How to trade with Qwen (Alibaba)

How Qwen connects to tools

Qwen is Alibaba's consumer assistant. The Qwen Chat Desktop app (Mac and Windows, download from qwen.ai/home) supports custom MCP servers; the web chat does not. From the chat window open MCP → MCP settings → Add MCP. There are two add modes: Quick Add (pick StreamableHTTP or SSE and paste a server URL) and JSON (paste an mcpServers block). Quick Add without auth returns 401 against OpenFinance until you add credentials, so prefer the JSON path with npx mcp-remote and an x-api-key header (or Bearer if you use that style). Node.js 20+ is required for the mcp-remote bridge. Prefer the in-app UI over editing settings.json by hand (Electron may overwrite file edits). Parameter/env text areas are reported to have ~1000-character limits when editing, so delete and recreate the entry if a long JWT or key gets truncated. No explicit "no trading" policy was found in the setup guides checked; treat Qwen's own ToS as before publishing.

Set up Qwen in under 60 seconds

1. Install Qwen Chat Desktop from https://qwen.ai/home (Mac or Windows) and sign in. MCP is not available in the web chat.
2. In the chat window click MCP → MCP settings → Add MCP.
3. Prefer JSON. Paste the mcpServers block below (replace open_xxxxx with your OpenFinance key). On Windows use C:\\PROGRA~1\\nodejs\\npx.cmd instead of npx if plain npx fails.
4. Click Save and Enable. Wait for a green/connected status.
5. In chat, ask Qwen for the BTC price through OpenFinance to confirm the tools appear.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "openfinance": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://api.openfinance.tech/agent/mcp",
        "--header",
        "x-api-key: ${API_KEY}"
      ],
      "env": {
        "API_KEY": "open_xxxxx"
      }
    }
  }
}

Get an API key at openfinance.tech (sidebar → External AI). Then fund: open the OpenFinance app, tap Add funds, pay with a debit card, or send crypto to your agent wallet. No brokerage application, no KYC on OpenFinance.

What Qwen can trade through OpenFinance

Prompts to try in Qwen

• “Using OpenFinance, what's my balance, and what are BTC, ETH and SOL doing today?”
• “Using OpenFinance, go long BTC 5x with $50 on Hyperliquid and set a stop 4% below entry.”
• “Using OpenFinance, buy $25 of tokenized NVDA and $25 of TSLA.”
• “Using OpenFinance, show the top trending Solana memecoins and buy $10 of the one with the most volume.”
• “Using OpenFinance, what are the Polymarket odds on the next Fed decision? Bet $10 on the favourite.”

OpenFinance vs Alpaca for Qwen users

Alpaca is a regulated US broker with its own MCP server and paper trading, a good fit if you want US-listed shares and listed options. OpenFinance is faster for Qwen: no account approval, one URL, and onchain markets Alpaca doesn't offer (perps, memecoins, Polymarket).