NEAR Protocol

NEAR Protocol is a layer-1 blockchain launched in 2020, using a sharded Proof-of-Stake architecture called Nightshade to deliver scalability and developer-friendly usability. Governed by the NEAR Foundation, headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, the network has expanded into AI-integrated Web3 applications alongside DeFi and NFTs, with roughly $400 million in total value locked across its ecosystem.