Add NEAR Rust DevTools 2025 status update

blog/2026-01-06.md

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+---
+title: "NEAR Rust DevTools: Maintenance & Evolution Status Update 2025"
+authors: [frol]
+slug: near-rust-devtools-2025
+tags: [articles]
+---
+
+Some important changes are coming to the Rust tooling ecosystem, learn more in this blogpost!
+
+<!-- truncate -->
+
+# 1. Executive Summary & Strategic North Star
+
+The primary objective for the evolution of the Rust tooling ecosystem is **Stabilization and Ergonomics**.
+
+Currently, many tools still rely on `nearcore` internal crates. Because `nearcore` releases frequently bump `0.x` versions, this triggers a cascade of breaking changes across the ecosystem.
+
+* **The Goal:** Reach **1.x Stable Releases** for our core primitives and API clients.
+* **The Method:** Migrate away from direct `nearcore` dependencies in favor of standalone, stable crates (e.g., `omni-transaction-rs`, `near-api-rs`).
+
+## The "Decoupling"
+
+To achieve independence from `nearcore`, we must migrate the tooling stack in this specific order:
+
+1. **`omni-transaction-rs`** + **`near-account-id-rs`** + **`near-gas-rs`** (standalone primitives)
+2. new **`near-jsonrpc-client-rs`** (currently known as `near-openapi-client-rs` - the client generated from OpenAPI spec generated from nearcore types)
+3. **`near-api-rs`**
+4. **`near-cli-rs`** & **`cargo-near`**
+
+# 2. Component Status Overview
+
+| Crate | Status | Priority | Key Action Item |
+| --- | --- | --- | --- |
+| **near-sdk-rs** | 🚀 Active Dev | High | Prepare v6.x release |
+| **near-api-rs** | 🛠 Evolving | High | Absorb `near-cli-rs` logic; 1.x stabilization. |
+| **omni-transaction-rs** | 🗝 Key | High | "Final Boss" for decoupling types. |
+| **near-cli-rs** | ♻️ Refactor | Medium | Migrate `common.rs` to `near-api-rs`. |
+| **near-openapi-client-rs** | 📦 Migration | Medium | Rename, Move to Org, Release 1.0. |
+| **near-workspaces-rs** | 🛑 Deprecating | Low | Deprecate in favor of `near-api-rs` + `near-sandbox-rs`. |
+| **bos-cli-rs** | 💀 EOL | None | End of Life. |
+
+---
+
+# 3. Core SDKs & APIs
+
+## `near-sdk-rs` [Active Development]
+
+* **Status:** High activity. Preparing for **v6.x** release.
+* **Key Focus:**
+  * Incorporating breaking changes like [structured errors support](https://github.com/near/near-sdk-rs/pull/1165), `impl Into<>` and `impl AsRef<>` arguments for improved usability, and [Promise API changes](https://github.com/near/near-sdk-rs/pull/1459).
+  * Reviewing PRs with strict scrutiny regarding ABI compatibility.
+
+## `near-api-rs` [Strategic Core]
+
+* **Status:** Stable design, but evolving ergonomics.
+* **Strategic Goal:** This is the primary replacement for `nearcore` dependencies when it comes to off-chain development for NEAR. It must reach a **1.x stable release** to stop the cascade of breaking changes.
+* **Action Items:**
+  * **Migration:** Make sure that the common helpers logic from `near-cli-rs/common.rs` can be implemented with `near-api-rs` high-level APIs.
+  * **Features:** Audit for missing latest protocol features.
+  * **Ergonomics:** Make final pressure testing of the developer experience before locking in v1.0, e.g. migrating existing projects from `near-workspaces-rs` to `near-api-rs`.
+
+## `near-openapi-client-rs` (becoming `near-jsonrpc-client-rs`)
+
+* **Status:** Migration pending.
