What is NEAR Protocol (NEAR)?

What is NEAR Protocol (NEAR)?

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NEAR Protocol is a decentralized application platform that attempts to incentivize a computer network that allows developers to construct and deploy decentralized apps.

The notion of sharding is central to the NEAR Protocol's architecture. Sharding is a procedure that divides the network's infrastructure into many sections so that computers, also known as nodes, can handle just a part of the network's transactions.

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By distributing portions of the blockchain to network members rather than the whole blockchain, sharding is projected to improve the efficiency of network data retrieval and platform scaling.

NEAR functions like other popular centralized data storage systems, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), which provide the foundation for application development.

However, rather than being administered and exclusively maintained by a single entity, NEAR is spread throughout a network of computers.

Similar to how AWS enables programmers to deploy code in the cloud without the need to build their own infrastructure, NEAR Protocol enables a comparable architecture centered on a computer network and its native cryptocurrency, the NEAR token.

 

Component NEAR Protocol (NEAR)
Technologies DApps, Doomslug, NEAR Collective, Nightshade, Aurora
Market Capitalization $8 Billion+
Open-Source Yes
Consensus Mechanism Proof of Stake
Smart Contracts Yes
Founders/Authors Erik Trautman, Illia Polosukhin, Alexander Skidanov
Launch Date 2020
Circulating Supply of Coins 599,351,223 NEAR
Maximum Coin Supply 1,000,000,000 NEAR
Mining-based Coin? No
Is NEAR Protocol a Stablecoin? No
Does NEAR Protocol have a burn rate? Yes
Does NEAR Protocol have a Whitepaper? Yes, the white paper can be viewed here

 

Evolution and Development of NEAR Protocol

The NEAR Foundation conceived and developed the NEAR blockchain. The mainnet launched in April 2020, and its validators voted in October 2020 to enable token transactions. In March 2023, NEAR's connection to Ethereum (dubbed the Rainbow Bridge) was established.

Alex Skidanov and Illia Polosukhin invented NEAR Protocol. Skidanov was formerly the director of engineering of MemSQL, a database firm. Polosukhin was previously employed at Google, where he contributed to the company's artificial intelligence and search engine product development.

NEAR has attracted more than $20 million from renowned venture capital companies, like Andreessen Horowitz and Pantera Capital, in several rounds.

Around 35% of the original 1 billion NEAR token supply has already been purchased by early-stage investors.

 

What makes NEAR Protocol unique?

NEAR is a relative newcomer that aims to alleviate the limits of legacy systems by establishing a sharded blockchain platform governed by its community and that prioritizes interoperability and scalability.

NEAR's Nightshade technology significantly increases transaction throughput. Nightshade is the proprietary sharding technology inherent in NEAR Protocol. It consists of distinct groups of validators. These validators process transactions concurrently across several sharded blockchains, which subsequently increases the overall capacity of the blockchain and network.

In contrast to “normal” sharding, Nightshade shards generate a part of the following block, referred to as “chunks.”

As a result of the one-second block cadence, NEAR Protocol can process up to 100,000 transactions per second (TPS) in addition to reaching NEAR-instant transaction finality, all while keeping transaction costs to a minimum.

Additionally, NEAR Protocol improves on other blockchains' cumbersome onboarding process by using human-readable addresses and developing decentralized apps with a comparable enrolment flow to what users have previously encountered.

Additionally, it offers developers and programmers a range of modular components that aid in the rapid development of applications such as token contracts or NFTs.

Aurora is an innovative and proprietary Layer 2 scaling solution that is based on the NEAR Protocol that enables developers to deploy decentralized Ethereum apps on the NEAR network.

Aurora is developed on top of Ethereum's coding engine, the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), and a cross-chain bridge that allows developers to effortlessly link their Ethereum smart contracts and a wide range of digital assets.

Developers can also utilize Aurora to combine the NEAR Protocol's cheap fees and fast throughput with Ethereum's familiarity and its vast network of apps.

 

What are the main uses for NEAR Protocol?

To pay transaction fees, operate apps, and pay for storage, NEAR Protocol employs a native token called NEAR.

The NEAR Protocol charges storage costs for any data that is stored on the system and for any calculations that are performed. By removing some of these tokens from circulation, the network can reduce the total number of NEAR tokens in circulation.

The NEAR Protocol technology ensures that transactions are precise and known to validators on computers running the program. By putting their tokens on the NEAR blockchain, validators are rewarded for helping to keep it safe and secure.

