Networks
A sharded chain with human readable account names and very cheap transactions. NEAR gives you an account called yourname.near instead of a hex string, and it splits the chain into shards so capacity grows with demand.
Live market data
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What NEAR Protocol is for
NEAR gives you an account called yourname.near instead of a hex string, and it splits the chain into shards so capacity grows with demand.
Technical summary
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Layer | Layer 1 |
| Launched | 2020 |
| Consensus | Nightshade proof of stake |
| Throughput | Thousands with sharding |
| Finality | 2 to 3 seconds |
| Native token | NEAR pays gas, and 30 percent of fees go to the contract developer |
Block explorers
An explorer lets you verify any transaction, address or contract on this network yourself. Learning to read one is the fastest way to stop taking anyone's word for anything.
Wallets that support it
What to be aware of
- Validator concentration varies widely between layer 1s and is worth checking rather than assuming.
- Newer chains have shorter track records under real adversarial pressure.
- Crypto assets are volatile. Drawdowns of seventy percent or more have happened on every network in this list, including the largest.
- Sending to an address on the wrong network can lose funds permanently. Always send a small test amount first.
Nothing on this page is investment advice. We describe how networks work, not whether you should buy anything.
Where to go next
New to NEAR Protocol?
We can get you set up with the right wallet, funded, and through a first transaction on this network in about an hour, on a screen share.