Personalbrain MCP

Name: Personalbrain MCP
Author: lonniev

by lonnievversion 1.18.0i★ –iRuns in the cloud

Registry nameio.github.lonniev/personalbrain-mcp

Install

Overview

Description from the maker (original English)

FastMCP server for TheBrain API — AI access to a personal knowledge graph, Tollbooth-monetized

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

These three are never merged into one score: opinions, measurements and popularity are different things.

User voiceiNo reviews yetReviews open together with accounts in a later step
Our basic checksi3 of 3 passedChecked from public information; code not scanned yet
UsageiNot measured yet★ –

What you can do with it

We have not written a plain-language summary for this one yet. Below are the facts we read from the registry.

Connection: Runs in the cloud
Transport: Streamable HTTP
Category: Search & AI memory

Install

Pick the AI app you use, then copy the settings.

Before you install

Basic checks: 3 of 3 passed
Runs on the maker’s server: what you ask it goes through their server.
The registry lists no key to fill in.

You need

Runs in the cloudNothing to install; it connects over the internet

Which app do you use?

ClaudeClaude CodeCursorVS CodeChatGPT

Pick your app above. We remember it, so next time the button says “Install in …”.

Works in Claude on the web, desktop and mobile:

Open Settings → Connectors
Press Add custom connector
Paste the address below and press Add
If it asks you to sign in, sign in with the maker

https://personal-brain.fastmcp.app/mcp

Run this in your terminal

claude mcp add --transport http personalbrain https://personal-brain.fastmcp.app/mcp

Open in Cursor

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .cursor/mcp.json in your project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "personalbrain": {
      "url": "https://personal-brain.fastmcp.app/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

Open in VS Code

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .vscode/mcp.json in your project

{
  "servers": {
    "personalbrain": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://personal-brain.fastmcp.app/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

ChatGPT connects only to servers on the internet:

Open ChatGPT on the web → Settings → Connectors (Apps)
Press Create or Add (some plans need Developer mode under Advanced first)
Paste the address below, give it a name and save
If it asks you to sign in, sign in with the maker

https://personal-brain.fastmcp.app/mcp

Menu names can differ slightly by plan and over time.

Your choice stays on this device in a cookie; no account needed.

These settings are generated from the maker’s registry entry. If the README says otherwise, follow the README.

What it can do

The server asks you to sign in before it lists its tools.

Basic checksi

We check information anyone can see; we have not read the code. Checks that do not apply are left out of the count. · Checked Nov 8, 2026

✓ Pass
Maker matches the repo
The registry name was verified with the GitHub account lonniev, which owns the repo
… Not checked yet
Still maintained
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
… Not checked yet
Has a licence
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
✓ Pass
Endpoint responds
Responded in 353 ms (HTTP 401)
✓ Pass
Sign-in with OAuth
Declares OAuth sign-in, so your AI app can take you to log in
… Not checked yet
No hidden instructions in tool descriptions
Not checked yet; we read the tool list when we check the endpoint

Compared with others in Search & AI memoryi

More stars than 0% of the other 5670 servers in this category
Published to the registry more recently than 70% of the other 5670 servers in this category
Basic checks equal to or better than 100% of the other 5670 servers in this category

Compared with every active server in this category in the registry. Stars count only when the publisher owns the repo.

Common questions

Is Personalbrain MCP safe?

It passed 3 of 3 applicable basic checks. We have not read the code. Before adding a key or token, see what access the server asks for and use a key with only the permissions you need.

What keys or codes does it need?

The registry does not list a required key, though some servers ask you to sign in on first use.

Does it run on my computer or in the cloud?

It runs in the maker’s cloud. Connect over the internet with nothing to install, but what you send passes through the maker’s servers.

Is it still maintained?

The GitHub repo last changed –, and the latest version (1.18.0) reached the registry 17 days ago.

Which apps can use it?

Apps that support MCP, such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code. It connects by URL, so apps that accept remote MCP servers work too, such as ChatGPT in developer mode.

