{"slug": "wiring-cai-into-openclaw-hermes-codex-and-cursor-the-exact-mcp-config-for-each", "title": "Wiring CAI into OpenClaw, Hermes, Codex, and Cursor: the exact MCP config for each host", "summary": "CAI Lab released an MCP server for its agentic wallet platform, with configuration instructions for OpenClaw, Hermes, Codex, and Cursor. The server, installed via npm, enables AI agents to perform wallet operations such as balance checks and custodial transfers, with a $200/day auto-limit during security audit.", "body_md": "The general install is one command, `npm i -g @cailab/mcp`\n\n, and the contract lives at `cai.com/skill.md`\n\n. This post is the host-specific deep-dive: the exact config block for OpenClaw, Hermes, Codex, and Cursor, with the path to the config file, the env var handling, and the restart command.\n\nYou need:\n\n`cai.com/app`\n\n). The signup is four steps, about 2 minutes.`pay`\n\nwhen you need transfers.`npm i -g @cailab/mcp`\n\n).OpenClaw's MCP config lives at `~/.openclaw/mcp.json`\n\n. Add the CAI server to the `mcpServers`\n\nobject:\n\n```\n{\n  \"mcpServers\": {\n    \"cai\": {\n      \"command\": \"cai-mcp\",\n      \"env\": {\n        \"CAI_API_KEY\": \"your-api-key-from-the-dashboard\"\n      }\n    }\n  }\n}\n```\n\nRestart OpenClaw. The CAI tools appear in the agent's tool surface. Verify with `openclaw mcp list`\n\n. The `cai`\n\nserver should show as running.\n\n**If the server doesn't appear:** check the `cai-mcp`\n\nbinary is on the PATH (`which cai-mcp`\n\n). If the binary is missing, re-run the install. If the binary is on the PATH but the server still doesn't start, check the API key is valid with `curl -H \"Authorization: Bearer ***\" https://api.cai.com/functions/v1/get-identity`\n\n.\n\nHermes uses a CLI to add MCP servers:\n\n```\nhermes mcp add cai -- cai-mcp\nhermes mcp env-set cai CAI_API_KEY=your-api-key-from-the-dashboard\n```\n\nThe env var is stored in the Hermes MCP config. Restart Hermes with `hermes restart`\n\n. Verify with `hermes mcp list`\n\n. The `cai`\n\nserver should show as running with the env var set.\n\n**Hermes-specific note:** Hermes reads MCP env vars at startup, not at request time. If you rotate your CAI API key, you need to update the env var and restart Hermes.\n\nCodex reads MCP config from `~/.codex/mcp_servers.json`\n\n. The format is the standard MCP config:\n\n```\n{\n  \"mcpServers\": {\n    \"cai\": {\n      \"command\": \"cai-mcp\",\n      \"env\": {\n        \"CAI_API_KEY\": \"your-api-key-from-the-dashboard\"\n      }\n    }\n  }\n}\n```\n\nRestart Codex. The CAI tools appear in the agent's tool surface. Verify by running a test request. `codex mcp test cai`\n\nshould return a successful handshake.\n\n**Codex-specific note:** Codex's MCP support is newer than OpenClaw's. If you see \"MCP server not found\" on startup, check the Codex version is up to date. The CAI MCP server requires Codex ≥ 0.x.y (the specific version is in `cai.com/developers.html`\n\n).\n\nCursor's MCP settings are in the UI: `Cursor → Settings → MCP → Add new MCP server`\n\n. The form fields:\n\n`cai`\n\n`cai-mcp`\n\n`CAI_API_KEY=your-api-key-from-the-dashboard`\n\nClick \"Add\" and Cursor restarts the MCP server. The CAI tools appear in the agent's tool surface. Verify with `Cursor → Settings → MCP → cai → Test`\n\n. The test should return a successful handshake.\n\n**Cursor-specific note:** Cursor stores the env var in its own keychain, not in a config file. If you rotate your CAI API key, update the env var in the MCP settings UI and click \"Save.\"\n\nIf the host isn't on the list, the config is the same shape:\n\n```\n{\n  \"mcpServers\": {\n    \"cai\": {\n      \"command\": \"cai-mcp\",\n      \"env\": {\n        \"CAI_API_KEY\": \"your-api-key-from-the-dashboard\"\n      }\n    }\n  }\n}\n```\n\nThe MCP server is generic. The contract is in `cai.com/skill.md`\n\n. The tool names are stable. Any host that supports MCP can use the server.\n\nOnce the server is running in your host, run a quick test:\n\n`get_identity`\n\nshould return your `@cai.com`\n\naddress, your wallet bindings, and your linked subwallets.`get_wallet_balances`\n\nshould return your balances (or an empty list with a `gap_id`\n\nif you haven't deposited yet).`wallet_custodial_transfer`\n\nwith a tiny amount (0.01 USDC) should return a hosted-action URL. Open the URL, tap once, and the transfer completes.A few things to keep in mind about the wallet. There is a $200/day auto-limit while the security audit completes. New recipients and new devices always require confirmation. Think of it like cash in your pocket. It works for daily spending without exposing a private key in chat. The vault product (multi-sig, time-locks) is coming for larger balances.\n\nThe part of CAI that the user sees most often is the hosted-action flow. When the agent calls `wallet_custodial_transfer`\n\n, the API returns a hosted-action URL. The user opens it, confirms with one tap, and the payment goes through. The agent polls `GET /transfer-status`\n\nfor the receipt. No private key in chat, no signature to copy, no browser extension to connect. That single-tap confirmation page is the user's control point for every agent-initiated payment.\n\nIf any step fails, the comment section below is the right place to file the bug.\n\nThe contract is `cai.com/skill.md`\n\n. The install command is `npm i -g @cailab/mcp`\n\n. The dashboard is at `cai.com/app`\n\n.\n\n**Comment below with:**\n\nEvery comment on this article gets read. Bug reports will be replied to within 24 hours. Friction points shape what we document next.\n\nDocumentation: `cai.com/skill.md`\n\n· `cai.com/developers.html`\n\n· `cai.com/app`\n\nto sign up.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/wiring-cai-into-openclaw-hermes-codex-and-cursor-the-exact-mcp-config-for-each", "canonical_source": "https://dev.to/cailab/wiring-cai-into-openclaw-hermes-codex-and-cursor-the-exact-mcp-config-for-each-host-1m48", "published_at": "2026-09-02 06:36:47+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-09-02 06:52:14.715938+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-agents", "developer-tools", "ai-infrastructure"], "entities": ["CAI Lab", "OpenClaw", "Hermes", "Codex", "Cursor", "MCP"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/wiring-cai-into-openclaw-hermes-codex-and-cursor-the-exact-mcp-config-for-each", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/wiring-cai-into-openclaw-hermes-codex-and-cursor-the-exact-mcp-config-for-each.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/wiring-cai-into-openclaw-hermes-codex-and-cursor-the-exact-mcp-config-for-each.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/wiring-cai-into-openclaw-hermes-codex-and-cursor-the-exact-mcp-config-for-each.jsonld"}}