Near Protocol

Near Protocol

Sharded proof-of-stake blockchain for scalable dapps

Overview

NEAR Protocol runs a fully sharded, proof-of-stake blockchain designed for mainstream Web3 adoption. Its Chain Abstraction enables scalable performance to support billions of users, with validators securing the network and developers building DeFi, NFT, and other apps. Transactions incur fees and staking rewards provide the main revenue, making the platform self-sustaining. The goal is to be a foundational, easy-to-use platform that combines scalability, security, and broad accessibility for developers, enterprises, and end-users.

About Near Protocol

Simplify's Rating
Why Near Protocol is rated
B-
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Data & Analytics

Enterprise Software

Crypto & Web3

Financial Services

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Late Stage VC

Total Funding

$535.7M

Headquarters

San Francisco, California

Founded

2018

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Bitwise amended its NEAR ETF filing on July 3, 2026, adding staking.
  • NEAR Intents crossed $23 billion volume and generated roughly $38 million in fees.
  • near.com and Confidential Intents launched in 2026, attracting institutions seeking private cross-chain execution.

What critics are saying

  • TVL sits near $146 million, leaving NEAR far behind larger DeFi networks.
  • Avalanche, Aptos, and Injective still compete harder for developers and liquidity.
  • If NEAR Intents volume stalls, fee-switch buybacks and token demand lose their thesis.

What makes Near Protocol unique

  • Human-readable accounts and rotatable keys simplify onboarding and recovery for mainstream users.
  • July 2026 v2.13 shipped quantum-safe signing and automatic dynamic resharding on mainnet.
  • NEAR Intents unifies 35-plus blockchains with confidential execution and one-account cross-chain trading.

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Funding

Total Funding

$535.7M

Above

Industry Average

Funded Over

5 Rounds

Late VC funding comparison data is currently unavailable. We're working to provide this information soon!
Late VC Funding Comparison
Coming Soon

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

2%

1 year growth

2%

2 year growth

0%
Chain Tech Daily
Jul 31st, 2026
NEAR lets users pay for AI services by staking tokens.

NEAR lets users pay for AI services by staking tokens. NEAR Protocol has launched a staking-based payment system for its AI platform, allowing users to access confidential inference and autonomous AI agents by locking NEAR tokens instead of paying with a credit card. * NEAR Protocol has launched staking based AI payments that convert locked NEAR into monthly compute credits for AI services. * Users can access all 43 AI models on NEAR AI without a credit card, while retaining ownership of their staked tokens until they choose to unstake. * NEAR said the system supports confidential AI inference and always on agents through an onchain staking mechanism. * The launch adds a new utility for NEAR staking after earlier initiatives including an institutional staking fund and a network upgrade that reduced token inflation. According to an announcement published by NEAR Protocol on X, the new feature converts staked NEAR into monthly compute credits that can be used across the platform's artificial intelligence services. July 31, 2026

PR Newswire
Jul 20th, 2026
NEAR Protocol launches quantum-safe signing and dynamic resharding on mainnet

NEAR Protocol has launched network upgrade 2.13 on mainnet, introducing quantum-safe signing through the NIST-approved FIPS-204 (ML-DSA) scheme and dynamic resharding capabilities. The upgrade makes NEAR one of the first layer-1 blockchains with post-quantum signing live on mainnet, addressing growing concerns about quantum computers potentially breaking current cryptographic methods. NEAR's unique account model, which uses human-readable IDs with rotatable access keys rather than addresses derived from keypairs, enables seamless migration to quantum-safe signing. The upgrade also introduces dynamic resharding, allowing the network to automatically scale by adding shards when state-size thresholds are reached, eliminating the need for manual protocol upgrades. NEAR co-founder Illia Polosukhin stated the infrastructure is designed to support billions of agents whilst defending against post-quantum threats. The network maintains over five years of 100% mainnet uptime.

Crypto Flexs
Jul 7th, 2026
Moonbeam switches from Polkadot to Base for building AI agents.