What can I use instead?

In the same category: Context7, Codebase Memory, Exa

Alternatives

Servers in the same category from other makers, sorted by stars.

Reading a card:★ GitHub starsiThree pillars: reviews · checks · usageiUpdated = latest version published to the registryi

Context7

by upstash

Feeds AI the latest docs for libraries and frameworks before it answers, so code it writes does not use outdated, removed functions.

Computer or cloud★ 64,224MITUpdated yesterday

Install

Codebase Memory

by DeusData

Codebase knowledge graph for AI agents — 162 languages, sub-ms queries, 99% fewer tokens.

Runs on your computer★ 48,148MITUpdated 21 days ago

Install

Exa

by exa-labs

Connect AI agents to Exa for web search, content fetching, and multi-step research.

Runs in the cloud★ 5,213MITUpdated 2 months ago

Install

README from the maker

Open the README

Copied from the maker’s repo as written. PopNx MCP has not reviewed or endorsed it. HTML, images and scripts are removed. Links lead off this site.

thebrain-mcp

The first city on the Lightning Turnpike.

An MCP server that gives AI agents read-write access to a personal knowledge graph — and pays for itself with Bitcoin Lightning micropayments.

*The metaphors in this project are drawn with admiration from* The Phantom Tollbooth *by Norton Juster, illustrated by Jules Feiffer (1961). Milo, Tock, the Tollbooth, Dictionopolis, and Digitopolis are creations of Mr. Juster's extraordinary imagination. We just built the payment infrastructure.*

The First City

Every turnpike needs its first city. Before the booths can collect fares and the authority can stamp purchase orders, someone has to build a destination worth driving to.

thebrain-mcp is that city — a FastMCP service deployed on Horizon that bridges AI agents to TheBrain, a personal knowledge graph of 9,000+ interconnected thoughts built over a decade. Every thought, link, attachment, and note operation maps directly to TheBrain's cloud API at api.bra.in.

It's also the proving ground for Tollbooth DPYC™ — the first MCP server where every tool call is metered via Bitcoin Lightning micropayments. Pre-fund, use, top up. No subscriptions, no API keys tied to billing accounts, no fiat payment processors. The novel contribution: an MCP server architecture where the operator monetizes AI agent access through Lightning micropayments without ever pestering the client mid-conversation.

Getting Started

Connecting via Horizon MCP

Connect any MCP-compatible client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, your own agent) to the live endpoint:

https://personal-brain.fastmcp.app/mcp

No configuration needed. Your client connects with OAuth; the connection holds no npub until you prove one into it by answering a Nostr DM (request_npub_proof, then receive_npub_proof). A client that holds your nsec signs each request instead (NIP-98) and needs no DM. Tools then take only npub.

First Connection Walkthrough

`session_status` — Check your current session state.
Get your patron npub from the dpyc-oracle's how_to_join() tool — this is the npub you registered as a DPYC™ Citizen, your identity for credit operations.
Secure Courier onboarding:

Call request_credential_channel(sender_npub= , service= ) — opens a Secure Courier channel, sends a welcome DM to your Nostr client, and returns the channel's nonce.
Reply via your Nostr client with your credentials in JSON: {"api_key": "...", "brain_id": "..."}
Call receive_credentials(sender_npub= , service= , nonce= ) — vaults your credentials and activates the session.

`list_brains` → `set_active_brain` — Select which brain to work with.
`brain_query` — Start exploring your knowledge graph.

Returning users do not re-run this flow: the session restores from the vault on first use.

Secure Courier

Credentials are delivered via encrypted Nostr DMs — they never appear in the chat window. On first-time relay receipt, the service sends an ncred1... credential card back to the patron via DM for scan-and-paste reuse.

Human in the loop: The patron must consciously approve each credential delivery via their Nostr client. Never auto-poll or auto-retry receive_* calls — each receive_credentials drains the relay destructively (NIP-09 deletion after pickup). Call it exactly once per credential delivery.

