Alpaca FAQs

Question 1

What is Alpaca and how does it work?

Accepted Answer

Alpaca is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that connects AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to Alpaca's Trading API. It enables developers to perform trading operations using natural language commands, automating interactions with financial markets.

Question 2

Can I use Alpaca for live trading with real funds?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Alpaca supports both paper trading (via a free account) and live trading with real funds. You can easily switch between modes by updating your API keys in both the MCP server's .env file and your connected MCP client's configuration.

Question 3

Which AI assistants and development environments are compatible with Alpaca?

Accepted Answer

Alpaca is designed to integrate seamlessly with a variety of AI assistants and development environments acting as MCP clients, including Claude Desktop/Mobile, Cursor, VS Code, PyCharm, ChatGPT, Claude Code, and Gemini CLI.

Question 4

What are the prerequisites for installing and using Alpaca?

Accepted Answer

To get started with Alpaca, you'll need Python 3.10+, the 'uv' package manager, Alpaca Trading API keys (paper trading keys are free), and a compatible MCP client. Installation can be done quickly via 'uvx', 'install.py', or Docker.

Question 5

What types of assets and data does Alpaca support?

Accepted Answer

Alpaca provides comprehensive support for real-time and historical market data across stocks, options, and cryptocurrencies. It also offers advanced order management, account/position management, and full trading functionality for these asset types.

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