NEAR Protocol: A Blockchain Built for the AI

Welcome to the Agentic Web

The internet is changing again. This time, it’s not just about websites or apps – it’s about autonomous agents. These are smart programs that can make decisions, carry out tasks, and transact with others, all without a human constantly watching. Think AI assistants booking flights, bots handling customer service, or financial agents managing trades – all working nonstop, all by themselves.

Experts predict this shift could add over $15 trillion to the global economy by 2030. Some call it the “Agentic Web” – a future where AI agents handle much of the digital workload. But for this future to work, agents need more than just brainpower. They need a trustworthy, decentralized infrastructure – something today’s web simply doesn’t offer.

Why Web2 Falls Short for AI Agents

Today’s internet is built around centralized platforms. Tech giants control access to data, tools, and payments. That’s fine for humans, but a nightmare for independent AI agents. Here’s why:

Data Silos: Much of the internet’s data is locked behind private APIs. Agents need open, permissionless access to function well.
No Shared Identity System: There’s no way for one AI agent to verify the reputation of another without relying on a middleman.
Payments Are Clunky: Micropayments between programs aren’t feasible due to high fees and complex intermediaries.
Verification Is Hard: How can we prove that an agent really did what it claimed? Cryptographic proofs help, but they’re not native to Web2.
Security Risks: Centralized servers are vulnerable to hacks and surveillance – agents need more secure ways to handle data.

To support an AI-powered future, we need open systems where agents can interact, verify each other, make payments, and access services freely. That’s where blockchain – and specifically, NEAR Protocol – comes in.

NEAR Protocol: Born from AI Roots

NEAR didn’t start as just another crypto project. It began as an AI startup called NEAR.ai in 2017, founded by Illia Polosukhin (co-author of the seminal Transformer paper that inspired ChatGPT) and Alex Skidanov (a Microsoft alum and programming champion).

Originally, they aimed to train AI to write code. But after realizing that the tech wasn’t quite ready, they pivoted to building something that could enable automation: a scalable blockchain. Thus, NEAR Protocol was born – designed from the ground up to support fast, secure, decentralized applications that could one day power AI agents.

What Makes NEAR Different?

Sharding for Scalability
NEAR uses a method called sharding to split its workload across multiple lanes – like having many checkout lines instead of one. This allows NEAR to process millions of transactions quickly and cheaply.

Human-Readable Accounts
Instead of cryptic wallet addresses, NEAR uses usernames like alice.near. These accounts can have flexible permissions, making it easier and safer for AI agents to operate.

Built-In Coordination Tools
NEAR allows smart contracts and apps to call each other asynchronously, even across different shards. That’s crucial for agents coordinating complex actions.

NEAR’s Agent-Friendly Features

NEAR is not just scalable – it’s being actively built to support autonomous agents:

NEAR Intents: Instead of writing out every blockchain step, users (or agents) can simply declare an intent (like “swap USDC for BTC”) and let solvers figure it out. It’s like saying what you want, and the system handles the rest – perfect for automation.
Chain Signatures: NEAR lets one account control assets across other blockchains like Ethereum and Bitcoin. That means an AI agent could manage funds across chains using a single NEAR-based identity.
Confidential Computing: Sensitive tasks like medical data analysis can be done privately using trusted execution environments. NEAR is developing tools to support AI models that can run on encrypted data without exposing it to anyone – even the machine running it.
Native Monetization: Developers can earn directly from their smart contracts or AI agents. For instance, an AI image generator could charge micro-fees in NEAR tokens every time it’s used – no middlemen needed.

NEAR’s Vision: The Trust Layer for the AI Era

The team behind NEAR envisions a future where digital agents, not just humans, are the main users of the internet. These agents will need secure infrastructure to communicate, transact, and verify actions. NEAR aims to be that base layer of trust – open, scalable, and built for automation.

It’s more than a blockchain. It’s a coordination system for AI agents.

With AI models improving rapidly and automation creeping into every corner of the digital world, a new kind of internet is emerging – one where machines work alongside humans, making decisions and executing tasks. NEAR is positioning itself at the heart of this shift, offering the tools needed to make the agentic web real.

Key Takeaways

Autonomous AI agents are set to transform the internet.
Today’s centralized infrastructure isn’t designed for these agents.
NEAR Protocol offers scalability, trust, and tools built for automation.
Features like Intents, Chain Signatures, and Confidential Computing make NEAR an “AI-ready” blockchain.
NEAR could become the operating system for the agent-driven internet.

Reflect & Explore

What are some everyday tasks you’d trust an AI agent to handle?
Why is decentralization important for AI systems?
How could NEAR’s features change how apps and services work online?
Would you feel comfortable letting a digital agent manage your finances or travel bookings?

This is just the beginning of the agentic revolution – and NEAR is aiming to be the backbone that makes it work.

Updated: July 28, 2025