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Collision is here. Today, June 26th through the 29th in Toronto, Ontario, NEAR experts will be on hand at Collision to showcase how brands and companies can make a move into the Open Web with NEAR’s Blockchain Operating System (BOS). The BOS redefines the Web2-to-Web3 experience. Now anyone can effortlessly create and distribute decentralized applications, using any blockchain — all in one browser.  

Don’t miss NEAR Horizon, NEAR Foundation’s new Web3 startup support platform, which will also be at Collision. If you’re a founder or developer, then you will definitely want to meet with the Horizon team to get started on the Web3 funding and building journey.  

Here is what to expect from NEAR at Collision 2023. 

NEAR Speaker Sessions you won’t want to miss

Tuesday, Jun 27, 12:00 – 12:45 PM

Location: Beanfield Centre, Masterclass 1

Masterclass: “The Fastest Way to Add Web3 to Your App”

NEAR is transforming Web3 for developers, enterprises, and users alike with the Blockchain Operating System (BOS) – a common layer for browsing and discovering open web experiences compatible with any blockchain. NEAR founder Illia Polosukhin shows how the fastest onboarding in Web3 combined with decentralized frontends and embedded social features can help Web2 brands and Web3 projects deliver new & easy experiences and grow their communities.

Speaker: Illia Polosukhin, NEAR Protocol, Co-founder

Tuesday, Jun 27, 2:10 – 2:35 PM

Location: Enercare Centre, MoneyConf

Fireside Chat: “At the intersection of AI and Web3”

Speakers:

Moderator: Lucinda Shen, Axios, Fintech Reporter

Wednesday, Jun 28, 01:30 – 02:15 PM

Location: Beanfield Centre, Masterclass 4

Masterclass: “How to Decentralize Any Frontend Using BOS”

Learn how to store your frontend codebase entirely on-chain and make it more accessible to users with NEAR’s Blockchain Operating System (BOS).

Speaker: Miao Jiang, Head of Product, Proximity Labs

Wednesday, Jun 28, 02:30 – 03:15 PM

Location: Beanfield Centre, Masterclass 4
Panel: “Charting the Course for a Thriving Web3 Ecosystem”

Delve into the current state of web3 investing, identify the crucial elements for building a thriving web3 ecosystem, and explore innovative strategies for scaling startup support platforms.

Speakers:

Thursday, Jun 29, 12:23 – 12:27 PM

Location: Enercare Centre, Growth Summit

Keynote: “Solving the Blockchain Enterprise Dilemma”

Speaker: Sandi Fatic, Co-founder, CEO, Calimero Network

Events from the NEAR Community

June 27, 6-9 PM – NEAR Horizon Pitch & Networking | Collision 2023

The NEAR Horizon team is partnering with VCs and Funding Teams from around the world who are looking to back exceptional entrepreneurs for the long term to build the future of Web3.

June 28, 10 AM-8 PM – Web3 Day (& Night) | Collision Conference Toronto

An invite-only event for the Web3 community & Web3 curious during the Collision conference in Toronto. Panels, speakers, networking, art, music, food & drinks, pitch opportunities, and more.

June 29, 6-9 PM – NEAR Toronto Launch Party
An exhilarating event that marks the launch of the NEAR Toronto Regional Community and concludes the three-day Collision Conference.

Stay tuned to Near.org/collision for the latest event updates. 

NEAR is a home to a number of amazing apps and projects. These developers, founders, and entrepreneurs are using NEAR to effortlessly create and distribute innovative decentralized apps, while helping build a more open web — free from centralized platforms.

To showcase some of the innovative products launching on NEAR, the Case Studies content vertical is making a return. With its new multimedia makeover, Case Studies will demonstrate how these projects are leveraging the power of NEAR’s layer 1 protocol and the Blockchain Operating System (BOS) to distribute their apps and onboard the masses into the open web. 

The new NEAR Case Studies series kicks off with a video featuring Pagoda’s Chief Product Officer Alex Chiocchi. For much of the last year Alex has been deeply embedded in the development and launch of the BOS — an OS for an Open Web. 

