
NEAR Protocol has revolutionized blockchain scalability through its innovative sharding technology called Nightshade, which enables the network to potentially process up to 100,000 transactions per second (TPS). This remarkable achievement positions NEAR among the fastest blockchain platforms in the industry today. The technology works by dividing the blockchain network into smaller, manageable pieces called shards, allowing for parallel transaction processing across multiple sub-chains.
The efficiency of NEAR's sharding mechanism becomes evident when comparing performance metrics with other major protocols:
| Protocol | Maximum TPS | Sharding Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| NEAR | 100,000 | Nightshade |
| Legacy L1s | 7-15 | Not implemented |
| Average L2s | 1,000-2,000 | Various solutions |
NEAR's sharding not only enhances throughput but also maintains optimal network security. By distributing validators' responsibilities across sub-chains, transaction processing becomes significantly faster while reducing costs. This architecture ensures that as the network grows, performance scales linearly with the number of nodes—supporting up to 1 million mobile nodes while maintaining high TPS rates.
For developers building decentralized applications, this scalability solution eliminates bottlenecks that typically plague blockchain networks during periods of high demand, providing a seamless experience for end users and enabling more complex applications that require high-throughput capabilities.
In 2025, NEAR Protocol has strategically expanded its ecosystem through significant AI partnerships and substantial token grants. The U2U Foundation, a key player in the NEAR ecosystem, partnered with market maker Cicada in August 2025 to launch a $1 million grant specifically targeting DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks), DeFi, AI, and gaming projects. This initiative represents one of several strategic moves to enhance NEAR's position in the rapidly evolving crypto landscape.
The impact of these partnerships becomes evident when examining NEAR's recent market performance:
| Period | Price Change | Market Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Days | +32.37% | Increased from $2.16 to $2.86 |
| Oct 10-Nov 8 | +64.43% | Recovery from flash crash |
| 24 Hours | +4.17% | Active trading volume of $21.3M |
These AI partnerships are particularly timely as decentralized AI projects gain prominence in 2025. The grant program focuses on integrating NEAR's high scalability (targeting 100k TPS across 1 million nodes) with advanced AI capabilities. Projects receiving funding are developing applications ranging from AI-powered DeFi risk assessment tools to decentralized infrastructure for training AI models across the network's extensive node structure.
Evidence of the ecosystem growth strategy's success can be seen in NEAR's trading volume surge to over $9.7 million on November 7th, coinciding with major partnership announcements.
NEAR Protocol made a significant technological leap in 2024 with the introduction of Chain Signatures, revolutionizing cross-chain functionality across the blockchain ecosystem. This innovative feature enables users to sign transactions on supported blockchains without relying on traditional cross-chain bridges, fundamentally simplifying user experience while enhancing security.
Chain Signatures leverages decentralized multi-party computation (MPC) technology, combining NEAR staking with Eigenlayer ETH restakers to create a secure network for cross-chain interactions. The system allows both individual users and smart contracts to control multiple addresses across various blockchains simultaneously, with the user remaining the only entity able to request transaction signatures.
The comparative advantages of Chain Signatures over traditional bridging solutions are substantial:
| Feature | Traditional Bridges | Chain Signatures |
|---|---|---|
| Security Model | Centralized validators | Decentralized MPC network |
| User Experience | Multiple wallets needed | Single NEAR wallet |
| Asset Management | Manual transfers required | Seamless cross-chain control |
| Smart Contract Support | Limited | Full support for any chain |
The introduction of Chain Signatures has already demonstrated market impact, with NEAR's price showing a 32.37% increase over a seven-day period following the feature's deployment. This technology positions NEAR Protocol as a frontrunner in addressing the persistent challenge of blockchain interoperability, enabling developers to build DeFi products that leverage assets from multiple chains within a unified ecosystem.
Yes, NEAR coin has a promising future. Its innovative technology, growing ecosystem, and increasing adoption suggest strong potential for long-term success and value appreciation.
Yes, NEAR coin has the potential to reach $100 by 2025, driven by its AI and dApp advancements, growing ecosystem, and overall crypto market expansion.
NEAR is a cryptocurrency powering the NEAR Protocol network. It's used for transaction fees, staking to secure the network, and governance participation. Validators earn rewards by staking NEAR tokens.
Based on market analysis, NEAR Protocol is projected to reach a maximum of $11.58 and a minimum of $9.86 in 2025.