Credits Model

Category	Pricing hint	Examples
`free`	0 sats	`session_status`, `check_balance`, `check_price`
`read`	1 sat	`get_thought`, `search_thoughts`, `get_note`
`write`	5 sats	`create_thought`, `create_link`, `update_thought`
`heavy`	10 sats	`brain_query`, `get_modifications`

Actual prices are set dynamically by the operator's pricing model in Neon via api_sats per tool. Auth and balance tools are always free.

Credits are issued as tranches with a tranche_lifetime (TTL). Tranches are consumed FIFO; expired tranches are pruned automatically. Use check_balance to see your balance, active tranches, and usage history. Top up via purchase_credits with Bitcoin Lightning.

Security

Identity is a Nostr keypair — users are identified by an npub (Nostr public key), not an email or username. The nsec (private key) stays with the patron — never shared, never sent to a service.
Identity is on the connection — a client that holds the nsec signs each HTTP request (NIP-98, kind 27235); an OAuth client proves the npub once into its connection by answering a Nostr DM (request_npub_proof → receive_npub_proof). Tools carry no proof argument.
Human in the loop — the patron approves each proof in their Nostr client and chooses how long it lasts, up to 30 days. When it lapses, a fresh request/receive cycle renews it.
Credentials via Secure Courier — TheBrain API keys and brain IDs are delivered via NIP-44 encrypted Nostr DMs, vaulted in Neon Postgres, and never exposed in the chat window.

BrainQuery (BQL)

A Cypher-subset query language purpose-built for TheBrain. Agents and humans express graph operations in the same formalism — full CRUD via MATCH, CREATE, SET, MERGE, and DELETE.

MATCH (n {name: "Projects"})-[:CHILD]->(m) RETURN m

MATCH (n) WHERE n.name =~ "quarterly review" RETURN n MATCH (p {name: "Ideas"}) CREATE (p)-[:CHILD]->(n {name: "New Concept"}) MATCH (root {name: "Company"})-[:CHILD*1..3]->(d) WHERE d.name CONTAINS "Budget" RETURN d

Variable-length paths, multi-hop chains, compound WHERE with AND/OR/NOT/XOR, similarity search, and property existence checks. Full grammar in BRAINQUERY.md.

Troubleshooting

When a tool call fails, read the response — it tells you what happened and what to do next. Credential lifecycle states are not errors; they are expected situations with clear guidance.

Situation	What to do
proof is required	Call `request_npub_proof` then `receive_npub_proof` — a fresh request/receive cycle. The proof lasts as long as the patron chose when approving it (up to 30 days).
Insufficient credit balance	Call `purchase_credits` to top up.
Cold start / session not ready	Retry in 10-15 seconds.
Credentials not found	Follow the Secure Courier onboarding flow (step 3 above).
Upstream API error	Only if the error explicitly mentions TheBrain API failure. Not a credential or billing issue.

Don't Pester Your Customer: Do NOT ask the patron to re-authenticate or re-do the Courier flow unless the error message specifically says credentials are missing or expired.

Self-Hosting

For local installation and setup, see INSTALL.md and QUICKSTART.md.

To run your own instance, set these environment variables:

Required

Variable	Purpose
`TOLLBOOTH_NOSTR_OPERATOR_NSEC`	Operator's Nostr secret key -- the single bootstrap key for identity, Secure Courier DMs, and audit signing

This is the only env var the server reads. Certified operators bootstrap their Neon database URL from the Authority via encrypted Nostr DM -- NEON_DATABASE_URL is not read from the environment. The relay set comes from the shared dpyc-community registry, and tranche lifetime and constraints come from the operator's pricing model -- none of them is an env var.

