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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QuarkChain is building a blockchain with a focus on speed and scalability. They hope to significantly improve transaction times and reduce fees with an architecture that will rely on a two-layered blockchain and elastic sharding. QuarkChain uses a hybrid Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus mechanism that is ASIC-resistant. Transactions are first confirmed on one blockchain layer, and then on the second. The network will be powered by the QKC coin.