How do I install a self-hosted Solana trading bot?

Install Node.js 20 plus a C++ build toolchain, download the PumpStriker code, run npm install, copy .env.example to .env and paste in your API keys, then run npm run build and npm run engine. The guide covers Windows, Mac and Linux.

Can Claude Desktop install PumpStriker for me?

Yes. With the Filesystem and Desktop Commander MCP connectors enabled, Claude Desktop can read your bot folder, install missing tools, write your .env from keys you paste in chat, and start the engine, all from one prompt. Never paste a wallet private key into any AI chat.

Install PumpStriker (Windows, Mac, Linux)

20 minutes for the manual install. Or skip the work entirely, see the two easier paths below. This chapter ends with PumpStriker running on your personal computer so you can test it locally before moving it to a VPS. If you want to skip straight to a VPS, the steps are identical.

🆘 Don't want to do this yourself? Two easier paths.

If you're not familiar with installing Node.js, terminals, and .env files, relax. You have two zero-stress alternatives before you scroll down to the manual steps.

🎧 Option A, 30-min onboarding call (guided install)

We get on a screen-share call together (via AnyDesk or Quick Assist) and walk through the install live. ≈30 minutes. During the call we:

✅ Install every tool your machine is missing, Node.js 20, Git, the C++ build toolchain, Python (if needed)
✅ Show you how to fill the .env file, line by line, what each variable does, where each key goes
✅ Show you how to get every API key, we walk through each provider's signup flow live (Helius, QuickNode, FluxRPC, GMGN, Jupiter, PumpFun)

🔒 For your API key security, we never see or touch your real keys. During the call we only show you the process, demoing each provider's signup on our screen, explaining what a key looks like, and pointing at where it goes in .env. You collect your own API keys and paste them into .env yourself, after the call ends. Even a "trusted" support person seeing your keys is a leak risk we refuse to take.

Availability: 7 days a week, 08:30-23:00 CET (Central European Time)
How to book: DM us on the official Telegram → @BathyrDEV with the message "Onboarding call please" and we'll send a calendar link.
What to have ready before the call:
The PumpStriker zip downloaded
AnyDesk (anydesk.com) or Quick Assist (built into Windows 10/11) installed and working
A Telegram bot created (see Chapter 3, BotFather Walkthrough)

After the call (≈15 minutes, you do solo)

Visit each API provider we showed you and collect your own keys (Helius, QuickNode, FluxRPC, GMGN, Jupiter, PumpFun JWT), see Chapter 2, Get Your API Keys for the URLs
Paste your keys into .env at the exact spots we pointed out during the call
Run npm run engine and verify every data source authenticates with a green ✅
DM us on Telegram if anything fails to connect, we'll help you debug

🤖 Option B, Let Claude AI Desktop install it for you (the lazy way)

Honestly the smoothest path. Claude AI Desktop (Anthropic's official app) can read your PumpStriker folder, install every tool your machine is missing, write your .env from the API keys you paste in chat, and start the engine, all from one prompt.

Step 1, One-time Claude Desktop setup (10 minutes)

You need three things in place before Claude can install PumpStriker on your machine:

Claude Desktop installed and signed in
Claude Sonnet 4.6 selected as the model
Two MCP connectors enabled, one to let Claude read your folder, one to let Claude run commands on your machine

1. Download and install Claude Desktop

Go to claude.ai/download and install for Mac / Windows / Linux. Sign in with email (or create a free account in 30 seconds).

💡 The free plan is more than enough for this install. You do NOT need Claude Pro. Sonnet 4.6 on the free tier handles the entire bot install in one conversation.

2. Pick the model: Claude Sonnet 4.6

Open Claude Desktop → click the model name at the top of the chat box → select Claude Sonnet 4.6. Sonnet 4.6 is the model that knows how to read files, run terminal commands, troubleshoot install errors, and reason about your bot's config.

