Set Up TradeLoop's Market Tools in Claude Code: Complete Guide (2026)

How MCP Works in Claude Code

Claude Code supports MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers natively. When a server is configured, Claude Code starts it at the beginning of each session and makes its tools available to the model. Run /mcp in a session to see active servers.

MCP tools work differently from built-ins like file reading or bash. They run as separate processes and communicate over stdio. Claude Code manages their lifecycle — starting them, passing tool calls, receiving results.

Method 1: Using TradeLoop (Recommended)

TradeLoop is the fastest way to give Claude Code live market data. It wires up quotes, indicators, earnings, filings, and the monitoring loop in one command.

Step 1: Install TradeLoop

curl -fsSL https://tradeloop.top/install.sh | sh

Step 2: Authenticate

tradeloop login

Step 3: Configure Claude Code

tradeloop setup

This writes the TradeLoop MCP server entry to ~/.claude/settings.json. Start a new Claude Code session and run /mcp — you'll see tradeloop listed with its market tools available.

Step 4: Add your provider keys

Go to tradeloop.top/connect and add your Polygon and Finnhub keys (CoinGecko, FRED, and SEC EDGAR work without paid keys). Run tradeloop update to sync. The tools are live in your next session.

Method 2: Manual MCP Configuration

If you prefer to configure servers by hand, add entries to ~/.claude/settings.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tradeloop": {
      "command": "/Users/yourname/.tradeloop/bin/tradeloop-daemon",
      "args": ["--mcp-stdio"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code reads this at startup and launches the server, which speaks MCP over stdio.

Available Tools with TradeLoop

After adding your keys, Claude Code can call tools across these categories:

Market data: quotes and aggregates (Polygon), crypto spot and market cap (CoinGecko), fundamentals and analyst estimates (Finnhub)

Indicators: precomputed RSI, MACD, moving averages, Bollinger Bands, ATR over any symbol and timeframe

Events: earnings calendars and estimates (Finnhub), economic releases and macro series (FRED)

Filings: 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, and Form 4 insider transactions (SEC EDGAR)

Monitoring: register watchlist conditions (RSI/MACD/price/earnings) with the set-and-forget loop

Research: FinTwit and Reddit sentiment, plus deep research via Perplexity, Firecrawl, and Grok

Common Problems and Fixes

Problem: `/mcp` shows no servers

Claude Code didn't pick up the config. Check that ~/.claude/settings.json exists and contains the mcpServers key. If using TradeLoop, re-run tradeloop setup.

Problem: Server shows as "failed to start"

The server process crashed on startup. Confirm the daemon binary path is correct and executable. Run tradeloop doctor to diagnose.

Problem: Market tools return auth errors

Your Polygon or Finnhub key is missing or wrong. Run tradeloop update to resync, or go to tradeloop.top/connect and re-enter the key.

Problem: Tools available but Claude doesn't use them

Be explicit in your prompt: "Use the market-data tool to get NVDA's 14-day RSI" — Claude calls tools more reliably when prompted to.

Problem: Monitoring alerts never fire

Confirm the daemon is running (tradeloop doctor) and that you actually registered conditions. Ask the agent "list my active monitoring rules" to verify.

Verifying Your Setup

In a Claude Code session, run:

/mcp

You'll see active servers and their status. Then try a real call:

> "Get SPY's daily bars for the last 60 sessions, the 14-day RSI, and the MACD signal, and tell me if momentum is turning."

If Claude executes a tool call and returns today's numbers, your setup is working.