NEAR NEAR Protocol

NEAR is a decentralized development platform built on top of the NEAR Protocol, which is a public, sharded, developer-friendly blockchain. The network runs on a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism called Nightshade, which aims to offer scalability and stable fees.

The NEAR token is a utility token which powers the NEAR Protocol blockchain and all applications which use it. It is used for:

• Fees for processing transactions and storing data.
• Running validator nodes on the network via staking NEAR tokens.
• Used for governance votes to determine how network resources are allocated.

NEAR tools include:

• NEAR SDKs which includes standard data structures and testing tools for Rust and AssemblyScript.
• Gitpod for NEAR to create a zero time onboarding experience for developers.
• NEAR Wallet that lets application developers create streamlined user experiences.
• NEAR Explorer to aid with both debugging of contracts and the understanding of network performance.
• NEAR Command Line Tools to allow developers to deploy applications from local environments.