Its token supply is increased by 5% each year, with 90% of these tokens going to token holders. The rest of the money goes into the blockchain's treasury to help fund the growth of its platform.

 

What is the future potential for NEAR Protocol?

The Rainbow Bridge, NEAR's long-awaited Ethereum-to-NEAR bridge, was unveiled earlier this year. It is an innovative technological bridge that exists between Ethereum ERC-20 tokens and the NEAR DApp ecosystem.

Making the platform more user-friendly is an important step forward for NEAR. Thanks to the proprietary NEAR Grants Program, NEAR encourages the creation of new DApps on the network. The NEAR Foundation designed it to encourage DApp development inside its ecosystem.

NEAR, unlike other blockchain projects, is managed by its community and lacks a set plan. Furthermore, the NEAR Collective is constantly improving its technology and keeping its features open-source. Anyone may alter the code, submit updates, and ensure that the network can flourish.

Unlike other blockchains, NEAR shards down the entire network to the block level rather than establishing additional blockchains or parachains.

The sharded architecture of Ethereum 2.0 is one of the most anticipated features. NEAR has already done this, and as the network expands its application repository, this community-driven platform will be one to watch.

 

Price analysis on NEAR Protocol

NEAR Protocol was initially launched in 2020, and its price analysis over the past year and recent months are as follows:

 

  2020 September October November December to date
NEAR Price High $1.39 $10.37 $12.34 $12.17 $16.27
NEAR Price Low $0.53 $5.49 $7.25 $8.31 $7.30
Market Cap $2.08B $4.66B $6.50B  $6.57B $9.72B

 

Price prediction on NEAR Protocol

Crypto specialists predict that NEAR Protocol's price will drop to $9.632 in one year. The webpage expects the price will hit $23.676 in five years. 

 

Which wallets are the best option for storing NEAR Protocol?

While there are many digital storage options in the crypto space, the following crypto wallets are the best for NEAR tokens:

  1. NEAR native Wallet
  2. Ledger

 

1. NEAR native Wallet: The ear Protocol is intended for decentralized apps, and it is often essential to connect with these programs through a software wallet.

Although most popular software wallets like as MetaMask and Coinbase Wallet do not accept NEAR, the business has developed a private wallet for the coin.

Unlike Ethereum wallets, NEAR Wallet takes just a minimal amount of the NEAR token to create an account. After creating an account, users can move ERC-20 tokens from an existing Ethereum wallet into the NEAR Wallet and begin enjoying the network's exciting new DApps.

 

2. Ledger: Ledger is a popular hardware wallet that supports numerous coins, including NEAR. Regrettably, Ledger does not natively support NEAR, and users must first install the NEAR software.

Ledger Nano S and Ledger Nano X are hardware wallets created by Ledger. While the Ledger Nano S is a great entry-level model, the Nano X has a bigger screen and Bluetooth for on-the-go usage.

 

Where can you buy NEAR Protocol?

NEAR can be purchased from any of the following cryptocurrency exchange trading platforms:

  1. Bitfinex
  2. HitBTC
  3. OKEx
  4. Binance
  5. Huobi Global

 

1. Bitfinex: Bitfinex.com was launched in 2012 by Bitfinex Limited, a Hong Kong-based corporation. The platform has trading marketplaces for about 160 cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum, Dash, Monero, and a slew of others.

Additionally, the trading site allows USD as a method of payment. Users must always verify their identity before making a fiat deposit.

 

PROS CONS
Bitfinex is an exchange with a high trust score The exchange has had a successful hack in 2016
Traders have access to a range of crypto coins and leveraged derivative trading The verification procedure can be tedious
The exchange offers a proprietary mobile trading app The exchange has lost some of its overall trading volumes since it was hacked
There are a few deposit and withdrawal methods to choose from  
Anonymity is made possible on the exchange  
Orders are Illustrated on charts presented on the interface  

 

2. HitBTC: HitBTC is a cryptocurrency exchange located in Estonia that was created in late 2013 by Dave Merrill. It began as a €6 million cooperative venture comprising developers, specialist traders, and financial experts.

While the firm is primarily focused on the Estonian and European markets in general, it provides its services anyplace where strong anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regulations are applied. HitBTC's 24-hour trading volume is around 28,000 BTC.

