API Key Setup
API Key Setup
All ChainGPT API products require an API key for authentication. This page walks through obtaining a key, configuring it for use with the plugin, and managing your credit balance.
Getting an API key
Visit app.chaingpt.org and connect a crypto wallet to create an account.
Navigate to API Keys and click Create New Secret Key.
Copy the key immediately — it is only displayed once.
Store it securely using an environment variable or secret manager.
Configuring the key
Environment variable (recommended)
Set the CHAINGPT_API_KEY environment variable in your shell:
export CHAINGPT_API_KEY="your-key-here"Add this to your .bashrc, .zshrc, or .env file so it persists across sessions.
Plugin installs
If you installed via /plugin install, the MCP server reads CHAINGPT_API_KEY from your environment automatically via the .mcp.json configuration:
Manual installs
If you installed via git clone, set the key in your .claude/settings.json MCP server configuration (see Installation).
Loading credits
API calls consume credits. To load credits:
Visit app.chaingpt.org/addcredits.
Choose a payment method: crypto (USDT, USDC, ETH, BNB, TRX, $CGPT) or credit card.
1,000 credits costs $10 USD (1 credit = $0.01).
Pay with $CGPT tokens for a 15% bonus on every purchase.
Credits never expire.
Verifying your setup
Test that your key works by asking Claude to check your credit balance (requires the MCP server):
Or test manually with cURL:
A 200 response means your key is valid. A 401 means the key is invalid or expired — regenerate it from the dashboard.
Common issues
Key not found: Ensure there are no trailing whitespace characters or newlines in the key value. Check with: echo -n $CHAINGPT_API_KEY | wc -c
Wrong header format: The Authorization header must use the Bearer prefix: Authorization: Bearer <key>. Not Token <key> or just the raw key.
Insufficient credits: HTTP 402 or 403 responses indicate your credit balance is too low. Top up at app.chaingpt.org/addcredits.
API authentication details
All ChainGPT API products share the same authentication mechanism:
Base URL
https://api.chaingpt.org
Auth header
Authorization: Bearer <API_KEY>
Rate limit
200 requests/minute per key
Content type
application/json for POST requests
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