Phantom, the multi-chain crypto wallet with tens of millions of users, has launched a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that gives AI agents direct access to wallet operations including transaction signing, token swaps, and transfers across Solana, Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Sui. The announcement, made via Phantom's official X account on February 17, 2026, positions the wallet as one of the first major consumer wallets to ship a full agentic interface for AI-powered crypto interactions.
The First Consumer Wallet to Hand AI Agents the Keys
The Phantom MCP server is not a read-only documentation tool. It exposes five operational tools that let AI assistants like Claude interact directly with Phantom embedded wallets through natural language commands, according to Phantom's developer documentation:
- get_wallet_addresses: retrieve blockchain addresses across all four supported chains
- sign_transaction: sign transactions on Solana, Ethereum, Bitcoin, or Sui
- transfer_tokens: move SOL or SPL tokens on Solana
- buy_token: obtain swap quotes from Phantom's API
- sign_message: sign UTF-8 messages with automatic chain routing
The server integrates with Phantom's embedded wallet SSO flow, supporting Google and Apple login, with automatic session management and locally stored stamper keys. It is currently in preview and may change without notice.
Why MCP Changes the Wallet Equation
Anthropic's Model Context Protocol has become the de facto standard for connecting AI models to external tools. It defines a structured interface that lets language models call functions, receive results, and chain operations together without custom API integrations for each tool.
For wallets, MCP means an AI agent can go from "swap 100 USDC to SOL" to a signed, executed transaction in a single conversational step. No manual approval screens, no copy-pasting addresses, no switching between apps. The agent handles the quote, builds the transaction, and signs it through the MCP server.
This matters because the agentic payments space has been heating up rapidly. Coinbase launched Agentic Wallets in February, giving AI agents autonomous spending and trading capabilities on Base. Stripe shipped x402 payments on Base. Solana declared AI agents would outspend humans, backed by 35 million x402 transactions. Phantom's entry adds the most widely used consumer wallet to this race.
Four Chains, One Interface
What separates Phantom's approach from earlier agentic wallet experiments is multi-chain support from day one. Most AI agent wallet integrations have launched on a single chain, typically Solana or an Ethereum L2. Phantom's MCP server covers Solana, Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Sui under a unified interface.
The sign_message tool uses automatic chain routing, meaning the AI agent does not need to specify which chain a message signature should target. The server detects the appropriate chain based on the wallet context. For token operations, the transfer_tokens function currently supports SOL and SPL tokens on Solana, with the buy_token tool pulling swap quotes directly from Phantom's existing swap infrastructure.
Bitcoin support is notable. While Bitcoin's UTXO model makes agent interactions more complex than account-based chains, Phantom's MCP server abstracts this behind the same interface. An AI agent can request a Bitcoin address or sign a Bitcoin transaction using the same natural language patterns it would use for Solana.
The Security Question Agents Force Every Wallet to Answer
Phantom's documentation includes a blunt warning: users should employ "a separate Phantom account specifically for testing with AI agents" and never use accounts holding significant assets. The company offers no guarantees regarding agent actions through the server.
This is the central tension in agentic crypto. Every wallet that gives AI agents signing authority must decide how much trust to extend. Ledger drew its line months ago with a "Propose, Don't Sign" philosophy, arguing that hardware wallets should never grant autonomous signing to AI agents. Phantom has taken the opposite approach: the MCP server can sign transactions directly, with security relying on the embedded wallet's SSO authentication and locally stored stamper keys rather than hardware-level approval.
For users of self-custody wallets, this creates a spectrum. On one end, hardware wallets like Ledger require physical button presses for every transaction. On the other, Phantom's MCP server lets an AI agent execute multi-step operations autonomously. The right choice depends on the use case: automated portfolio rebalancing and small swaps might benefit from agent autonomy, while large holdings demand the friction of manual approval.
The counterparty risk angle matters here too. Because Phantom's MCP server uses embedded wallets with SSO login rather than imported seed phrases, the agent never has direct access to private keys. The stamper keys stored locally provide signing authority for the session, but they are not the master keys to the wallet. If a session is compromised, the blast radius is limited to whatever the embedded wallet holds.
What This Means for the Agentic Payments Race
Phantom's move compresses the timeline for AI-native crypto payments. With tens of millions of existing users, the wallet does not need to build an audience from scratch. If even a fraction of Phantom's user base enables the MCP server, it would instantly become the largest AI agent-accessible wallet by user count.
The practical implications extend to crypto card users as well. Phantom already powers stablecoin spending via its CASH product and a prepaid Visa debit card launched in December 2025. An AI agent with MCP access could theoretically manage card top-ups, optimizing when to convert tokens to stablecoins for spending based on market conditions. That use case is speculative for now, but the plumbing is in place.
For the broader ecosystem, Phantom's MCP server validates the MCP standard as the winning protocol for AI-wallet integrations. deBridge launched its own MCP server on February 16 for cross-chain transactions. Coinbase's AgentKit has been available on GitHub. The pattern is clear: every major wallet and protocol is racing to become the default infrastructure layer for AI agents.
The competitive question is whether wallet-native MCP servers will win, or whether chain-native solutions like Solana's x402 standard will dominate. Phantom's multi-chain approach suggests the wallet layer might be more natural: users already trust their wallet with their keys, so extending that trust to AI agents through the same wallet is a smaller leap than trusting a new protocol.
FAQ
What is the Phantom MCP server? It is a Model Context Protocol server that gives AI assistants direct access to Phantom wallet operations including signing transactions, transferring tokens, and getting swap quotes across Solana, Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Sui.
Which AI assistants work with it? The MCP server is compatible with AI assistants that support the Model Context Protocol, including Claude. It integrates through standard MCP configuration in tools like Cursor, VS Code, and Claude Code.
Is it safe to use with real funds? Phantom explicitly recommends using a separate account specifically for testing with AI agents and not using accounts holding significant assets. The server is in preview and may change without notice.
What chains does it support? Solana, Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Sui. Token transfers currently support SOL and SPL tokens on Solana. Transaction signing works across all four chains.
How does it compare to Coinbase Agentic Wallets? Coinbase's Agentic Wallets operate primarily on Base (an Ethereum L2), while Phantom's MCP server covers four chains. Both give AI agents autonomous transaction capabilities, but Phantom's approach leverages its existing consumer wallet infrastructure with tens of millions of users.
Overview
Phantom has launched a Model Context Protocol server that gives AI agents the ability to sign transactions, swap tokens, and transfer assets across Solana, Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Sui. The server exposes five core tools through Phantom's embedded wallet infrastructure, using SSO authentication and locally stored stamper keys for security. While currently in preview, the launch positions Phantom as the largest consumer wallet to ship full agentic capabilities, intensifying the race between wallets, protocols, and chains to become the default infrastructure for AI-powered crypto interactions. Users should treat this as experimental and use dedicated test accounts rather than wallets holding significant value.
Recommended Reading
- Scammers Are Mailing Fake Trezor and Ledger Letters With QR Codes Designed to Drain Your Wallet
- Coinbase Launches Agentic Wallets, Giving AI Agents Autonomous Crypto Spending and Trading on Base
- Solana Declares AI Agents Will Outspend Humans, Backing the Claim With 35 Million x402 Transactions