 

PROS CONS
The exchange offers anonymous accounts The demo interface is not fluid and there is no mobile trading app
There is an intuitive interface on the platform The verification process can be tedious and time-consuming
There are more than 50 cryptocurrencies supported on the platform Withdrawals are reported to be slow
There is an intelligent multilingual chat   
The exchange charges reasonable trading costs  
The exchange is known for its robust platform security  

 

3. OKEx: OKEx is a Malta-based crypto exchange and trading platform that was created in 2014, serves millions of customers in over 100 countries and is the fourth-largest cryptocurrency exchange in terms of the trading volume.

Over the years, OKEx has benefited from the support and investment advice of prominent venture capitalists and investment firms such as Ceyuan Ventures, VenturesLab, Longling Capital, eLong Inc, and Qianhe Capital Management, which has aided the digital asset exchange in reaching its current pinnacle.

 

PROS CONS
OKEx is known for its extremely low trading fees The application does not accept United States clients
There are no deposit fees charged on the platform There is no demo account offered
There is a vast selection of crypto assets that can be bought, sold, and traded There are some limitations on withdrawals
There are several professional trading options including spot markets, futures, and derivatives trading  
The interface is easy to use  
There is a proprietary mobile app offered  

 

4. Binance: Binance is a popular and prominent crypto exchange trading platform that offers more than 500 crypto assets that can be traded. Its main features include its competitively low fees, comprehensive charting capabilities, and robust security features.

 

PROS CONS
There is a vast selection of digital assets that can be traded United States clients cannot use the Binance platform and Binance.US is extremely limited
Binance is one of the cheapest platforms in the crypto space The interface can be overwhelming, even to experienced traders
There is a vast selection of order types to choose from, giving traders a range of trading opportunities There is no native wallet, and the exchange has faced some issues with US regulations
There are powerful trading platforms that can be used  
Welcomes beginners and professional traders and investors  
The platform has a high trust score   

 

5. Huobi Global: Huobi is one of the major cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, providing the market's most valuable tokens through its own trading platform. Initially focused on China, they currently serve customers from over 130 countries.

Huobi Global operates in several countries, including Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom (London), Australia, Canada (Ontario), Brazil, and Hong Kong (HK).

The company is headquartered in Seychelles and is publicly traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

 

PROS CONS
The platform boasts robust cybersecurity The exchange does not accept US clients
There are several innovative features Leverage is not granted to new clients
The exchange features a user-friendly platform and mobile apps  
There is access given to dedicated 24/7 customer support  
There is a selection of crypto assets to choose from  
The exchange has high liquidity because of its trading volumes  

You can buy Near Protocol safely from these cryptocurrency platforms.

Does NEAR Protocol use coin burns?

Yes, when developers use NEAR Protocol to create smart contracts, they receive a portion of the fees that their technology generates. The remainder of every transaction is subsequently burnt, ensuring that the scarcity of the NEAR token can increase.

 

What is NEAR Protocol’s largest Competitor?

Ethereum is the largest competitor of NEAR Protocol.

The sharded character of NEAR is its biggest value. The main issue for Bitcoin and Ethereum is the lack of scalability and processing limitations caused by blockchain.

They do thousands of redundant, identical processes, which significantly decreases transaction rates and severely restricts blockchain usefulness.

While Bitcoin opened the blockchain cosmos, it was only designed for programmable money. Sluggish and extremely expensive transactions, along with several other issues, hamper efforts to use Bitocin as an everyday computer platform.

Ethereum's 2014 introduction helped partially alleviate the issue. Its development stalled due to considerable academic study, theorizing, and lengthy redesign procedures due to the platform's complexity and user base.

Its development stalled due to considerable academic study, theorizing, and lengthy redesign procedures due to the platform's complexity and user base.

The NEAR network's creators went ahead further by sharding their system while adhering to all essential blockchain concepts. This functionality divides the blockchain code into parts, each running on a separate node.

Consequently, the NEAR platform is void of scaling limitations because of its unique ability to fragment code and distribute it over more nodes without sacrificing speed or performance.

The NEAR blockchain's uniqueness attracts all blockchain players, including end-users, corporations, and validators.

  • End-users benefit from a flexible, modern UX while also gaining access to several NEAR-based services with no privacy compromises.
  • Businesses may provide sophisticated rights to users' applications and get a broad toolbox for app creation. The NEAR crypto platform gives developers access to a growing consumer base. The top app developers get protocol-level free rebates.
  • Because the system is sharded, validators may join without special software. An expanding ecosystem allows them to receive protocol tokens by verifying transactions.

 

What is the Staking Process involved with NEAR Protocol?

