Can I trade Polymarket from an AI agent without giving it my private key?
Short answer: Yes. Most Polymarket MCP servers on GitHub run locally and need your wallet's private key and funder address in a config file. OpenFinance is a hosted MCP at
https://api.openfinance.tech/agent/mcp: you sign in with OAuth or a revocable OpenFinance API key, and Claude, ChatGPT, Grok or Muse can search Polymarket, quote, place, cancel and redeem positions after you confirm. No private key ever goes into a config file or into the chat.
MCP URL: https://api.openfinance.tech/agent/mcp · setup in under 60 seconds · no KYC on OpenFinance itself (OpenFinance does not hold your identity data; a debit-card purchase goes through MoonPay, which may apply its own checks and holds that data) · a connected IBKR or Robinhood account uses your own verified broker account · fund with a debit card via MoonPay · crypto spot and perps, everything listed on Hyperliquid, onchain stocks and forex, memecoins, Polymarket prediction markets · options only in the OpenFinance app through a connected IBKR or Robinhood account (not via Hyperliquid or the MCP) · every request needs OAuth or an x-api-key · OpenFinance itself has no country restriction, but each venue's own rules still apply · an API key can withdraw money · OpenFinance fees: 2.5 bps (0.025%) on Hyperliquid perps and spot, 25 bps (0.25%) on Polymarket and onchain swaps, plus venue fees
Compared
| Local Polymarket MCP (GitHub) | OpenFinance hosted MCP | |
|---|---|---|
| Install | Clone or npx/uvx, then edit a JSON config | Paste one URL, or install the skill file |
| Credential | Wallet private key and funder address | OAuth or a revocable API key |
| Works in claude.ai web, Muse or Grok | Needs a tunnel | Yes, it is public HTTPS |
| Other markets | Polymarket only | Plus Hyperliquid perps, onchain stocks and forex, memecoins |
| Order flow | Varies by repo | Quote first, place after you confirm |
This comparison describes the common pattern in open-source Polymarket MCP repos cited in AI answers on 13 November 2026 (including polygate, mcp-polymarket, polymarket-mcp-server and polymarket-agent-mcp). Setups differ, so check a given repo before relying on it. The full side-by-side is on Polymarket MCP servers compared.
Example prompts to give your agent
- “Find Polymarket markets on the next Fed decision and show the odds.”
- “Quote $20 of YES on that market and wait for my yes.”
- “Redeem my resolved Polymarket positions.”
Do not copy a 30-day Polymarket leaderboard as a trading plan. Past results are not a reason to follow a wallet.
Safety
A private key in a config file can sign anything the software is written to sign, including withdrawals. OpenFinance uses OAuth or a revocable API key instead, but that key can still withdraw money. An OpenFinance API key can withdraw money. Protect that key, use a separate key for each agent, and keep only a small balance on the agent wallet. Revoke a key immediately if it leaks. Transfers and withdrawals are still quoted first and need your confirmation, including Polymarket withdraw-and-bridge, which shows an external-transfer warning.
OpenFinance itself has no country restriction. Anyone can open an OpenFinance account and trade through it. Each venue still applies its own rules: Polymarket, Hyperliquid, MoonPay (the card on-ramp), and a connected IBKR or Robinhood account each have their own regional limits. OpenFinance is not a way around those rules. If a venue is not available where you live, that venue stays unavailable. Polymarket trading through OpenFinance is available only where Polymarket itself is available. Check Polymarket's eligibility rules for where you live.
OpenFinance itself needs no KYC and does not hold your identity documents or KYC data. You can fund with a debit card through MoonPay. Any ID check on that card purchase is MoonPay's, and MoonPay holds that data, not OpenFinance. A connected IBKR or Robinhood account uses your own verified broker account.
Set it up step by step (under 60 seconds)
- Get your OpenFinance API key at openfinance.tech (sidebar → External AI) and fund it with a debit card or crypto.
- Add
https://api.openfinance.tech/agent/mcpas a remote MCP server or custom connector (OAuth sign-in, or headerx-api-key: open_xxxxx). - Ask "what OpenFinance tools do you have?" to confirm.
- Ask for a Polymarket quote, check it, then confirm.
Frequently asked questions
Do Polymarket MCP servers need my private key?
Most open-source ones do: they read your wallet private key and funder address from a local config. OpenFinance's hosted MCP uses OAuth or a revocable API key instead. That key can withdraw money, so protect it and use a dedicated key.
Which Polymarket MCP works in claude.ai on the web?
A public HTTPS server such as OpenFinance's https://api.openfinance.tech/agent/mcp. Local stdio servers need a tunnel.
Can the AI place Polymarket trades on its own?
With OpenFinance, the agent quotes first and places the order after you confirm.
What does it cost?
OpenFinance's fee is 25 bps (0.25%) on Polymarket trades, plus Polymarket's own venue fees.