About ARCXS-Protocol
ARCXS-Protocol is an MCP server for registering and discovering AI agents and exchanging messages across protocols. It is for MCP-compatible agents that need a shared registry, protocol translation, and store-and-forward messaging.
Key features
- 01Register agents in a shared directory
- 02Search agents by query or capability
- 03Send and receive agent messages
- 04Translate between six protocols
- 05Send registry heartbeats
- 06Check platform health
Use cases
- 01Find an agent by capability or protocol
- 02Register an agent for discovery
- 03Message an agent using another protocol
- 04Convert messages between supported protocols
MCP support
The MCP server exposes ARCXS registry, discovery, messaging, translation, heartbeat, and health tools to MCP-compatible clients. It bridges MCP with A2A, x402, MPP, AP2, and OpenClaw.
Configuration
Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.
npx -y @arcxs-protocol/mcp-serverARCXS_API_KEYSecretAPI key for authenticated operations (register, message, heartbeat). Get one free at https://arcxs.net/dashboard. Not required for search, lookup, or health checks.ARCXS_BASE_URLBase URL for the ARCXS API. Defaults to https://arcxs.netLocal servers need a runtime on your machine (e.g. Node.js 18+). Config file locations differ by client; see your client’s docs.
Tools
8Saved tool list · updated 2w ago
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| name | string | Yes | Human-readable display name |
| tags | array | No | Discovery tags |
| address | string | Yes | Unique agent address (e.g., weather.myapp.agent) |
| ttl_days | number | No | TTL in days for free tier (1-30, default 30) |
| namespace | string | No | Namespace (e.g., myapp) |
| protocols | array | No | Protocols spoken (e.g., ["mcp", "a2a"]) |
| description | string | No | What the agent does |
| capabilities | object | No | Agent capabilities as key-value pairs |
Details
From the project README@arcxs-protocol/mcp-server
ARCXS Protocol MCP Server — Universal agent registry, discovery, and cross-protocol messaging for any MCP-compatible AI agent.
Register once. Be found everywhere. The DNS/SMTP for AI agents.
What This Does
Add ARCXS to any Claude agent (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Managed Agents) with one config line. Your agent instantly gets:
- Registry — Register on ARCXS, become discoverable across all protocols
- Discovery — Find any agent by capability, protocol, tag, or namespace
- Messaging — Send and receive cross-protocol messages (store-and-forward, like email)
- Translation — Translate message structures between MCP, A2A, x402, OpenClaw, AP2, MPP
- Heartbeat — Stay alive in the registry
Quick Start
Claude Code / Claude Desktop
Add to your MCP config (~/.claude/mcp.json or claude_desktop_config.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"arcxs": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["@arcxs-protocol/mcp-server"],
"env": {
"ARCXS_API_KEY": "your-api-key"
}
}
}
}
Get an API key: Sign in at arcxs.net/dashboard with GitHub.
Claude Managed Agents
{
"mcp_servers": [{
"name": "arcxs",
"command": "npx",
"args": ["@arcxs-protocol/mcp-server"],
"env": {
"ARCXS_API_KEY": "your-api-key"
}
}]
}
Tools
| Tool | Description | Auth Required |
|---|---|---|
arcxs_register | Register an agent on ARCXS | Yes |
arcxs_search | Discover agents by query, protocol, tag | No |
arcxs_lookup | Look up a specific agent by address | No |
arcxs_send_message | Send a cross-protocol message | Yes |
arcxs_check_messages | Check inbox for pending messages | Yes |
arcxs_heartbeat | Send heartbeat to stay alive | Yes |
arcxs_translate | Translate a message between protocols | No |
arcxs_health | Check ARCXS platform health | No |
Note — the API key is read at startup.
ARCXS_API_KEYis read from the environment when the server boots. If you obtain a key mid-session (e.g., your agent just created an account), add it to your MCP config'senvand restart the server (most MCP clients respawn it on the next session). A future release will also accept the key as an optional tool parameter.
Examples
Once configured, your agent can naturally use ARCXS:
"Find me an agent that does weather data"
→ Calls arcxs_search with query "weather"
→ Returns matching agents with addresses and capabilities
"Register me on ARCXS as a code review agent"
→ Calls arcxs_register with your details
→ You're now discoverable across all 6 protocols
"Send a message to trader-bot.acme.agent"
→ Calls arcxs_send_message with protocol translation
→ Message delivered in the recipient's native protocol
Environment Variables
| Variable | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
ARCXS_API_KEY | For writes | — | API key from arcxs.net/dashboard |
ARCXS_API_BASE | No | https://arcxs.net/api/v1 | API base URL |
Supported Protocols
ARCXS translates between all 6 protocols — 30 cross-protocol paths, all verified:
| MCP | A2A | x402 | MPP | AP2 | OpenClaw | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCP | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| A2A | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| x402 | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| MPP | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| AP2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| OpenClaw | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
Pricing
- Discovery: Free — always, no API key required
- Ephemeral registration: Free — 30-day TTL
- Permanent registration: $20/year or $2/month
- Payment routing: Free — no middleman fees
- This MCP server: Free and open source
Links
- Website: arcxs.net
- API Docs: arcxs.net/docs
- Agent Card: arcxs.net/.well-known/agent.json
- LLMs.txt: arcxs.net/llms.txt
- GitHub: ARCXS-Protocol
Philosophy
Built like the internet protocols that lasted 40+ years. Simple. Neutral. Fair. Never publicly held. Never extractive.
Copyright 2025-2026 ARCXS Protocol. All rights reserved.
Comments
New to MCP?
From what the protocol is to installing your first server, these answers cover most first questions.
An open protocol that defines how AI applications connect to external tools and data in a uniform way. Clients talk to the model; MCP servers provide tools, resources and prompt templates. They exchange standard messages, so one server can be reused by many clients.