NEAR uses Doomslug, a variant of the
Proof-of-Stake Consensus Mechanism. Doomslug relies on two rounds for consensus. A block is finalized once it receives the first communication. Validators can produce blocks in a near-instantaneous manner by taking turns, rather than competing on the basis of their stake.The NEAR Foundation, based in Switzerland, is a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining the protocol, funding its ecosystem, and guiding its governance. The protocol also has a bridge built to Ethereum that allows users to move
ERC-20 from Ethereum to NEAR.