NEAR employs a PoS mechanism to reach a consensus among the network's nodes. Nodes who wish to participate in the network as transaction validators must stake NEAR tokens. These tokens are locked in smart contracts for a certain period. 

Token holders who do not want to run a node may elect to transfer their stake to verifiers of their choosing. NEAR selects validators using an auction mechanism every epoch (every 12 hours), and validators with a bigger stake have a greater influence over the consensus process.

Certain validators are charged with verifying “chunks” – a collection of transactions from a single shard — whereas others are entrusted with the responsibility of constructing blocks, including chunks from all shards.

Other nodes, dubbed “fishermen,” monitor the network for harmful conduct and report it. If a validator acts inappropriately, their stake will be reduced.

 

What can NEAR Protocol smart contracts do?

Smart Contracts are the backend of any application, where code is executed and data is stored on the blockchain. On NEAR, all smart contracts must be written to WebAssembly or WASM.

Now, NEAR support two programming languages, Assembly Script and Rust, by providing specialized software development kits (SDKs) to aid in their development.

 

Is NEAR Protocol a Good Investment?

Yes, NEAR Protocol is a good investment.

Experts say NEAR is a smart investment because of the limited overall supply. The NEAR token's high usefulness also helps to the positive price projections.

NEAR tokens play an essential role in the NEAR Protocol environment. They store data, process and validate transactions, and allocate network resources. They may also be staked for decentralization.

NEAR is a multi-functional, technologically sophisticated digital asset, unlike many other currencies and tokens on the market. As a result, blockchain specialists say NEAR is a solid buy.

The NEAR Protocol's very successful tokenomics is also worth mentioning. 90% of the coins created yearly go to verifiers, and 10% to the project's treasury. Also, 70% of all NEAR transaction fees are burnt to keep the NEAR price rising.

 

What is the supply and distribution of NEAR Protocol?

The entire quantity of NEAR is 1 billion tokens, distributed as follows:

  • Grants to Communities 17.2%
  • 11.4 % Operation Grants
  • 10% – Endowment
  • 11.7 % Early Ecosystem
  • 4% – Core Contributors
  • 17.6% – Backers
  • 6.1% – Small Backers
  • 12% – Community Sale

The token genesis generated 1 billion NEAR tokens on April 22, 2020. Every year, the epoch rewards are distributed to sustain the network, with 90% going to validators (4.5%) and 10% to the system treasury (a total of 0.5%).

In addition, 30% of transaction costs are rebated to contract parties, while the remaining 70% is incinerated.

 

Is NEAR Protocol a viable Alternative Coin?

Yes, NEAR Protocol is a good altcoin in terms of:

  • Hacking – NEAR Protocol has not yet experienced a successful hack to its blockchain.
  • Security – NEAR Protocol is extremely secure.
  • Transaction speed – NEAR Protocol can easily handle over 100,000 TPS, making it one of the fastest blockchains in the crypto space.
  • Technology – NEAR Protocol employs some of the latest and most robust technology, including DApps, Doomslug, NEAR Collective, Nightshade, Aurora, and more.

Any cryptocurrency that isn't Bitcoin is referred to as an altcoin.

What are the differences between NEAR Protocol And Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is the first cryptocurrency that was ever created. It is the original cryptocurrency and open-source code from where all other alternative coins originated. Bitcoin is a medium of exchange and one of the largest stores of value because of its rarity and value.

NEAR Protocol is a programmable blockchain that competes with the likes of Ethereum, Solana, and others. Bitcoin has the highest market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies, and it is the most expensive crypto, giving investors significant returns.

 

  Bitcoin NEAR Protocol
Price change 20/21 +400% +1,000%
Market Cap $800 Billion+ $8 Billion+
Past Hacks None None
Popularity Very High High
Altcoin Rank #1 – Original Crypto #25

 

What are the differences between NEAR Protocol and Ethereum?

NEAR protocol is quicker, scalable, and more efficient than first-generation blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum. NEAR also has a Doomslug component. This component allows validator nodes in the network to generate blocks in turn.

NEAR Protocol (NEAR) is a network scalability platform for smart contracts. As with Ethereum 2.0, NEAR’s proof-of-stake consensus mechanism enables token holders to stake their currency.

NEAR is a very recent project, with a mainnet debut in April 2020. Unlike Ethereum, NEAR's consensus process attempts to stabilize fees and enhance the development of DApps.

 

  Ethereum NEAR Protocol
Price change 20/21 +880% +1,000%
Market Cap $460 Billion+ $8 Billion+
Past Hacks None None
Popularity Very High High
Altcoin Rank #2 #25

 

What are the differences between NEAR Protocol and NEO?

