Cryptopedia - NEAR Protocol
## What Is NEAR Protocol (NEAR)? NEAR Protocol NEAR Protocol is the blockchain for AI. A high-performance, AI-native platform built to power the next generation of decentralized applications and intelligent agents. It provides the infrastructure AI needs to transact, operate, and interact across Web2 and Web3. NEAR combines three core elements: User-Owned AI, which ensures agents act in users’ best interests; Intents and Chain Abstraction, which eliminate blockchain complexity for seamless, goal-driven transactions across chains; and a sharded blockchain architecture that delivers the scalability, speed, and low-cost execution needed for real-world AI and Web3 use. This integrated stack makes NEAR the foundation for building secure, user-owned, AI-native applications at internet scale
Chelsea Komlo 
Alexander Skidanov
Illia Polosukhin
Chris Briseno
Matt Kummell
Shai Perednik
Bowen Wang
George Xian Zeng