get-transaction · Bitcoin MCP Server MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What get-transaction does on Bitcoin MCP Server

AI agents call get-transaction to retrieve information from Bitcoin MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why get-transaction needs a policy

This tool retrieves transaction data from a public blockchain API. It has no side effects, does not execute code, does not modify data, and does not move funds or create financial obligations. The operation is purely informational, analogous to querying a public database.

From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'Get detailed information about a Bitcoin transaction' - a retrieval-only operation that queries blockchain data via mempool.space API without modifying, executing code, or affecting financial state.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Questions about get-transaction

What does the get-transaction tool do? +

Get detailed information about a Bitcoin transaction. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Bitcoin MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on get-transaction? +

Register the Bitcoin MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get-transaction: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Bitcoin MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is get-transaction? +

get-transaction is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit get-transaction? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the get-transaction rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block get-transaction completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for get-transaction. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides get-transaction? +

get-transaction is provided by the Bitcoin MCP Server MCP server (jamesanz/bitcoin-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.