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What is the proxy

The proxy (zs-proxy) is a small program that runs on your own computer and looks, to any OpenAI-compatible tool, exactly like OpenAI's API. Point your editor's AI assistant, an agent framework, or your own code at it instead of api.openai.com, and every request uses the same paid, end-to-end-encrypted network as the chat app, with no API key to manage. It's built for developers who work in a terminal or an IDE rather than a browser.

What it does​

  • Speaks OpenAI's API. /v1/chat/completions, /v1/responses, /v1/completions, /v1/images/generations, /v1/images/edits, and /v1/models all work the way an OpenAI-compatible client expects.
  • Encrypts every request. Each prompt is sealed on your machine before it leaves, as the chat app seals it in your browser. See Privacy & security.
  • Pays for every request from your balance, with the same pay-per-message model and on-chain receipts as the chat app. See Pricing.
  • Routes for you. It reads the open model catalog and picks an operator for each request, using the same routing logic as the chat app. See Models & operators.

A localhost daemon, not a server​

The proxy is a single-user process. It runs on localhost and serves one payer: you, the person who started it. Every tool you connect to it (your editor, a CLI agent, a script) shares that proxy's account and balance. It isn't meant to be shared with a team or exposed to other machines: anyone who can reach it spends your balance.

The same account as the chat app​

The proxy uses an Algorand wallet, and the simplest choice is the same one your passkey controls in the browser. Create and fund your account at zerosignal.ai, then run zs-proxy wallet login: it signs in with your passkey and brings the wallet across, with nothing to copy or paste. The Quick start walks through it.

You can also paste in a recovery phrase, give an agent its own separately funded wallet, or load a mnemonic from the environment on a server. See Other ways to set up your wallet.

Where to get it​

Prebuilt binaries are published from the zs-proxy repository on GitHub. See Quick start for the installer, Homebrew, Scoop, and direct-download options. The repo's README is a condensed version of these pages, and the proxy is licensed under Apache 2.0.

What's covered here​

Get started​

  • Quick start — create your account, install, sign in, start, and connect your tools.
  • Connecting AI tools — the connect command and the full list of supported tools.
  • How-to guides — step-by-step for GUI apps like SillyTavern, Open WebUI, and LibreChat.
  • Wallet & funding — every way to set up a wallet, funding, and the prepaid ticket pool.

Going further​