Over the past couple of years, several smart-contract capable platforms have emerged in the crypto space. Known for its swiftness and affordability, the NEAR protocol competes with similar projects as it aims to address the limitations of older, rival systems.
NEAR is a layer-1 blockchain solution designed specifically for creators. The platform presents itself as a base layer or foundation for developers to build and launch innovative decentralized applications. Indeed, NEAR employs the more efficient proof-of-stake consensus mechanism and prioritizes ease-of-use, interoperability, and scalability in addition to being a community-driven platform.
Since its emergence NEAR has grown into a thriving blockchain ecosystem. At writing, the platform hosts over 500 DeFi projects that offer novel, real-world applications. Here’s a list of 15 successful DApp projects available on the NEAR ecosystem.
Ref Finance
Currently the foremost DeFi project on the NEAR protocol, Ref Finance is a multipurpose platform with services revolving around the network’s native NEAR token. It is notably an automated market maker DEX. This means the platform facilitates the permissionless exchange of assets via liquidity pools.
Likewise, Ref Finance provides users with access to a robust suite of DeFi offerings. These include a lending protocol, yield farm, stableswap platform, synthetic asset issuer, and more. With staking and farming features, users get to earn the platform’s native currency Ref, which they can use to earn more funds or participate in the governance of the community-led platform.
Amongst other perks, Ref Finance is also known for its high rewards, low fees, high-speed operations, and security, which are all benefits of the underlying NEAR protocol. It also leverages NEAR to provide multiple pools-in-one contracts, atomic transactions, and customizable pool fees. The platform was founded in 2021 by NEAR co-founder, Ilia Polosukhin.
Aurora
Launched in May 2021, Aurora is a thriving Ethereum Virtual Machine built on the NEAR protocol. The layer-2 scaling solution exists to provide Ethereum compatibility to DApps on NEAR. Aurora is unarguably one of the most important projects the NEAR network hosts. It offers developers the Ethereum 1.0 experience, allowing them to write smart contracts in Solidity while still enjoying the benefits of the NEAR network.
Like many other NEAR DApps, Aurora takes advantage of the protocol’s high throughput, speed scalability, and low transaction costs to create a great user experience. With the Aurora Bridge (working in tandem with the NEAR Rainbow Bridge) users can carry out the trustless transfer of ETH and ERC20 tokens between Ethereum and Aurora. The network is governed by a decentralized autonomous organization called the AuroraDAO.
MyNearWallet
One of the most popular NEAR wallets, MyNearWallet is a non-custodial wallet for the NEAR blockchain. Users can securely store NEAR tokens and other assets that are compatible with the layer-1 network. MyNearWallet is available on the web and on mobile devices soon, and it can be connected to a hardware wallet for added security. Since the wallet is non-custodial, the user has full control over its private keys, and therefore the funds. MyNearWallet supports wNEAR, NFTs and various assets across the NEAR ecosystem.
Rainbow Bridge
A crucial part of the NEAR ecosystem, as the name denotes the Rainbow Bridge is a bridge that facilitates the seamless transfer of assets between the NEAR and Ethereum networks. With the Rainbow Bridge, developers can transfer several well-known ERC-20 tokens between Ethereum and NEAR wallets or projects. Users migrating assets to NEAR gain access to the network’s developer-optimized environment with its one-to-second transaction times, affordable fees, and relatively low bridge-transfer costs.
The Rainbow Bridge is the only fully decentralized, permissionless, and trustless bridge linking blockchains. Users do not have to rely on the protocol itself, rather they only need to trust the security of the networks it connects.
CoinPipe
CoinPipe is a payment solution that runs on the NEAR blockchain. The platform provides tools for crypto operations, including crypto POS terminals, for e-commerce and offline retailers alike. Business owners are able to manage their treasury and invoices easily through a user-friendly dashboard. CoinPipe employs the NEAR blockchain for its speed, security, and low-cost transactions.
NearPay
One of the most important products on the list, NearPay is a payments platform on the NEAR network that works to bridge the gap between crypto and fiat spaces. Some of NearPay’s products include the NearPay Wallet and the NearPay Card, the NEAR ecosystem’s first-ever debit card.
