NEAR Protocol is a developer-friendly, sharded, proof-of-stake public blockchain. A decentralized platform where developers can host serverless applications and smart contracts which have easy access to open finance networks and benefit from an ecosystem of open web components.

Unlike other blockchain-based platforms, the NEAR Protocol has been built from the ground up to be the easiest in the world for both developers and their end users while still providing the scalability and security necessary to serve those users. Designed to make it easier to:

• Build decentralized applications, especially as a developer familiar only with “traditional” web or app concepts.
• Onboard users with a smooth experience, even if they aren’t familiar with crypto, tokens, keys, wallets or other artifacts of this ecosystem.
• Scale your application since the underlying platform automatically expands capacity via sharding without additional costs or effort on your part.

Check out NEAR’s developer and technology pages to learn more – but for now let’s dive into the hackathon!

NEAR </> Ready Layer One virtual hackathon is part 2 of the Ready Layer One virtual conference. If you missed it last week, follow their twitter for recordings of the talks coming out soon – the list of speakers is impressive! With the formalities out of the way, the fun now really begins with the hackathon. This event welcomes blockchain coders and thinkers of all backgrounds and tech abilities. From seasoned blockchain hackers to students and coding beginners, you get the chance to compete for $7500 of prizes, in bounties that suit your stack. Not to mention, a guaranteed $75 consolation prize for every valid submission as well!

Between May 6th – 19th, you’re invited to build projects on top of next-generation blockchain protocols (including test driving NEAR’s recent MainNet release). NEAR protocol was built specifically for the age of Open Web, where blockchain technology can provide not only the performance and usability upgrades necessary for global adoption, but also the scalability and low cost necessary to drive a truly accessible and interoperable blockchain ecosystem.

NEAR’s amazing team is looking for 8 (or more!) winning ideas to social & technological challenges, that focus on interoperability. There are a variety of types of bounties, some open ended (Build Something Fun!), some more specific (Flux Protocol Implementation) and some focused on social good in light of the ongoing pandemic (Social Interaction Hack and Accessibility Hack). There’s an Interoperability Hack offering the first place prize to multiple submissions, so why not take a stab at connecting NEAR to other blockchains? Make sure to review the wide array of challenges available, and know one project can be submitted to multiple bounties!

If you’re a student or a rookie coder, there is a bounty just for you! NEAR is looking for bright minds like yours, to propose an MVP built using NEAR protocol, with the prize set aside specifically for students.

So sharpen your pencils, bring your energizing drink of choice, gather your team and join the NEAR hackathon – there’s a good cause for everybody in Ready Layer One!

Don’t forget to check out the NEAR </> Ready Layer One Townsquare and join the conversation on their discord server.

To learn more about NEAR, their plans, and the event prizes, check out their hackathon announcement blog post. We also hosted Alex Skidanov, Co-founder of NEAR Protocol, on the Gitcoin Livestream last week. If you missed it, check out the full recording here for an overview of NEAR Protocol and the RL1 Hackathon. Finally, you can get familiar with their blockchain here and read about their recent MainNet launch in this summary, as well as check out their documentation. Good luck, we’ll see you in the Townsquare!