NEAR Protocol

NEAR Protocol is an open-source layer-1 blockchain developed in 2020 by the NEAR Collective. The network is designed for high speed and low-cost execution of decentralized applications (DApps). NEAR uses Nightshade sharding to achieve scalability and high throughput. Its native token NEAR is used for transactions, staking, and governance. With active community support and participation in DeFi and Web3 ecosystems, NEAR has quickly become an important player in the blockchain market.