How to Connect Crush to NinjaTrader 8 with CrossTrade MCP

Crush is Charm's open-source coding agent with a clean TUI. JSON config, type: 'http' for remote MCP. No native OAuth, use a bearer token in headers.

OAuth scope: mcp:tradeMulti-model harness

Prerequisites

Requirement	Detail
CrossTrade subscription	Elite
CrossTrade Add-On	v1.13.0 or higher
NinjaTrader 8	Running, broker connected
Account	Sim101 for first runs
OAuth scope	`mcp:trade`
Install command	`brew install charmbracelet/tap/crush`
Config file	`~/.config/crush/crush.json (global) or .crush.json / crush.json (project root)`

CrossTrade MCP server

https://app.crosstrade.io/v1/api/mcp

Transport: streamable-http. Auth: OAuth 2.1 + PKCE. Request scope mcp:trade. Read plus write. Place/cancel orders, deploy strategies, compile NinjaScript.

Step 1: Install Crush

# Homebrew
brew install charmbracelet/tap/crush

# npm
npm install -g @charmland/crush

# Go
go install github.com/charmbracelet/crush@latest

# Windows (Winget)
winget install charmbracelet.crush

On first launch Crush prompts for an LLM provider API key, or you can pre-set env vars (ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY, etc.).

Step 2: Add CrossTrade MCP

Edit ~/.config/crush/crush.json (or .crush.json / crush.json in your project root — checked in priority order):

{
  "mcp": {
    "crosstrade": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://app.crosstrade.io/v1/api/mcp",
      "timeout": 120,
      "disabled": false,
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer $CROSSTRADE_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Crush uses type: "http"

Crush's transport values are "stdio", "http", or "sse". Not "remote" (OpenCode) or "streamable_http" (Goose). Schema fields: type (required), url, headers, timeout, disabled, disabled_tools, enabled_tools, env.

Env var expansion: $VARNAME syntax in header values is supported.

Step 3: Get a bearer token

Crush doesn't have a native browser OAuth flow. To get a token:

Authorize CrossTrade via Claude Code, Cursor, OpenCode, or any OAuth-capable client.
Copy the issued token from your AI Clients page.
export CROSSTRADE_API_KEY=... in your shell rc.

Step 4: First prompt

Confirm CrossTrade MCP. ListAccounts, GetConnections. One-line status per account.

FAQ

Why no OAuth?

Crush's MCP client is bearer-only as of this writing. Watch github.com/charmbracelet/crush for updates.

Schema autocomplete?

Crush doesn't auto-generate $schema references. Add "$schema": "https://charm.land/crush/schema.json" to the top of crush.json for IDE completion.

OAuth handshake

The first tool call surfaces an authorization URL. Open it in a browser, approve mcp:trade, and return to the harness. The access token is stored by the harness (keychain, config file, or memory depending on the client).

See CrossTrade MCP OAuth for the full flow, and 403/408 troubleshooting if the handshake fails.

Verify the connection

Smoke-test before doing anything stateful:

Call GetMcpCapabilities and McpSelfTest. Then ListAccounts and GetConnections.
Report add-on version, NT8 version, and which accounts are linked.

If you authorized mcp:trade, also confirm Sim101 is the default account before any order placement.

Funded-account safety

The mcp:trade scope grants order placement. The scope does not protect a funded account; your prompt and account selection do. Default to Sim101 during setup. For funded accounts, verify the firm's automation policy first.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
403 insufficient_scope	Token authorized at mcp:read but tool requires mcp:trade	Reauthorize the connection and select mcp:trade
OAuth callback fails	System browser blocked the redirect or popup	Copy the auth URL manually, complete it, paste the code back
Tools list is empty after connect	Server registered but session did not refresh	Restart the harness or trigger a tool list refresh
Add-on offline error	NT8 not running, or add-on not loaded	Confirm NT8 is open and the CrossTrade add-on (v1.13.0+) is installed
type: "remote" rejected	Crush uses type: "http" (not "remote" like OpenCode, not "streamable_http" like Goose)	Use type: "http"; valid values are "stdio", "http", "sse"
No OAuth flow starts	Crush docs do not describe a native browser OAuth flow	Obtain a CrossTrade token via another client's OAuth flow and paste it in headers as a Bearer token

Prerequisites

Step 1: Install Crush​

Step 2: Add CrossTrade MCP​

Step 3: Get a bearer token​

Step 4: First prompt​

FAQ​

Why no OAuth?​

Schema autocomplete?​