> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.thetanuts.finance/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.thetanuts.finance/sdk/ai-agents/agents-overview.md).

# Overview — Pick Your Route

Thetanuts ships two agent-facing packages on top of the SDK. Both are thin layers over the same [`@thetanuts-finance/thetanuts-client`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@thetanuts-finance/thetanuts-client) encode helpers — the difference is **who signs the transaction and where the safety boundary lives**.

## The two packages

|                 | [`@thetanuts-finance/mcp`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@thetanuts-finance/mcp)                                    | [`@thetanuts-finance/agentkit`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@thetanuts-finance/agentkit) |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| What it is      | MCP server: \~100 tools an LLM client calls over the Model Context Protocol                                         | Coinbase AgentKit `ActionProvider` library you embed in your own agent code                |
| Who signs       | **Never signs.** Pairs with a signer — Base MCP (you approve each tx in Base Account), Safe, or a CDP policy wallet | **The agent's own wallet** (CDP, viem, Privy server wallets), unattended                   |
| Runs in         | Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, ChatGPT, Codex — any MCP client                                                | Your backend agent process (LangChain, Vercel AI SDK), or as its own MCP server            |
| Safety boundary | Outside the LLM: wallet approval UI or signer policy                                                                | In code: fail-closed `SafetyPolicy` (notional caps, collateral allowlist, host hook)       |
| Use when        | Human-in-the-loop chat trading; maximum client reach                                                                | Headless trading bots, MM bots, custodied agent vaults                                     |

This split is deliberate: the MCP server can guarantee it **cannot move funds** (it holds no keys and builds calldata only), while autonomous signing stays an explicit, separately-installed opt-in. The two can run side by side.

## The three routes

| You want                                                  | You run                                                                                                                                     | Guide                                                |
| --------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| **Trade from chat, approving every transaction yourself** | `@thetanuts-finance/mcp` + [Base MCP](https://docs.base.org/ai-agents/quickstart) — calldata is prepared, you click approve in Base Account | [Trade from Chat](/sdk/ai-agents/base-mcp-plugin.md) |
| **Trade from chat, but the agent signs by itself**        | `@thetanuts-finance/agentkit` run as an MCP server (Coinbase's MCP adapter + a CDP wallet under `SafetyPolicy` caps)                        | [AgentKit](/sdk/ai-agents/agentkit.md)               |
| **A fully headless bot — no chat client at all**          | `@thetanuts-finance/agentkit` embedded in your own code (LangChain, Vercel AI SDK)                                                          | [AgentKit](/sdk/ai-agents/agentkit.md)               |

If you're unsure, take the first route — a transaction can never leave your wallet without your click.

## Reads only?

If you just want an LLM that can *read* the protocol (markets, positions, IV, Greeks) and help you write SDK code, the MCP server alone is enough — no wallet, no signer. See [MCP Server](/sdk/ai-agents/mcp-server.md), or skip servers entirely with the copy-paste [LLM Context](/sdk/resources/llm-context.md) prompt.

## Deeper material

* [MCP Server guide](/sdk/ai-agents/mcp-server.md) — every tool, environment variables, the full comparison
* [Trade from Chat](/sdk/ai-agents/base-mcp-plugin.md) — the Base MCP plugin setup
* [AgentKit guide](/sdk/ai-agents/agentkit.md) — autonomous agents, both modes
* AgentKit repo: [SETUP.md](https://github.com/Thetanuts-Finance/thetanuts-agentkit/blob/main/SETUP.md) (end-to-end setup: CDP wallet, client configs for Claude Desktop/Code, Cursor, Codex) and [SKILL.md](https://github.com/Thetanuts-Finance/thetanuts-agentkit/blob/main/SKILL.md) (a walkthrough skill any skill-aware agent can load)