Moonbeam switches from Polkadot to Base for building AI agents. Polkadot-based interoperability protocol Moonbeam said it is transitioning to Ethereum Layer 2 Base to launch its AI agent communication and payments network, with the goal of gaining share of the emerging market. "This marks the most exciting frontier in cryptocurrency: autonomous AI agents finding each other, negotiating tasks, and paying each other on-chain without intermediaries," Moonbeam said in announcing the Moonbeam Protocol last Friday. "We believe that AI-driven on-chain orchestration represents a significant long-term opportunity. This transition will allow us to focus our resources in that direction," Moonbeam added. Moonbeam did not provide a release schedule for the Moonbeam protocol. Agentic developments have seen significant adoption in the cryptocurrency industry, with Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire predicting that AI agents will become the dominant users of blockchain-based payments in the next few years. Coinbase's x402 payments protocol has been one of the biggest drivers of this push, and layer-1 blockchains Aptos and Near have also launched infrastructure to support agent-driven on-chain activities. However, adoption in the blockchain-based payments space has been difficult to get off the ground. Data from Artemis shows that in the past 30 days, only $2 million has been traded over the x402 protocol. AI agent development is progressing slowly even in Big Tech. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday that the technology has not accelerated the company's workflows as quickly as expected. Moonbeam hits Polkadot. Several members of the cryptocurrency community said Moonbeam's pivot was a major setback for the Polkadot ecosystem. One X user calls Moonbeam Polkadot's "flagship project." "This is a real headache for Polkadot," said another X user. Moonbeam will launch as a Polkadot parachain in January 2022, giving developers the ability to build Ethereum Virtual Machine compatible applications directly on the Polkadot ecosystem. Instruct Moonbeam users to migrate their tokens. Moonbeam (GLMR) holders will need to link their tokens from Moonbeam's Polkadot parachain to Base before July 31, 2026, including GLMR linked to lending markets, staking contracts, and other decentralized finance protocols, Moonbeam said. relevant: Why 'safe' AI can turn dangerous in the wrong company Those holding tokens on centralized exchanges do not need to take any action, Moonbeam said. Moonbeam said it will continue to provide cross-chain interoperability services on the Polkadot parachain during the transition period and will not abandon existing builders or infrastructure providers. magazine: Bitcoin Breaks Off From Tech Stocks, Ether Is Watching A 'Selling Wave': Market Movement

CoinPedia
Jun 21st, 2026
NEAR's dynamic resharding upgrade is coming: can it fuel the next rally?

NEAR's dynamic resharding upgrade is coming: can it fuel the next rally? Story Highlights * NEAR's upcoming v2.13 upgrade introduces dynamic resharding, allowing the network to scale automatically as demand rises * With NEAR Intents driving growing on-chain demand and price holding above key support, a breakout could push the token toward the $2.90-$3.10 liquidity zone. NEAR Protocol's price is back in focus after showing renewed strength since the start of the month, forming a steady pattern of higher highs and higher lows. The latest rebound highlights the importance of its rising support band, which continues to act as a strong base for the ongoing recovery. At the same time, the protocol is gearing up for one of its most significant upgrades yet: introducing dynamic resharding designed to improve scalability during periods of rising demand. With technical indicators favoring further upside, institutional exposure gradually increasing, and on-chain activity continuing to expand, the market is now watching closely to see whether these developments could fuel NEAR's next major rally. NEAR's dynamic resharding upgrade could redefine blockchain scaling. NEAR Protocol is preparing to roll out its v2.13 upgrade, introducing dynamic resharding - a major step forward in how blockchain networks handle growing demand. Unlike traditional scaling models that require manual coordination or validator approval to expand capacity, NEAR's new system will allow the network to split shards automatically as activity increases. This makes the protocol far more adaptive, enabling it to scale in real time without disrupting performance. In simple terms, the more demand the network sees, the more capacity it can create on its own. That could significantly improve efficiency during periods of high congestion while reducing latency and transaction bottlenecks. The upgrade is particularly important as NEAR positions itself as infrastructure for autonomous AI agents, a use case that requires fast execution, low costs, and flexible scalability. If successful, dynamic resharding could strengthen NEAR's long-term edge in the Layer-1 race by making the network more responsive to both user and machine-driven demand. NEAR price faces key resistance as bulls eye a breakout. While NEAR's fundamentals continue to strengthen, the price is now approaching a crucial technical zone that could shape its next major move. After recovering steadily from its yearly lows, NEAR has climbed back toward the $2.20 region, where liquidity has started to build, and price action has entered a key supply zone. The latest rebound reflects improving buyer interest, but the token still faces heavy overhead resistance before confirming a larger breakout. The liquidity heatmap highlights a dense concentration of sell-side liquidity between $2.90 and $3.10, making this the next major zone bulls may target if momentum continues to build. These liquidity clusters often act as magnets during strong market expansions, meaning a sustained breakout above current levels could open the path toward that range. At the same time, the Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) remains below the neutral line, showing that capital inflows are still relatively weak despite the recent recovery. This suggests buyers are active, but conviction has not fully strengthened yet. For bulls, a move in CMF back above zero would offer stronger confirmation of sustained buying pressure and improve the chances of a breakout continuation. On the downside, the $1.82 zone remains the key support level to watch. As long as NEAR holds above this area, the broader recovery structure remains intact. A breakdown below it could weaken the bullish setup and push the token back into a wider consolidation range. What's Next for NEAR Price? For now, NEAR Protocol price remains in a strong recovery phase, supported by growing on-chain activity, rising institutional interest, and its upcoming dynamic resharding upgrade. If bulls maintain control above the $1.82 support zone, the token could continue building momentum toward the $2.90-$3.10 liquidity range. However, with capital inflows still lacking full strength, a decisive breakout will likely depend on stronger market conviction in the sessions ahead.

