NEAR Protocol is a decentralized application platform designed to make DApps operable on the web. The NEAR network uses a Proof of Stake consensus mechanism called Nightshade. The NEAR utility token is used for processing transactions and storing data, as well as for facilitating voting for governance issues.
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The Elrond blockchain platform is designed to be a public development infrastructure that will be more secure, efficient, and scalable than other blockchain platforms. The Elrond blockchain is aimed at DApp developers and enterprises. Elrond will have a Prof of Stake consensus mechanism, and will include an Adaptive State Sharding feature that will allow multiple validators to process transactions in parallel.