Credentials via Secure Courier (NOT env vars)

All secrets flow through Secure Courier -- they never appear as environment variables:

Credential	Delivery
TheBrain API key + brain ID	Patron delivers via encrypted Nostr DM
BTCPay credentials (`btcpay_host`, `btcpay_api_key`, `btcpay_store_id`)	Operator delivers via Secure Courier

Note: THEBRAIN_API_KEY is not an environment variable. Patrons deliver their TheBrain API key and brain ID via Secure Courier (encrypted Nostr DM). Only the operator's nsec is configured as an env var.

Tool Surface

The server exposes the standard Tollbooth DPYC™ operator surface via register_standard_tools() from tollbooth-dpyc, plus its domain tools. Tools fall into three paths in the DPYC three-actor topology (Operator / Authority / Oracle):

Path	Tools	Status
Hot (local ledger)	`check_balance`, `account_statement`, `account_statement_infographic`, `restore_credits`, `service_status`	Implemented — delegates to server.py
Hot (Secure Courier)	`session_status`, `request_credential_channel`, `receive_credentials`, `forget_credentials`	Implemented — Nostr credential delivery with credential card DM
Identity	`request_npub_proof`, `receive_npub_proof`, `check_proof_status`, `held_identities`	Implemented — proves an npub into an OAuth connection
Delegation (Authority)	`purchase_credits`, `check_payment`	Implemented — auto-certifies via MCP-to-MCP
Delegation (Oracle)	`oracle_lookup_member`, `oracle_how_to_join`, `oracle_get_tax_rate`, `oracle_about`, `oracle_network_advisory`	Implemented — MCP-to-MCP via OracleClient

Payment processing auto-certifies via the Authority (server-to-server OAuth). Secure Courier delivers encrypted credentials via Nostr DMs with automatic credential card (ncred1...) DM-back on first receipt. Oracle community tools route directly to the DPYC™ Oracle — free and unauthenticated.

Architecture

The Tollbooth DPYC™ ecosystem is a three-party protocol spanning three repositories:

Repo	Role
tollbooth-authority	The institution — tax collection, Schnorr signing, purchase order certification
tollbooth-dpyc	The booth — operator-side credit ledger, BTCPay client, tool gating
dpyc-oracle	The concierge — community onboarding, tax rates, membership lookup
thebrain-mcp (this repo)	The first city — reference MCP server powered by Tollbooth DPYC™

See the Three-Party Protocol diagram for the full architecture. The operator-side flow is also available.

Project Structure

thebrain-mcp/

├── src/thebrain_mcp/ # Server source, BQL engine, Tollbooth ├── tests/ # Test suite (465+ tests) ├── fastmcp.json # Horizon deploy entrypoint (src/thebrain_mcp/server.py) ├── pyproject.toml # Package metadata and dependencies ├── BRAINQUERY.md # BQL grammar and reference ├── INSTALL.md / QUICKSTART.md # Local install and setup ├── docs/diagrams/ # Architecture and protocol flow diagrams ├── LICENSE # Apache License 2.0 └── NOTICE # Attribution notice

Prior Art & Attribution

The methods, algorithms, and implementations contained in this repository may represent original work by Lonnie VanZandt, first published on February 16, 2026. This public disclosure establishes prior art under U.S. patent law (35 U.S.C. 102).

All use, reproduction, or derivative work must comply with the Apa

Only the beginning is shown; read the rest in the repo

Personalbrain MCP

Overview

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

What you can do with it

Install

Before you install

What it can do

Basic checksi

Maker matches the repo

Still maintained

Has a licence

Endpoint responds

Sign-in with OAuth

No hidden instructions in tool descriptions

Compared with others in Search & AI memoryi

Common questions

Alternatives

Context7

Codebase Memory

Exa

README from the maker

thebrain-mcp

The First City

Getting Started

Connecting via Horizon MCP

First Connection Walkthrough

Secure Courier

Credits Model

Security

BrainQuery (BQL)

Troubleshooting

Self-Hosting

Required

Credentials via Secure Courier (NOT env vars)

Tool Surface

Architecture

Project Structure

Prior Art & Attribution