Yellow
Jun 11th, 2026
SimpleSwap x NEAR Intents: crosschain without wallet connect.

SimpleSwap x NEAR Intents: crosschain without wallet connect. 4 hours ago George town, Cayman Islands, June 11th, 2026, Chainwire SimpleSwap, a self-custodial cryptocurrency exchange aggregator, has integrated NEAR Intents into its liquidity provider network. The integration introduces intent-based cross-chain execution to the platform's existing aggregation infrastructure and is available across web, iOS, and Android applications. SimpleSwap has aggregated liquidity from multiple centralized and decentralized sources since 2018. With the addition of NEAR Intents, users can access an alternative execution model for cross-chain transactions alongside the platform's existing provider network. What intent-based execution actually means Most providers in SimpleSwap's liquidity pool are CEX or DEX sources. They execute transactions. NEAR Intents does something structurally different: it processes intents. Users can declare an outcome - send X, receive Y - and a solver network handles route selection, cross-chain settlement, and execution. The user never touches bridge logic or approval flows. The outcome arrives. That's not a UX improvement on top of the same mechanics. It's a different layer of abstraction underneath. Why no wallet connect is an architectural choice, not a shortcut Wallet connect has become so standard in DeFi that most platforms have stopped questioning it. But every connection is a permission surface. For self-custody users, that matters - the whole point of holding your own keys is controlling where those permissions go. SimpleSwap was built without wallet connect from the start. Funds move from a wallet you own to a wallet you own, with no interface connection in between. NEAR Intents fits that model natively: intent-based execution doesn't require the platform to hold an ongoing connection to your wallet to route a cross-chain swap. "Adding NEAR Intents wasn't just about expanding cross-chain coverage. Intent-based providers operate differently at the infrastructure level - no wallet connection on the user side, outcome-driven execution, and clean API integration. That combination fits how SimpleSwap is built, and it's the direction we want the liquidity layer to move." - Stefan Lauer, Head of Infrastructure, SimpleSwap SimpleSwap has built a reputation for making crypto easier to use, which is exactly why this integration is a perfect fit. By bringing NEAR Intents to their users, we're removing complexity from cross-chain transactions and making it easier for people to access the assets they want. We're excited to work with the team at SimpleSwap. - Dillon Freeman, Head of Partnerships, NEAR What it means in practice For most users, the difference is invisible - which is the point. You initiate a swap on SimpleSwap the same way you always have. NEAR Intents handles cross-chain routing in the background alongside the rest of the provider pool. No extra steps, no wallet connection prompt, no bridge to configure. For users moving larger positions, the addition matters more directly. Intent-based execution routes through solver competition, which means pricing on cross-chain pairs benefits from a different source of depth than standard CEX or DEX liquidity. More providers of different architectural types means the aggregation engine has more to work with. What's next NEAR Intents joins SimpleSwap's provider pool across web and mobile. SimpleSwap will be listed on the NEAR Intents ecosystem page at intents.near.org/ecosystem. The integration is live now on iOS, Android, and the web. About SimpleSwap SimpleSwap is a self-custodial multi-source swap aggregator. It handles wallet-to-wallet swaps by aggregating liquidity from well-known CEX and DEX sources, so users get more privacy and control without manually comparing providers. The platform supports 2,800+ assets, 3.2M+ trading pairs, 6,000+ partner integrations, and has processed over 20M swaps. Uptime: 99.9%. Support: 24/7. About NEAR Intents NEAR Intents is the universal trading protocol powering one-click cross-chain swaps and unified liquidity for onchain markets and tokenized assets. Using a novel intent-based transaction infrastructure that empowers users to express outcomes instead of managing routes, bridges, and liquidity sources, NEAR Intents unlocks frictionless cross-chain swaps for DeFi users, autonomous trading for AI agents, and broad distribution for blockchains, dApps, and asset issuers. NEAR Intents has powered billions of dollars in volume across leading chains and assets and is now natively integrated into major DeFi protocols, wallet providers, traditional financial systems, and AI platforms, bringing instant and verifiable execution to global markets. Contact. SimpleSwap [email protected] Disclaimer: This is third-party content supplied by the issuer and published for informational purposes. Yellow does not independently verify the statements herein and assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting, or tax advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any asset.

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