NEAR Protocol stands as a decentralised application platform poised to redefine the web's architecture, application development, and operational dynamics. It introduces a novel layer of internet infrastructure, focusing on user empowerment and developer ease, encapsulated within a permissionless, scalable, and user-friendly environment. NEAR is engineered from scratch to facilitate applications that manage high-stake assets like identity and money, ensuring performance and accessibility. At its core, NEAR's vision is to establish a community-run cloud, robust enough to propel Open Finance and the Open Web into the future. By blending advanced consensus mechanisms, sharding technology, and a user-centric economic model, NEAR aims to solve the scalability and usability challenges that have hindered broader adoption of blockchain technology, paving the way for a decentralised, secure, and accessible internet.