What is NEAR?
NEAR is a user-friendly and carbon-neutral blockchain, built to be fast, secure, and infinitely scalable. It offers a simple user experience with named accounts, low fees, and a robust developer ecosystem. In technical terms, NEAR is a layer-1, sharded, proof-of-stake blockchain built with usability in mind. In simpler terms, NEAR is the blockchain for everyone.NEAR has achieved 5 years of 100% uptime and processed over 4 billion transactions with peaks exceeding 13M transactions in a single day.
Key Features
Simple to Use
Named accounts like
alice.near, fast transactions (~1.3s finality), ultra-low fees (< 1¢), and built-in account abstraction for seamless onboarding.Battle-Tested
5 years of 100% uptime, 4+ billion transactions processed, and home to decentralized apps with millions of users.
Developer-Friendly
Build smart contracts with JavaScript or Rust, complete documentation, EVM compatibility via Aurora, and earn from your contract’s gas fees.
Environmentally Friendly
Certified carbon-neutral blockchain that consumes in a year the same energy Bitcoin consumes in just 3 minutes.
Why Choose NEAR?
NEAR is a technical marvel offering unique features that make building and using blockchain applications easier than ever:User Experience First
- Named Accounts: Use human-readable accounts like
alice.nearinstead of cryptographic hashes - Fast & Cheap: Transactions finalize in ~1.3 seconds and cost less than 1¢ in fees
- Easy Onboarding: Create accounts for free, login with social accounts or Telegram
- Account Abstraction: Users don’t need to buy crypto to get started
- Access Keys: Secure and flexible permission system for managing accounts
- Chain Signatures: Control accounts on other blockchains directly from NEAR
Production Ready
NEAR has proven its reliability at scale:- 100% uptime over 5 years of operation
- 4+ billion transactions processed successfully
- 13M+ transactions handled in peak single-day load
- Home to apps with millions of active users including Kai-ching, Sweat, and Hot Wallet
Developer Experience
- Build contracts in JavaScript or Rust
- Comprehensive documentation with practical examples
- Active developer community and office hours
- EVM compatible via Project Aurora for easy Solidity contract deployment
- Earn revenue from your contract’s gas fees
What You Can Build
Web3 Applications
Create decentralized applications with seamless user experiences
Smart Contracts
Build powerful on-chain logic with JavaScript or Rust
AI Agents
Develop multi-chain trustless AI agents on NEAR’s AI-native infrastructure
Cross-Chain Apps
Leverage chain abstraction for seamless multi-chain experiences
Fungible Tokens
Create and manage fungible token standards
NFTs & DAOs
Build NFT marketplaces and decentralized autonomous organizations
Technical Architecture
Layer-1 Blockchain
Layer-1 Blockchain
NEAR is the foundation that supports everything else built on it. It keeps all transaction records safe and unchangeable, which keeps the network secure and trustworthy.
Sharded Design
Sharded Design
Proof-of-Stake Consensus
Proof-of-Stake Consensus
NEAR uses proof-of-stake, which consumes far less electricity compared to proof-of-work blockchains. Validators stake NEAR tokens to help secure the network, making it more accessible and environmentally friendly.
Get Started
Quick Start Guide
Get up and running with NEAR in minutes
Get Testnet Tokens
Obtain free testnet tokens for development
Create an Account
Set up your first NEAR account
Protocol Basics
Learn fundamental concepts about NEAR Protocol