What if your AI could launch time-locked encrypted workflows with just a few prompts?
That’s now possible with today’s release of the testnet alpha of Shutter MCP, powered by Shutter API.
With Shutter MCP, your AI can set up and run:
- Confidential request for proposals
- Sealed bug bounties
- Time-delayed announcements
- Encrypted messages
- Timed contests
- And more…
All encrypted. All permissionless. All running in the background.
Shutter MCP makes it simple to create time-locked encryption workflows directly inside AI tools like Claude AI or any other MCP-enabled client. Encrypt something today, and know with certainty it will only decrypt at the exact future time you choose.
Let’s dive in.
See It in Action on VS Code
Demo video: Confidential Request for Proposals
Demo video: Bug Bounty
Try it yourself on Claude (Pro)
- Visit https://claude.ai/settings/connectors
- Add custom connector:
- Start a new conversation, try out these prompts
- "Encrypt this message to unlock in 1 minute: Hello future!"
- “Can I decrypt my message already?”
- After the encryption period has passed: “Decrypt it now”
Try it out on VS Code or on your local server.
How Time-locked Encryption Works
Shutter MCP uses Shutter’s commit-reveal scheme, allowing users to encrypt content that can only be decrypted after a specific time. It uses:
- Threshold Cryptography: Distributed key generation and management
- Decentralized Keypers: Network of nodes that collectively manage decryption keys
- Time-based Release: Keys are only released after the specified timestamp
- Trust-minimized: No single party can decrypt messages early
Shutter MCP’s Features
- Timelock Encryption: Encrypt messages that unlock at future timestamps
- Natural Language Time Parsing: Use expressions like "3 months from now"
- Unix Timestamp Support: Direct timestamp input for precise timing
- Claude Web, VS Code MCP Support tested, should work with most other MCP-capable clients as well
- Comprehensive Error Handling: User-friendly error messages and guidance
The Bigger Picture
Shutter MCP Enables Access to Complex and Powerful Tools
We see a future where cryptography works like Lego blocks: simple, stackable pieces you can use to build whatever you need. With tools like Shutter MCP, AI tools will be able to trigger, protect, and coordinate workflows securely and automatically.
This is the first step in that direction. By combining timelock encryption with AI interfaces, we’re opening the door to making cryptographic building blocks easy to combine, letting anyone create secure, automated processes without custom infrastructure.
Your Own Agentic Key Manager
Looking further ahead, we imagine every user running their own agentic, MCP-powered key manager, ideally on something like a Dappnode. This personal agent could sign transactions, trigger actions, and encrypt data on your behalf, seamlessly and securely.
Crucially, it could work across different key contexts:
- Your own key - for actions you directly control.
- Someone else’s key - when sending encrypted data to another party.
- A shared key like Shutter’s - when you need timelock functionality, don’t want the burden of holding the key yourself, or are operating with smart accounts.
This vision unlocks a world where AI agents don’t just assist - they actively manage keys, sign transactions, and handle encryption as part of your crypto stack.
Learn More & Connect
- Read the full Shutter MCP documentation
- Learn more about Shutter API
- Want to integrate Shutter API’s encryption into your dApp? Connect with us