3. Enable the Filesystem MCP (lets Claude read your bot folder)

This MCP gives Claude read/write access to a folder you choose, in our case, the extracted PumpStriker folder.

How to enable:

Open Claude Desktop → Settings (gear icon, bottom-left)
Go to Connectors (called Extensions on some Claude Desktop versions)
Click + Add server → search for Filesystem → click Install
When prompted for "Allowed directory", paste your PumpStriker folder path, examples:
Windows: C:\Users\YourName\Desktop\PumpStriker Bot
Mac: /Users/YourName/Desktop/PumpStriker Bot
Linux: /home/YourName/PumpStriker Bot
Save and fully quit + reopen Claude Desktop (the connector only loads on app start)

If your Claude Desktop version doesn't have a one-click "Add server" UI yet, follow the manual JSON config at modelcontextprotocol.io/quickstart/user, takes 2 minutes.

4. Enable Desktop Commander MCP (lets Claude run commands on your machine)

This is the heavy-lifter, it gives Claude permission to execute terminal commands like npm install, npm run build, and npm run engine on your machine.

One-line install, open any terminal (PowerShell on Windows, Terminal on Mac/Linux) and paste:

npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest setup

The installer auto-configures Claude Desktop, prints ✅ when done, and tells you to restart Claude. Fully quit + reopen Claude Desktop to load it.

5. Verify both MCPs are live

Open a brand-new chat in Claude Desktop and send:

List the files in <PATH_TO_FOLDER> and tell me what `node --version` returns.

If Claude lists package.json, src/, dashboard/ AND tells you a Node version (or honestly reports "Node is not installed yet") → ✅ both MCPs are working.

Step 2, Get your bot bundle ready

Extract the PumpStriker zip somewhere easy to find (e.g. Desktop\PumpStriker Bot\)
Have your API keys ready in a text file (see Chapter 2, Get Your API Keys)
Have your Telegram bot token + chat ID ready (see Chapter 3, BotFather Walkthrough)

Step 3, Paste this prompt into Claude Desktop

Replace <PATH_TO_FOLDER> with your actual extracted folder path:

Claude, check my bot's installation guide inside this folder:
<PATH_TO_FOLDER>

Then:
1. Install ALL required tools (Node.js 20, Git, build toolchain, Python)
 on my machine if any are missing.
2. Run `npm install` inside the folder.
3. Help me fill in my .env file - I'll paste my API keys when you ask.
4. Run `npm run build`.
5. Start the engine on a free localhost port (you pick one) and confirm
 it boots cleanly with all data sources connected.

I want this fully working before I close this chat.

🚨 The one rule you must never break

NEVER paste your Solana wallet's private key into Claude (or any AI chat). EVER.

API keys are safe to paste, they only let the bot talk to data providers. If one leaks, the worst case is someone burns your free quota.

Private keys are different. Anyone who sees a private key can drain your wallet instantly, irreversibly. There is no recovery. The PumpStriker install does NOT need your private key, wallets are created or imported inside the running Telegram bot (Chapter 6, First Trade).

What Claude can and can't do for you

✅ Claude CAN	❌ Claude CANNOT (and shouldn't)
Install Node.js, Git, build tools	Touch your Phantom / Solflare wallet
Run `npm install` / `npm run build`	See or store your private key
Write your API keys into `.env`	Send transactions on your behalf
Start the engine + bot processes	Pick a buy amount or trade for you
Diagnose install errors	Replace your Telegram bot setup (BotFather)

💪 Option C, The full manual walkthrough (below)

Prefer to learn how it works? Just follow the steps below. About 20 minutes total.

What we'll do

Install Node.js 20, Git, and a C++ build toolchain (5 min)
Download the PumpStriker code (2 min)
Run npm install to fetch dependencies (5 min)
Configure your .env file with the keys from Chapter 2 (5 min)
Build and first launch (3 min)

Step 1, Install the requirements

Pick your operating system. You only need to do one of these three sections.

