NEAR Protocol (NEAR) is a decentralized platform designed for building scalable and user-friendly decentralized applications (dApps). It focuses on improving blockchain usability and performance, making it easy for developers to create applications that can handle large volumes of transactions.

WHAT IS NEAR PROTOCOL (NEAR)?
NEAR is an open-source blockchain platform that provides high throughput, low transaction fees, and a smooth user experience. It uses a unique consensus mechanism called Nightshade to ensure scalability and efficiency. NEAR also integrates features like sharding to optimize the processing of large amounts of data.

KEY FEATURES

• Scalability: NEAR uses sharding to process transactions in parallel, which allows the network to scale and handle thousands of transactions per second (TPS).

• Developer-Friendly: Provides simple and easy-to-use tools, including a developer-friendly programming language (Rust and AssemblyScript), to make building dApps easier.

• Low Fees: Transaction costs are minimal, making it affordable to use NEAR for a wide range of applications, from DeFi to gaming.

• Usability: NEAR focuses on providing an intuitive experience for users, including features like human-readable addresses (e.g., name.near) instead of complex wallet addresses.

• Proof-of-Stake (PoS): NEAR uses a PoS consensus mechanism to ensure network security, energy efficiency, and high-speed transaction processing.