What is NEAR Protocol?
NEAR Protocol is a blockchain that uses public proof of stake and sharded mechanisms. It is similar to a community-managed cloud platform that is highly scalable and low-cost for developers to create decentralized applications easily.
NEAR secures the management of critical assets like money and identity, while providing enough performance to make them useful, especially in putting the power of the Open Web into the hands of users.
Note that NEAR is not a side chain, not an ERC20 token or a specialized blockchain, but simply a 1-layer protocol designed to independently support the Open Web platform.