Here’s a concise summary of the exact steps and tools for an AI agent to accept crypto with no API key, according to the Shieldz blog post:

Tools Available

The Shieldz MCP server exposes three tools:

• create_payment_link – for one-time, fixed-amount charges
• create_tip_jar – for reusable, pay-what-you-want pages
• get_account_status – to check paid and pending totals for a wallet

Flow Summary

1. Connect the MCP Server

• Remote: Add the Shieldz MCP server to your agent’s config:
  json

  Copy

  { "mcpServers": { "shieldz": { "url": "https://shieldz.cash/mcp" } } }

• Local: Run npx @shieldz/mcp for stdio connection.

2. Create a Payment Link or Tip Jar

• For a fixed amount: Call create_payment_link with:

  • amount_usd
  • settlement_address (your wallet)
  • chain (e.g., "base")
  • asset (e.g., "usdc")
  • memo (optional)
  • Returns: Hosted checkout URL, embeddable button, QR code

• For a tip jar: Call create_tip_jar with:

  • settlement_address
  • chain
  • asset
  • title
  • Returns: Reusable payment page

3. Check Payments

• Call get_account_status with your settlement_address to read paid and pending totals.

Key Points

• No API key, no account, no dashboard – just a wallet address.
• Non-custodial – funds settle directly to your wallet.
• No secrets – the agent holds no private keys.
• Optional: Use the HTTP API directly if MCP is not available.

Result: The agent can generate payment links, accept crypto, and verify payments autonomously, all without any API keys or setup beyond a wallet address.