In the BOS Case Study video, Alex explains how the BOS takes advantage of the NEAR Protocol’s scaling architecture, while allowing builders to code in languages they already know, like Javascript. As you’ll learn from Alex, the BOS makes it easy to use the tools you already know to build apps that engage users, while fostering an open web free from centralized platforms. 

Stay tuned for more Case Study videos on NEAR, the Blockchain Operating System for an open web.

NEAR has a monolithic mega-booth at Consensus 2023, where there have been a number of awesome NEAR announcements, talks, and events, including the big news out: the Blockchain Operating System is now live on Near.org and the NEAR Horizon accelerator is open for business. If you haven’t stopped by yet to meet our NEAR experts or are unable to attend, we’ve got you covered with all of the highlights.

Let’s take a look at everything NEAR at Consensus, including the BOS, NEAR Horizon, a submissions call for the latest edition of Women in Web3, and much more! And stay tuned for more NEAR at Consensus highlights over the next few days.

The BOS is now live on Near.org

On April 26th at Consensus, NEAR co-founder and Pagoda CEO Illia Polosukhin and Pagoda Chief Product Officer Alex Chiocchi announced that the Blockchain Operating System (BOS) — a real alternative to the Operating Systems of centralized platforms — is now live at near.org. 

As a blockchain operating system for an open web, the BOS is accessible to everyone, not just web3 natives. And it makes Web3 and Web2 easier than ever to access and navigate for users and developers alike. With the BOS, you no longer have to choose between decentralization and discoverability. Devs and users get the best of both worlds, whether they are new to Web3 experiences and want to play around, or developers looking to build an open web. 

Read the full BOS announcement here. 

NEAR Horizon: A revolutionary accelerator for Web3 startups

NEAR Foundation also announced the launch of Near Horizon, a Web3 accelerator program, on the 26th from Consensus. Built on the Blockchain Operating System (BOS), Horizon features a revolutionary marketplace where Web3 startups can find the support they need for building on Near and cross-chain platforms. 

Together with partners Dragonfly, Pantera, Decasonc, Blockchange, Fabric Ventures, dLab, Hashed, and Factomind, and Outlier Ventures, Near Horizon is on a mission to empower founding teams with the tools and support they require to accelerate the development of sustainable, profitable, innovative startups on Near.

Near Horizon’s robust network of support is a game-changer for Near builders, offering new opportunities and resources to propel the best minds in the Near ecosystem to success.

Read the full NEAR Horizon announcement here. 

NEAR opens submissions for Women in Web3 Changemakers 2023

Following its hugely successful launch a year ago, Women in Web3 is back! On Day 2 of Consensus, NEAR Foundation announced the return of its global Women in Web3 Changemakers list.  

Nominations are now open for 2023! Designed to showcase the talented and socially mindful women who make up the Web3 ecosystem, the initiative will once again spotlight ten exceptional leaders across the international sector and the amazing, sustainable work they do.

Members of the Web3 community — both men and women — are welcome to nominate and submit the names of female colleagues who they feel should be recognized for their exemplary contribution to Web3. Women who work in Web3 can also nominate themselves. 

Each nominee should meet the following criteria, which NEAR uses to define impact:

  1. Inclusion – driving ideas that are good for society, sustainable, and socially impactful.
  2. Influence – in the community and among peers.
  3. Innovation – contributing to interesting and socially impactful projects at work or independently.

The top ten Changemakers will be decided by you — the community! 

Important Dates for Submissions and Voting

More details on the voting process will be announced shortly. But here are some important dates.

Those selected will be included in the Women in Web3 Changemakers list, which will be shared with the press and the global community. NEAR will also feature the winners in a special series of video interviews that will air across NEAR’s social platforms and distribution network to share each award-winner’s story and contributions to Web3. Founders of Web3 companies that have made the list will also have the opportunity to meet with investors and pitch for funding at the event.