🪟 Windows 10 / 11

Install Node.js 20 LTS:

Go to https://nodejs.org
Download the big green LTS button (currently Node 20.x).
Run the installer. Click Next through everything. Important: on the "Tools for Native Modules" screen, check the box that says "Automatically install the necessary tools". This installs Visual Studio Build Tools for you.
After the main installer finishes, a black PowerShell window will open and run the tools installer. Let it run, it takes 10-15 minutes. Don't close it.

Install Git:

Go to https://git-scm.com/download/win
Download and run the installer. Click Next through everything (defaults are fine).

Verify everything works:

Press Windows key, type powershell, press Enter.
In the PowerShell window, run these three commands one at a time:

node --version
npm --version
git --version

You should see versions like v20.x.x, 10.x.x, and git version 2.x.x. If any command says "not recognized", close PowerShell and reopen it, the installers add to PATH and PowerShell needs a restart.

🍏 macOS (Intel or Apple Silicon)

Install Homebrew (the macOS package manager). Open Terminal (⌘+Space, type terminal) and paste:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Follow the prompts. It will ask for your Mac password. 2. Install Node, Git, and build tools, paste this single line:

brew install node@20 git && xcode-select --install

The xcode-select command opens a popup, click Install, accept the license, wait 10 minutes. 3. Verify:

node --version # should say v20.x.x
npm --version
git --version

🐧 Linux (Ubuntu / Debian)

Open a terminal and paste:

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs git build-essential python3
node --version
npm --version

Step 2, Download PumpStriker

PumpStriker is available from the official site: pumpstriker.fun. Once you own a license, you have two options to get the files.

Option A: You bought a license (recommended)

Your welcome email (from your pumpstriker.fun purchase) contains a private GitHub repo invite or a direct download link. Follow it.

Option B: You have a download zip

Save the zip somewhere easy to find. For Windows users: C:\Users\<You>\Desktop\PumpStriker Bot\ is the path used throughout this guide.
Right-click the zip → Extract All (Windows) or double-click (Mac/Linux).
The extracted folder should contain package.json, src/, dashboard/, tools/, etc.

Step 3, Open a terminal IN the folder

This trips up beginners. The terminal needs to be inside the PumpStriker folder.

Windows

Open the PumpStriker folder in File Explorer.
Click in the address bar at the top, type powershell, press Enter.
A PowerShell window opens, already in the right folder. ✅

Mac / Linux

Open Terminal.
Type cd (with the space), then drag the folder into the terminal window, then press Enter.

Verify with:

ls # Mac/Linux
dir # Windows PowerShell

You should see package.json in the list.

Step 4, Install dependencies

In the terminal, run:

npm install

This takes 3-8 minutes. It downloads ~400 packages and compiles two native ones (better-sqlite3 and onnxruntime-node) for your specific OS.

What if it fails?

Error	Fix
`node-gyp` errors on Windows	Close the terminal, install Visual Studio Build Tools 2022 from visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads, pick "Desktop development with C++" workload. Then re-run `npm install`.
`gyp ERR! find Python`	Install Python 3.11 from python.org. On Windows, check "Add to PATH" in the installer.
`EACCES` (Linux/Mac)	Don't use `sudo`. Run `sudo chown -R $USER ~/.npm` once, then retry.
`onnxruntime-node` fails	The ML filter is optional. Continue anyway, you can disable it in `.env` with `ENABLE_ML_FILTER=0`.

Step 5, Create your `.env` file

This is where all your API keys go. The bot reads this file at startup.

