- Send and receive digital assets (such as tokens or collectibles)
- Create and interact with on-chain applications known as smart contracts
- Control accounts in other chains (such as Ethereum or Bitcoin)
- Help onboard new users by covering the costs of their transactions (gas fees)
Account Model Overview
Let’s take a closer look at the different elements that compose the NEAR account model.
Account ID
NEAR natively implements multiple types of accounts, including:- Named accounts such as
alice.near, which are simple to remember and share - Implicit accounts such as
fb9243ce..., which are derived from a private key - Ethereum-like accounts which are compatible with Ethereum wallets
Learn More
Explore the different account ID types in detail
Multiple Keys
NEAR accounts can have multiple keys, each with their own set of permissions:- You can easily swap keys if one gets compromised
- You can use keys as authorization tokens for third-party applications
Learn More
Understand how access keys work
Smart Contracts
NEAR accounts can optionally hold an application - known as a smart contract - which can be written in Javascript or Rust.Comparison With Ethereum
If you’re familiar with development on Ethereum, it’s worth making a quick note about how accounts are different. The table below summarizes some key differences:| Ethereum Account | NEAR Account | |
|---|---|---|
| Account ID | Public Key (0x123...) | - Native named accounts (alice.near)- Implicit accounts ( 0x123...) |
| Secret Key | Private Key (0x456...) | Multiple key-pairs with permissions: - FullAccess key- FunctionCall key |
| Smart Contracts | Synchronous execution | Asynchronous execution |
| Gas Fees | In the order of dollars | In the order of tenths of a cent |
| Block Time | ~12 seconds | ~600 milliseconds |