Google Cloud Unveils Web3 Startup Program 

Google Cloud recently made a splash in the Web3 space by announcing its Web3 Startup program via a Twitter thread during Consensus. Catering to seed and Series A projects and startups, the program offers up to $200K in cloud credits, and access to technical training. Recipients also receive partner perks including discounts on Nansen AI products and platform credits from Alchemy, and Thirdweb’s gasless contract deployment, support, and co-marketing opportunities.

Google’s support of Web3 will benefit founders building on the Blockchain Operating System (BOS) and those partnering with the recently launched NEAR Horizon, an accelerator revolutionizing how founders are supported in Web3. NEAR Horizon will enable founding teams to scale their project with the support they need, increasing the number of founding teams building great products with real-world value on the NEAR Protocol.

To apply, visit the application portal and explore more information on the official website.

Here’s how to get involved:

NEARCON is Returning to Lisbon and NEAR APAC is Headed to HCMC, Vietnam!

Today at Consensus, NEAR Foundation announced that NEARCON will take place in Lisbon, Portugal on November 7 – 10, 2023. In an effort to globally scale and create more accessible events, the NEAR Foundation also announced that NEAR APAC will take place in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on September 8 – 12, 2023. Both events will gather an audience of builders, Web2 and Web3 entrepreneurs, industry professionals, investors, and creators from all over the world.

NEAR APAC will be the NEAR Ecosystem’s first and largest event in the APAC region. NEAR APAC delivers a world-class lineup of speakers to share latest APAC developments, unlimited potential of the blockchain industry, regional market insights, Web3 hacker festival, and insightful events for networking opportunities with local communities and partners. Head to https://nearapac.org/ on May 15th to secure your NEAR APAC tickets!

NEARCON, the NEAR Ecosystem’s Annual flagship conference is headed back to Lisbon. The Mainnet anniversary of the protocol’s launch and the biggest announcements from the Ecosystem will be featured at NEARCON. Hear from some of the most iconic names in Web3 speak on Technical updates, Web2 and Web3 trends, the latest on Governance and Regulation, Arts and Culture, and much more. 

This year the conference will take over two venues: Convento De Beato and Armazem Lisboa. Convento de Beato will host the core conference and will feature two larger stages whereas Armazem Lisboa will be Developers HQ where hackers will build all day. Both venues are just a 10 minute walk from each other. Mark your calendars because on June 1st NEARCON tickets will go live on nearcon.org!  

See you in HCMC and Lisbon this Fall!

Updates from around the NEAR Ecosystem

Mailchain brings encrypted communication to NEAR-based dApps

Mailchain, an open source, multi-chain communication layer for Web3, announced integration with NEAR. Now, NEAR developers can send encrypted messages between blockchain wallet addresses with simple, unified inbox to view and send messages and keep track of on-chain activity. 

NEAR’s vision has always been to onboard the next billion users to the Open Web. With Mailchain, these next billion users can communicate natively with one another, regardless of blockchain. 

Mailchain’s integration with NEAR is a significant step towards strengthening the interoperability mission of NEAR’s blockchain operating system (BOS). NEAR’s BOS and Mailchain are both chain-agnostic, prioritize usability and security, and together make Web3 more accessible and interoperable for users.

“Our vision aligns perfectly with NEAR’s–to onboard the next billion users,” said Tim Boeckmann, CEO of Mailchain. “When building Mailchain, we knew these next billion users would want to communicate with what mattered most to them, their blockchain identities. Mailchain’s secure communication protocol makes this a reality. We believe that this integration is a big step forwards for the developers who are building the next generation of the Internet.”

XP Network brings cross-chain NFT bridge to NEAR

During Consensus, the XP Network, a cross chain NFT bridge, went live on NEAR mainnet. XP Network allows NFT holders to transfer their NFTs to any other supported chain. XP Network recently showcased their cross-chain NFT bridge  by transferring a BSC NFT over to Near via the XP Network bridge, and selling it on Mintbase. 