+* **Notes**: There is already a `near-jsonrpc-client-rs` crate, which depends on `nearcore` crates. The OpenAPI spec that was introduced to `nearcore` and is automatically generated from the `nearcore` types. It is now used to automatically generate the clients in Rust, TypeScript, Python, Kotlin, Swift, and we want to migrate all the downstream tooling to leverage the generated client instead of manually maintain it.
+* **Migration Strategy:**
+  * Take the current manual `near-jsonrpc-client-rs`, branch it as `0.20.x`.
+  * Merge the currently separate `near-openapi-client-rs` codebase as the new `main`.
+  * Make sure that the enums/structs that could change over time are marked as `#[non_exhaustive]` to prevent breaking changes in the future.
+  * Release as **1.0**.
+  * Update `near-api-rs` to use the released version (it already depends on `near-openapi-client-rs` instead of `near-jsonrpc-client-rs`, so the migration should be smooth)
+
+### `near-sandbox-rs` [Stable]
+
+* **Status:** Stable code, but high friction for new users.
+* **Issues:** Documentation and examples are too simple or too complex, and not designed for users' usecase in mind.
+* **Action Item:** Improve documentation. Cross-link heavily with `near-api-rs` examples to show how they work together as the replacement for workspaces.
+
+# 4. CLI Tools
+
+## `near-cli-rs` [Feature Complete / Refactoring]
+
+* **Status:** Functionally complete.
+* **Maintenance:** Routine dependency updates, bug fixes, and minor UX improvements.
+* **Major Refactor:** Identify general-purpose functions in `common.rs` and migrate them to `near-api-rs`.
+  * Eventually, `near-cli-rs` should be a thin wrapper around `near-api-rs`.
+
+## `cargo-near` [Feature Complete]
+
+* **Status:** Maintenance mode.
+* **Tasks:** Ensure compatibility with latest `near-sdk-rs` and `near-cli-rs`.
+
+## `cargo-near-new-project-template`
+
+* **Status:** Low maintenance.
+* **Tasks:** Update `cargo-near` version occasionally.
+
+## `near-validators-cli-rs`
+
+* **Status:** Maintenance mode.
+* **Tasks:** Keep lockstep with `near-cli-rs` releases.
+
+# 5. Primitives & Types (The Foundation)
+
+## `omni-transaction-rs`
+
+* **Status:** Mostly up-to-date.
+* **Context:** This crate is the key to decoupling from `nearcore` types.
+* **Roadmap:** We must aggressively migrate the rest of the stack to use this crate.
+  * *Flow:* `near-openapi-client-rs` → `near-api-rs` → `near-cli-rs` → `cargo-near`.
+
+## `near-account-id-rs` [Stable]
+
+* **Status:** Stable (v2.0).
+* **Note:** Recently bumped to v2.0 due to the introduction of "0s" accounts.
+
+## `near-gas-rs` [Stable]
+
+* **Status:** Stable.
+* **⚠️ Implementation Note:** `nearcore` uses a wrapper type over this crate for backward compatibility.
+  * `nearcore`: Serializes gas (`u64`) as JSON **numbers**.
+  * `near-gas-rs`: Serializes gas as JSON **strings**.
+  * *Both* can deserialize from either number or string.
+
+## `near-sdk-abi` [Stable / Critical]
+
+* **Status:** Frozen / High Caution.
+* **Warning:** Any change here is likely a breaking change for the whole ecosystem. Modify only if absolutely necessary.
+
+## `borsh-rs` [Stable]
+
+* **Status:** Stable.
+* **Maintenance:** Review occasional PRs from community contributors.
+
+# 6. Deprecation & EOL
+
+* **`near-workspaces-rs`**: **DEPRECATE.** Users should be directed to the combination of `near-api-rs` (for interaction) + `near-sandbox-rs` (for environment).
+* **`bos-cli-rs`**: **EOL.** No maintenance.
+
+# 7. Future Considerations
+
+* **`near-cryptohash-rs`**: Assess the need for a standalone crate for `CryptoHash` to avoid duplication (currently, there are at least 3 copies: `nearcore`, `near-sdk-rs`, `near-api-rs`/`near-openapi-client-rs`)