The NEAR protocol revolutionizes blockchain governance with AI and veNEAR

NEAR Protocol has announced a hybrid system that combines artificial intelligence with human input, including algorithmic assistants, automated delegates, and a prototype digital CEO.  

NEAR has emerged as a highly scalable blockchain platform that is redefining decentralized governance for the digital age. 

Since its launch in 2020, NEAR has addressed the challenges of the blockchain trilemma, scalability, security and decentralization, through an advanced sharding architecture called Nightshade, capable of processing up to 2.000 transactions per second with minimal costs.

Now, in 2025, the protocol continues to innovate by incorporating a revolutionary hybrid governance model which merges artificial intelligence (AI) with human participation, further enhanced by the voting system veNEARThis new model consolidates a robust and adaptive structure for community control of the network. 

According to the developers, this combination allows NEAR to not only streamline and secure decisions, but also promote sustained engagement from its user community, representing a qualitative leap within the global blockchain ecosystem.

A hybrid governance model with AI and humans

NEAR has developed a hybrid governance system that integrates specific roles for AI alongside the active exercise of the human community. Among the innovative elements, the following stand out: algorithmic assistants, which analyze and technically evaluate each governance proposal in a matter of seconds, predicting both economic and technical impacts and generating clear executive reports for voters. 

This system is complemented by the automated delegates, which represent inactive token holders, voting according to predefined parameters and historical behavior to ensure their voice is not lost. Looking ahead, NEAR is working on development of a digital CEO, which will be an AI capable of making strategic resource allocation decisions for priority projects such as interoperability and security.

The protocol's developers explained that this scheme doesn't sacrifice human control. In fact, authorized validators constantly verify automated actions, while the community can overrule decisions through community voting mechanisms. 

The impact of veNEAR on community participation in the network

The system veNEAR NEAR introduces a time-weighted voting model for NEAR token locks, promoting long-term engagement over superficial or momentary participation. That is, the longer a user locks up their tokens, the more weight their vote has in protocol decisions. Through this approach, the protocol encourages responsible governance, moving away from dynamics where volatility or opportunism affect community stability.

In addition, NEAR's governance structure includes a Selection Committee, Approved Delegates or with a Security Council which promote participatory maturity and monitor the proper functioning of the system as a whole.  

On the other hand, active users can also participate through quadratic voting, innovative mechanisms such as prediction markets for long-term decisions, and public audits of AI models in GitHub repositories, ensuring transparency and trust. This combination helps the community not only participate, but also become a decisive and constant player in the protocol's evolution.

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A comparison with traditional DAOs and Ethereum

With the introduction of this new system, NEAR Protocol stands out in the blockchain universe for its pioneering integration of AI into the governance process, marking a contrast with many DAO traditional and the current structure in EthereumWhile this blockchain faces scalability issues and lengthy, centralized voting processes, NEAR leverages its layer2 Aurora and the sharding stateless to offer high speeds and low fees, while also facilitating cross-chain interoperability through the Rainbow Bridge 2.0 with networks like Bitcoin y Solana.

The veNEAR model is also revolutionary, as it introduces a time-based commitment to political influence, mitigating common problems in DAOs, such as participation volatility and power concentration. 

Furthermore, NEAR allows technical proposals to be resolved in less than 48 hours, a significant advance compared to other blockchain platforms that typically take days or weeks. All of this makes NEAR a fresh, agile, and sustainable benchmark compared to more static or rigid structures in the crypto ecosystem. 

AI plays a key role in NEAR governance

Now, AI in NEAR performs very specific functions that substantially improve the efficiency and quality of governance. Algorithmic assistants perform detailed predictive analyses on proposals, assessing their technical, economic, and security impact, and generating instant reports for the community.

Automated delegates act on behalf of less active holders, voting according to predefined behavior patterns and parameters to ensure a consistent voice in decision-making.

Likewise, The digital CEO prototype will be designed to allocate resources strategically, identifying priorities for ecosystem development, such as interoperability projects and improvements to blockchain network security. 

This synergy between AI and humans, under the constant supervision of validators and community voting mechanisms, will help reduce errors, accelerate processes, and maintain transparent and adaptive governance in line with the decentralized nature of NEAR and the Web3 ecosystem.

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