Now, NFT marketplaces built on NEAR Protocol like Paras, Berry Club, Mintbase, Flux, Few & Far can list the most promising NFT collections from almost 30 other chains. XP Network’s integration will supercharge both arts and collectibles, as well as Web3 gaming on NEAR, with players now being able to buy and trade NFTs in-game across chains. 

kuutamo and Lattitude.sh give NEAR validators access to premium infrastructure

From Consensus, Kuutamo announced its partnership with enterprise-grade infrastructure provider Lattitude.sh, which will give developers and current NEAR validators more flexibility and control. NEAR validators using both kuutamo and Latitude can now access premium infrastructure at a limited promotional price, or apply for the kuutamo x Latitude Program.

A venture-backed technology company, Kuutamo offers a resilient and user-friendly node infrastructure, designed for the peer-to-peer economy. kuutamo launched the world’s first high availability node for the NEAR Protocol, giving users full control and flexibility (no lock-in effect) to execute their desired cloud strategies — differentiating itself from most large public cloud providers in the process.

Latitude is an emerging global leader, offering access to enterprise-grade infrastructure in the world’s most advanced data centers. In its partnership with kuutamo, Latitude is expanding its offering to developers and NEAR validators. Latitude already supports other leading blockchains and Web3 companies such as Solana, Ankr, and Riot Games.

WOMBI brings Web2-style analytics to NEAR

During Consensus, Wombi — a Web3 attribution platform — announced that it is now live on NEAR. With an aim to be the Google Analytics of Web3, Wombi helps decentralized app developers by connecting Web2 and Web3 funnels, so they can instantly see which marketing channels are bringing them the most impactful users. 

Wombi is now publicly available to all dApps fully live or building on the NEAR Blockchain Operating System or Protocol. All developers get free product and marketing analytics, making NEAR the first Layer 1 with a live attribution product. 

Earlier this year, NEAR announced the Blockchain Operating System. An industry-first category, the BOS is a common layer for browsing and discovering open web experiences, compatible with any blockchain. 

A real alternative to the Operating Systems of centralized platforms, the BOS is now live at near.org. As a blockchain operating system for an open web, the BOS is accessible to everyone, not just web3 natives. And it makes Web3 and Web2 easier than ever to access and navigate for users and developers alike. 

With the BOS, you no longer have to choose between decentralization and discoverability. Devs and users get the best of both worlds, whether they are new to Web3 experiences and want to play around, or developers looking to build an open web. 

Seamless Web2 style onboarding for Web3

When entering Web3, users want an easy Web2-style onboarding experience. Until the BOS, this just wasn’t possible. 

With FastAuth, BOS users get to experience a simple and seamless Web2 style onboarding. Users can get started quickly by creating an account for any app on the BOS — without the need for crypto. 

By putting the user experience at the center, FastAuth creates a familiar style of onboarding experience, in which users can create a free account with biometrics, phone prompts, and an email address. Users can now quickly interact with an app without having to remember long seed phrases and other difficult passwords. 

This will help dramatically move Web2 users into the Web3 space with ease. 

Developers are empowered to start and build quickly

The BOS isn’t just built for Web3 natives. It’s designed for any developer interested in open-source and decentralization. 

To make Web3 app development fast and easy, the BOS offers a comprehensive set of tools and capabilities to get developers started quickly. These developer enablement tools and capabilities make it possible for developers to quickly build composable apps for the open web, as well as build complete projects using current workflows, seamlessly onboard users, get feedback from real users, and increase discoverability. 

From Day 1, any developer can start building on the BOS, making Web3 a more accessible space for all. 

Making Web3 search as intuitive as Web2

Finding things in Web3 isn’t always easy. While decentralization is a core attraction to Web3, this very same benefit can make it hard to discover everything that Web3 has to offer. 

The NEAR Blockchain Operating System fixes this problem with a comprehensive search experience. On the BOS, users can now quickly find all of the apps and components for building on Web3, as well as connect to people and communities. 

BOS users can quickly discover apps, components, and reference documents with an integrated search bar, filtering, and sorting panels. Comprehensive search and discovery also benefits developers, entrepreneurs, and projects across the BOS by exposing their work to a large audience. 

Add and maintain new app experiences with BOS gateways

The BOS also features gateways — access points to Web3 apps that pull front-end code directly from the NEAR blockchain and render it for their users. 