The NearPay Wallet already supports a notable range of digital currencies and is available for web, IOS, and Android users. Meanwhile, NearPay is available as a virtual debit card (and soon as a physical card). Users can track their spending, manage their pins, and freeze/unfreeze their cards among a slew of other features still in the works.
As part of its offerings, NearPay's crypto on-ramp widget enables businesses to accept fiat payments from customers instantly converted into a variety of supported crypto assets.
Roketo
Roketo is a NEAR-based platform that uses persistent, time-distributed transfers to boost token utility, and includes Roketo Business, an app designed to streamline financial and operational aspects of Web3 businesses (such as salaries, grant allocation, etc). It also offers a payment widget, airdrop solutions, and subscription tools for Web3 services, including NFT subscriptions. It can be used for token vesting, play-to-earn activities, and token streaming, among other things. Existing on the NEAR blockchain allows Roketo to charge low commissions and offer lightning-fast transactions.
Burrow
Burrow is a decentralized, non-custodial interest rate market protocol that runs on the NEAR blockchain. The platform retains NEAR’s user-friendly nature and allows users to supply and borrow assets to earn interest and unlock liquidity. The basis of Burrow’s services are interest-bearing assets such as staked Near (stNEAR) or other staked derivatives such as wBTC, or stETH. Burrow specifically uses interest-bearing assets of base layers to unlock yields from the base layer as these provide the most secure rates as well as the highest returns. Users can deposit these assets on the platform to earn an attractive yield and also take out self-paying loans, which entails borrowing against future interest.
Decentral Bank
Decentral Bank is a DAO that focuses on the development, support, and issuance of NEAR-native stablecoins. The goal is to create an easy-to-use, “truly stable” stablecoin that can weather unfavorable market conditions. Notably, Decentral bank has successfully released the first of these assets, a stablecoin built on the NEAR protocol dubbed $USN. Decentral Bank manages the smart contracts of $USN and its Reserve Fund. The DAO also votes on key decisions surrounding the stablecoin.
Octopus Network
Octopus Network is a NEAR-based cross-chain network that allows developers to launch and run application-specific blockchains known as appchains. With Octopus, creators can get flexible and cost-effective security for their app chains in addition to multichain functionality, and on-chain governance. The team behind the project took inspiration for the network from the Octopus. Each Substrate-based, EVM-compatible appchain is self-sustaining and can adapt to evolving environments. However, when joined as a whole, the Octopus network is beneficial to all members of what the team describes as an “internet of blockchains.”
Band Protocol
Band Protocol is a decentralized, cross-chain data oracle platform that aggregates real-world data and APIsonto smart contracts. The protocol serves as an intermediary between blockchain-based DApps and legacy internet data sources. Band integrated with the NEAR network over a year ago to bring its services to creators within the ecosystem. Developers can easily receive off-chain data for their applications or projects. In turn, Band Protocol leverages NEAR’s features to increase throughput and scalability.
Paras
Paras is the most popular NFT marketplace within the NEAR ecosystem. Paras initially began with digital art cards inspired by real-world trading cards but later diversified its offerings. Interestingly, the platform approaches the non-fungible token industry with a curatorial mindset. In addition to encouraging a variety of styles among its creators, Paras emphasizes quality over quantity and only publishes themed collections. As it is built on the NEAR blockchain, the platform charges extremely low fees even as it grants users a unique NFT experience.
Alchemy Pay
Alchemy Pay is a hybrid payments solutions provider that pushes blockchain adoption for merchant networks, developers, and financial institutions. The platform opens the door for fiat users to easily access crypto assets and services easily accessible to fiat businesses and institutions.
Berry Cards
Berry Cards is an innovative DeFi app on the NEAR protocol where users can jointly create pixel art NFTs. The community-driven platform mostly exists for users to enjoy participating in the Berry Club. Members come together in individual chat rooms where they can discuss their vision for their collaborative pieces. Users can add pixels to projects on the Berry Club using avocado tokens, which they can also stake on artworks to earn daily returns. Berry Club pieces are available on the Berry Card marketplace, buyers make purchases using NEAR and can resell the cards in the marketplace.
NearZombies
NearZombies is an educational project that offers a unique, interactive learning process. Users get to learn about the NEAR protocol by creating an NFT avatar and working their way through chapters that feature coding tasks for users to complete as they go. It also offers a learn and earn feature where users can play a zombie game and earn Near Zombie tokens.