NEO is a smart contract-enabled blockchain network that has a robust set of capabilities, and this native functionality enables developers to construct comprehensive decentralized apps, while advanced interoperability enables them to use the global blockchain ecosystem's power.

NEO's dual token approach is unusual in that it separates governance from usefulness. However, despite its innovative technology and usefulness, NEO is far behind NEAR Protocol in terms of market capitalization, trading volume, price performance, and popularity.

 

  NEO NEAR Protocol
Price change 20/21 +160% +1,000%
Market Cap $1.70 Billion+ $8 Billion+
Past Hacks None None
Popularity Medium High
Altcoin Rank #69 #25

 

What are the differences between NEAR Protocol and NFTs?

Nonfungible tokens (NFTs) are digital assets that each have a unique value, with no two NFTs holding the same characteristics or value as another. NEAR Protocol, on the other hand, is fungible, which means that one NEAR token has the same value and characteristics as another NEAR token.

 

What are the differences between NEAR Protocol and Solana?

Some key differences between NEAR Protocol and Solana are:

  • Solana is capable of processing up to 50,000 transactions per second, and the network has a block time of 0.4 seconds.
  • On a 40-gigabit network, the system can handle 28.4 million transactions per second.
  • Solana makes use of the Proof-of-History technique for consensus.
  • NEAR is a sharded system that scales indefinitely.
  • NEAR is a simple-to-use protocol that enables developers to create applications fast and effortlessly.
  • NEAR is a Layer-1 protocol, not a side chain.
  • NEAR-based decentralized applications operate on top of the underlying NEAR layer.

 

  Solana NEAR Protocol
Price change 20/21 +9,300% +1,000%
Market Cap $54 Billion+ $8 Billion+
Past Hacks None None
Popularity Very High High
Altcoin Rank #5 #25

 

What are the differences between NEAR Protocol and Cardano?

NEAR Protocol's usefulness is inferior to Cardano's. However, NEAR Protocol's usefulness is predicted to increase soon, surpassing Cardano.

Notwithstanding, NEAR Protocol has more users, despite Cardano's age. Less than half the cost of sending ADA coins. It also confirms transactions 80 times quicker.

Sovereign wallets support NEAR Protocol and Cardano, reducing reliance on the main development team for upgrades and security. In addition, while many online merchants accept ADA, but not NEAR yet.

 

  Cardano NEAR Protocol
Price change 20/21 +2,100% +1,000%
Market Cap $42 Billion+ $8 Billion+
Past Hacks None None
Popularity Very High High
Altcoin Rank #7 #25

 

Is the native NEAR Wallet compatible with any other cryptocurrencies?

The native NEAR wallet is a non-custodial and web-based tool that provides users complete control over their holdings, enabling them to create, play, and stake freely.

Signing up is quick and fast, and once complete, the world of staking incentives, NFTs, and more will be accessible and simple to utilize.

 

Is it safe to store crypto funds in an online exchange?

No, it is not safe to store vast amounts of crypto funds in an online exchange. Exchanges offer native wallets that must be kept online, and this provides malicious entities with a target that they continuously try to expose.

Several online exchanges are very secure and feature robust security measures, but as a rule, crypto enthusiasts, traders, and investors are urged to keep most of their funds in cold storage such as Ledger, SafePal, Trezor, and other physical devices.

 

What is a BTC Accelerator?

As more individuals use Bitcoin, the block size hits its maximum, resulting in a congested Bitcoin network. Therefore, some transfers are delayed until confirmation is obtained.

To expedite the process, these Bitcoin users must pay higher miner fees and/or conduct transactions using SegWit.

BTC Accelerators are Bitcoin transaction accelerator that enables users to get verifications on existing unconfirmed transactions faster. 

 

How does a BTC Accelerator work?

Bitcoin Transaction Accelerators are enhancers. They are an off-chain business that charges an additional price to intentionally put a certain transaction in the next Bitcoin block to get the necessary number of confirmations.

These accelerators are operated by miners for the sole purpose of increasing block processing fees and rewards. To use a BTC Accelerator, users follow these steps:

  • They can sign up with an Accelerator service and enter the transaction hash that they wish to accelerate.
  • Users pay the transaction or acceleration fee, which is determined by the network.
  • Next, users enter the details of the fee that was paid for the boost.
  • Lastly, the transaction is subsequently accelerated.