Gateways assume a variety of forms, from wallets and portfolio management tools to popular single-use applications — like, SWEAT — that want to add additional functionality. Gateways help with simple tasks, like adding swap functionality, all the way up to creating decentralized app stores, and much more. This functionality is available by simply adding a JS library, then choosing which app front-ends you want to include.

Typically in Web3, developers spend a lot of time building and getting their apps discovered. During this process, users often need to switch between multiple platforms to discover apps and experiences. Gateways help to overcome this by making it possible to meet users where they already are, while giving them a broader range of apps and experiences. 

Govern your Web3 experience with a content moderation framework 

Traditional content moderation processes — seen most notably in Web2 social network apps— are centralized and often lack transparency, making them ill-equipped to meet the demands of content that is potentially offensive, risky, or illegal. With the growing influence of Web3 platforms the need for an innovative solution that addresses these challenges is more critical than ever. 

The BOS features a scalable, open source content moderation system. With these BOS features, users can govern their own online experience. 

The moderation framework leverages the power of the BOS to tackle the many challenges of managing User Generated Content (UGC) through community engagement and automation, providing a scalable, transparent solution to content review that is easy to use and legally compliant. 

With a decentralized approach and community-driven governance and moderation, the BOS’s moderation framework is poised to redefine content moderation for Web3 platforms and contribute significantly to a healthier online environment for all stakeholders. 

Build and discover apps on NEAR: the Blockchain Operating System for an Open Web

Whether you’re a Web3 developer, founder, end user, or someone just looking to get into crypto, the NEAR Blockchain Operating System is your easy entry point into the Open Web. 

Experiencing the BOS is as easy as visiting Near.org. Let’s build an open web!

Near announced today that it is becoming the Blockchain Operating System (BOS). The BOS is an industry-first category: a common layer for browsing and discovering open web experiences, compatible with any blockchain. 

The Blockchain Operating System will make Near the entry point for the Open Web, for users and developers alike. And it will make both Web3 and Web2 easier than ever to access and navigate. 

Becoming more than just a blockchain 

Since inception, Near’s mission has been to onboard 1 billion users to the Open Web. The first step in the journey was to focus on building a best in class L1 blockchain that was easy to build on and easy to use. 

Near was designed to be simple, with a flexible account model and human readable accounts — any name a user wants instead of a string of letters and numbers. And with Near’s Nightshade sharding approach, the Near blockchain was designed to be infinitely scalable and secure. At the same time, Near concentrated on building out tooling to support builders developing on the protocol, including the JavaScript SDK that now gives 15 million developers access to building on Near. 

This has created and sustained a thriving Near ecosystem with more than 23 million accounts and over a thousand project building, but these were only the first steps toward delivering the vision of Web3 to a mainstream audience.

Now, Near is building up the Web3 stack to integrate experiences from across the open web and streamline the discovery and onboarding experience for users and developers alike. 

Enter Near: the Blockchain Operating System 

Today, Near is launching near.org — a composable frontend for Web3. It will allow end users to easily and frictionlessly discover all of Web3’s possibilities in one seamless experience. It will also empower developers to create and code interfaces in a single environment with the ability to fork a host of components to build apps faster, and more efficiently than ever before.

Anyone in the Open Web ecosystem can create their own frontends (i.e., their own versions of near.org), compatible with the blockchain of their choice. This means that builders from any ecosystem can create components in just a few lines of code, and take advantage of fast onboarding to help make new and custom Web3 experiences.

This is an industry first. With the addition of composable frontends to the tech stack, Near now becomes the Blockchain Operating System, allowing seamless, one-time onboarding and removing friction points like making accounts for every experience, while supercharging development from a collection of over 1,800 components. 

Near.org is the first step in Near’s Blockchain Operating System journey. It’s the Alpha version, where builders can see the frontend come to life. 

Try it out at near.org to experience the world’s first Blockchain Operating System — a revolutionary moment in Web3. If you’re a developer, see how easy it is to fork components and create new experiences. If you’re an end user, see how easy it is to explore Web3 experiences, social, and news all in one place. 

The Blockchain Operating System is Near and it’s here. #NearistheBOS

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