Steps

In the PumpStriker folder, find the file .env.example.
Make a copy and rename it to .env (just .env, no .txt, no .example).
Open .env in a text editor (Notepad, TextEdit, or VS Code).
Paste your keys from my-pumpstriker-keys.txt into the matching slots:

# === HELIUS ===
HELIUS_KEY=<your helius key>
HELIUS_RPC_URL=https://mainnet.helius-rpc.com/?api-key=<your helius key>
HELIUS_WSS_URL=wss://mainnet.helius-rpc.com/?api-key=<your helius key>
HELIUS_SEND_URL=https://beta.helius-rpc.com/?api-key=<your helius key>
HELIUS_KEY_BOT=<your bot helius key>

# === QUICKNODE ===
QUICKNODE_RPC_URL=<paste your https url>
QUICKNODE_WSS_URL=<paste your wss url>

# === TELEGRAM ===
TG_BOT_TOKEN=<from BotFather>
TG_CHAT_ID=<from @userinfobot>

# === RUGCHECK ===
RUGCHECK_KEY=<your rugcheck key>

# === GMGN ===
GMGN_API_KEY=<your gmgn key>

# === JUPITER ===
JUPITER_API_KEY=<your jupiter key>
JUPITER_API_KEY_FALLBACK=<your second jupiter key>

# === PUMPFUN ===
PUMPFUN_JWT=<your pumpfun cookie>

# === SERVER PORTS (leave defaults) ===
PORT=1002
BOT_PORT=3748

# === FEATURE FLAGS (sensible defaults for first run) ===
ENABLE_ML_FILTER=0
ENABLE_ALPHA_COBUY=0
ENABLE_HOLDER_BAND=1
ENABLE_DASHBOARD=1
MIN_SIGNAL_SCORE=70
TG_MIN_SCORE=70

Save the file. Close the editor.

⚠️ Windows gotcha: Notepad sometimes saves .env as .env.txt. Check the file name in File Explorer, if it shows .env.txt, rename it to .env. (You may need to enable View → File name extensions to see this.)

Step 6, Build the bot

Back in the terminal:

npm run build

This compiles the TypeScript source to JavaScript. Takes ~30 seconds. If it ends with no red errors, you're good.

Step 7, First launch (smoke test)

We'll start the engine only for 60 seconds just to confirm everything works.

npm run engine

Expected output (first 30 seconds):

[engine] Loading config from .env
[engine] HTTP server listening on port 1002
[engine] ✓ Helius WebSocket CONNECTED
[engine] ✓ QuickNode RPC reachable
[engine] ✓ RugCheck authenticated
[engine] ✓ GMGN API key valid
[engine] ✓ Jupiter API key valid
[engine] Scanners online, awaiting first token…
[engine] Spotted: <some pump.fun token> score=42 tier=0
[engine] Spotted: <another> score=71 tier=4 🔥

If you see ✓ Helius WebSocket CONNECTED and tokens being spotted within 60 seconds, the engine works. Press Ctrl+C to stop it. We'll start it properly in Chapter 6.

What could go wrong?

Error in console	What it means	Fix
`Missing HELIUS_KEY`	`.env` not found or empty	Make sure `.env` is in the same folder as `package.json`, not in a subfolder.
`✗ Helius WebSocket FAILED 401`	Wrong key	Double-check you pasted the whole Helius key, no spaces, no quotes.
`✗ QuickNode 429`	Hit free-tier limit (rare on first boot)	Wait 60 sec, retry. If persistent, regenerate the endpoint.
`EADDRINUSE :::1002`	Port already in use	Another bot or app is using port 1002. Change `PORT=1003` in `.env`, restart.
Engine starts but 0 tokens spotted in 5 minutes	Solana mainnet is very quiet OR WebSocket dropped	Check `ENABLE_HELIUS_WS=1` is set if you want PumpFun-native WS scanning.

You did it 🎉

The engine works on your machine. **But, ** your computer probably isn't on 24/7, and that's a problem: PumpFun launches happen around the clock and the best ones often pump while you're asleep. That's why we set up a VPS next.

➡️ Next chapter: 5. Host Your Bot 24/7 on a VPS, the cheapest, fastest way to keep PumpStriker running while you sleep.