# MCP Server Integration Strategy
> Building on the community ecosystem while maintaining proper attribution
---
## Philosophy
We believe in **building on top of** excellent open source work, not hiding it. When we integrate external MCP servers, we:
1. ✅ **Preserve full attribution** to original authors
2. ✅ **Comply with all license terms**
3. ✅ **Document our integrations clearly**
4. ✅ **Contribute improvements back upstream**
5. ✅ **Build value through aggregation and interoperability**
---
## Integration Methods
### Method 1: Git Subtree (Recommended)
**When to use:** For MIT/Apache licensed projects you want to include directly
```bash
# Add as subtree
git subtree add --prefix=packages/integrations/projectname \
https://github.com/original/repo main --squash
# Update later
git subtree pull --prefix=packages/integrations/projectname \
https://github.com/original/repo main --squash
```
**Required:** Add entry to `THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md`
### Method 2: Adapter Pattern
**When to use:** For projects you want to wrap with additional functionality
```typescript
// packages/integrations/wrapper-name/adapter.ts
import { OriginalServer } from 'external-package';
/**
* Adapter for [Project Name](https://github.com/original/repo)
*
* Original Author: @username
* License: MIT
*
* This adapter provides:
* - x402 payment integration
* - Rate limiting
* - Unified API surface
*/
export class EnhancedOriginalServer {
private upstream: OriginalServer;
constructor() {
this.upstream = new OriginalServer();
}
// Enhanced methods that add our value
}
```
### Method 3: Package Dependencies
**When to use:** For well-maintained packages that don't need modification
```json
{
"dependencies": {
"excellent-mcp-server": "^1.0.0"
}
}
```
---
## Discovery Process
### Finding Quality MCP Servers
```bash
# Run discovery script
npm run discover:mcp-servers
# Filters applied:
# - Active development (commits in last 6 months)
# - Compatible license (MIT, Apache 2.0, BSD)
# - GitHub stars > 50
# - Crypto/Web3/DeFi related
```
### Evaluation Criteria
| Criteria | Weight | Notes |
|----------|--------|-------|
| License Compatibility | ⚠️ Must | MIT, Apache 2.0, BSD only |
| Code Quality | ⭐⭐⭐ | Well-tested, documented |
| Activity | ⭐⭐ | Recent commits |
| Community | ⭐ | Stars, forks, contributors |
| Functionality | ⭐⭐⭐ | Fills a gap in our ecosystem |
---
## Attribution Requirements
### For Git Subtrees
Create `packages/integrations/projectname/ORIGINAL_LICENSE` containing:
```
This code is originally from: https://github.com/original/repo
Original Author: @username
License: MIT
[Full license text]
```
### For Adapters
In every file that uses external code:
```typescript
/**
* Based on [Project Name](https://github.com/original/repo)
* Original License: MIT
* Original Author: @username
*
* Enhancements by Universal Crypto MCP team
*/
```
### In Documentation
```markdown
## Integrated Projects
This project builds on excellent work from:
- **[Project Name](https://github.com/original/repo)** by @author - Description of what we use it for
- **[Another Project](https://github.com/another/repo)** by @author - Description
```
---
## Value Addition
Our value comes from:
1. **Aggregation** - One place to access multiple MCP servers
2. **Interoperability** - Unified API surface across servers
3. **Payment Integration** - x402 monetization layer
4. **Enterprise Features** - Clustering, caching, monitoring
5. **Developer Experience** - Better docs, examples, templates
---
## Contribution Guidelines
### When We Modify External Code
1. **Fork the original repo** on GitHub
2. **Make improvements** in our fork with clear commits
3. **Open PR to upstream** with our changes
4. **Document in changelog** what we contributed back
### Tracking Upstream Changes
```bash
# Check for updates
git fetch subtree-remote
# Review changes
git log HEAD..subtree-remote/main
# Update if appropriate
git subtree pull --prefix=packages/integrations/projectname \
https://github.com/original/repo main --squash
```
---
## License Verification
Before integrating any project:
```bash
# Run verification
npm run verify:license -- https://github.com/project/repo
# Checks:
# ✓ License file exists
# ✓ License is compatible (MIT/Apache/BSD)
# ✓ No conflicting sub-licenses
# ✓ Attribution requirements documented
```
---
## Example Integration
### Step-by-Step: Adding a New MCP Server
1. **Discover**
```bash
npm run discover:mcp-servers -- --topic=defi
```
2. **Verify License**
```bash
npm run verify:license -- https://github.com/author/awesome-defi-mcp
```
3. **Choose Integration Method**
- Direct code → Subtree
- Wrapper → Adapter
- No modification → Dependency
4. **Add Integration**
```bash
# Example: Subtree
git subtree add --prefix=packages/integrations/awesome-defi \
https://github.com/author/awesome-defi-mcp main --squash
```
5. **Add Attribution**
```bash
# Update THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md
npm run add:attribution -- awesome-defi
```
6. **Create Adapter (if needed)**
```typescript
// packages/integrations/awesome-defi/adapter.ts
export class AwesomeDefiAdapter extends X402MCP {
// Add x402 payment layer
}
```
7. **Document**
```bash
# Add to README and docs
echo "- [Awesome DeFi MCP](https://github.com/author/awesome-defi-mcp)" >> docs/integrations.md
```
8. **Test**
```bash
npm run test:integration -- awesome-defi
```
---
## Community Engagement
### How We Give Back
- 🐛 **Bug Reports** - Report issues we find to upstream
- 🔧 **Pull Requests** - Contribute fixes and features
- 📚 **Documentation** - Improve docs and examples
- 💬 **Discussion** - Participate in community forums
- ⭐ **Recognition** - Star repos we integrate, mention in posts
### Crediting Contributors
In our README:
```markdown
## Built With
This project integrates and builds upon:
- [Project A](link) - DeFi protocol integration (MIT)
- [Project B](link) - Market data feeds (Apache 2.0)
- [Project C](link) - Wallet management (BSD-3)
Special thanks to all contributors of these projects! ⭐
```
---
## Legal Compliance
### MIT License Requirements
✅ **Must include** copyright notice and license text
✅ **Can** modify and redistribute
✅ **Can** use commercially
✅ **No** warranty or liability
### Apache 2.0 Requirements
✅ **Must include** copyright notice and license text
✅ **Must include** NOTICE file if it exists
✅ **Must state** changes made
✅ **Patent grant** protection
### What NOT to Do
❌ Remove copyright notices
❌ Claim original authorship
❌ Hide the source of integrated code
❌ Violate license terms
❌ Integrate GPL code (viral license)
---
## Automation
All integration tasks are automated:
```bash
# Discovery
npm run discover:mcp-servers
# License check
npm run verify:license -- <repo-url>
# Add subtree
npm run add:subtree -- <repo-url> <name>
# Update attributions
npm run update:attributions
# Check compliance
npm run audit:licenses
```
---
## Questions?
- Read: [Open Source Guide](https://opensource.guide/)
- Ask: Open an issue for integration questions
- Review: Check existing integrations as examples
**Remember: Proper attribution isn't just legal compliance—it's being a good community member! 🤝**
