• Check the existing GitHub Issues.
• Create a new issue with detailed information, including logs and error messages.

Q: What are the required API permissions for the Bybit API key? A: Ensure your Bybit API key has the appropriate permissions:

• Read-only: For market data (always safe)
• Trade: Required for order operations (enable only when needed)
• Position: Required for position management
• Withdraw: Not required for this server

Q: Can I use this server with other MCP clients besides Claude Desktop and VS Code? A: Yes, this server works with any MCP-compatible client. The configuration format may vary slightly, but the core setup remains the same.

Q: Where can I find the API Reference? A: The API Reference is available in the main documentation, detailing Market Data Tools, Trading Tools, Position Tools, and common parameters.

Q: How can I contribute to this project? A: To contribute:

• Fork the repository
• Create a feature branch
• Make your changes
• Add tests for new functionality
• Run the test suite
• Submit a pull request