> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.boundless.network/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Migrating from Bonsai > A practical guide for developers transitioning from Bonsai to Boundless. For technical support, please post your questions on the [Boundless Discussions Forum](https://github.com/boundless-xyz/boundless/discussions). ## What happened to Bonsai? Bonsai was RISC Zero's centralized proving service, delivering proofs via an API. As of December 2025, Bonsai is no longer available. Boundless is intended to be a replacement for all your proving needs. If you want to read about the differences between Bonsai and Boundless, please continue on this page. Otherwise, if you have a guest program ready and you are eager to get started, you can follow the [Request a Proof](/developers/tutorials/request) tutorial to create your first proof request on Boundless. Boundless is the blockchain native way to work with ZK proofs; while the initial setup is more complex than Bonsai's configuration, you gain access to verifiable compute through a highly available, permissionless and self-sustaining proving protocol that aligns with Web3's core principles. ## Key Benefits * Native proof aggregation amortizes the onchain gas costs for proof verification across the entire Boundless network; you won't have to worry about paying high gas costs for proof verification in your app. * Strong cryptoeconomic guarantees (through prover slashing and automatic retry logic) on the delivery time of proofs, which is highly configurable via the [auction parameters](/developers/tutorials/auction) parameters. * The [Smart Contract Requestor](/developers/tutorials/smart-contract-requestor) and [Callback](/developers/tutorials/callbacks) features eliminate the need to build (often extensive) offchain infrastructure for both proof request and proof delivery. * Build up your app's community by integrating with the industry's only fully open source multi-GPU proving stack. ## Key Differences While Bonsai offers simplicity through centralization, Boundless provides: * *Liveness Guarantees*: Decentralized protocol with multiple provers * *High Availability*: No single point of failure * *Long-term sustainability*: Community-driven protocol evolution * *Transparent pricing*: Market-driven proof costs | Aspect | Bonsai | Boundless | | -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | | *Setup* | 2 environment variables (BONSAI\_API\_URL + BONSAI\_API\_KEY) | Wallet + Storage Provider | | *Proof Format* | STARK/SNARK (Groth16) | Proof aggregated via SetVerifier | | *Proof Delivery* | Directly to host program (Offchain) | Onchain | | *Proof Verification* | Via [receipt.verify](https://docs.rs/risc0-zkvm/latest/risc0_zkvm/struct.Receipt.html#method.verify) or [Verifier Contracts](/developers/smart-contracts/verifier-contracts) | [Verifier Contracts](/developers/smart-contracts/verifier-contracts) | | *Architecture* | Centralized service | Decentralized protocol | | *Integration* | Drop-in replacement to guest program | New integration required | ## Getting Started ### Setup Before you get started, you'll need to set up: * *Wallet*: Configure a developer wallet for on-chain transactions. For dev testing, something as simple as Metamask will do; make sure to create a new account for your dev testing. You'll also need funds before you can submit a request. * *Storage Provider*: You'll need to set up either IPFS or S3 for provers to be fulfill your requests. We recommend IPFS via the Pinata gateway, see further instructions [here](/developers/tutorials/request#storage-provider). ### Sending your first proof request Transitioning to Boundless requires: * Rearchitecting your proof request and retrieval flow * Managing proof fulfillment asynchronously * Handling potential proof request failures or delays The documentation listed below, along with the [Boundless Foundry Template](https://github.com/boundless-xyz/boundless-foundry-template) and the [Boundless Examples](https://github.com/boundless-xyz/boundless/tree/main/examples), will help you get started in no time. 1. *[Quick Start Guide](/developers/quick-start)*: Set up your first Boundless project and request your first proof with our example app, [Boundless Foundry Template](https://github.com/boundless-xyz/boundless-foundry-template). 2. *[Request a Proof](/developers/tutorials/request)*: Go into more specifics when it comes to requesting a proof with request/offer configuration. 3. *[Proof Tracking](/developers/tutorials/tracking)*: Implement monitoring of requests and retrieving proofs when they are finished 4. *[Use a Proof](/developers/tutorials/use)*: Understand how to use a Boundless proof in your app. 5. *[Boundless Tooling](/developers/tooling/sdk)*: Explore the SDK and CLI to configure your request flow to your specific needs. ### Proof Verification If you are verifying proofs onchain, Boundless proofs verify in exactly the same manner as proofs delivered via Bonsai, and via the same [Verifier Router contract](/developers/smart-contracts/verifier-contracts) you are used to using. There should be no upgrade required, unless you are using an old version of (i.e. 1.X.X) R0VM.