NEAR Protocol is a high-performance, layer-1 blockchain designed to be incredibly fast, highly secure, and capable of scaling infinitely. The network focuses on mainstream adoption by providing developer-friendly tools and user-centric features. NEAR Protocol Rewards is a continuous, merit-based grant program designed to incentivize developers building on the network. The initiative automatically tracks both on-chain interactions and GitHub activity to reward early-stage builders moving from MVP to launch-stage products. To date, the program has distributed over $200,000 to its cohorts, featuring successful graduates like Peerfolio and PingPay.
The NEAR Protocol Rewards program offers a highly structured, automated approach to ongoing developer funding. To participate, teams must apply for the next active cohort via the official portal. Accepted projects are required to connect a maximum of 3 GitHub repositories and 1 NEAR wallet to the ecosystem tracking system. The evaluation engine automatically tracks developmental progress, allocating 80% of the evaluation score to GitHub activity (such as commits, pull requests, and issues) and 20% to on-chain metrics (including transaction volume and unique wallet interactions).
Monthly payouts are strictly tiered based on the overall project score, with the Diamond tier offering a maximum allocation of $10,000 per month. Smaller milestones are consistently rewarded, scaling down through various levels: Gold at $6,000, Silver at $3,000, Bronze at $1,000, Contributor at $500, and Explorer capping at a baseline of $100. Beyond financial capital, the NEAR Founder Success Team provides critical hands-on mentorship across product, legal, business, and marketing functions to accelerate cohort graduation.
Submit your project details and apply for the next active cohort via the application portal.
Complete the pre-selection interview process to evaluate your developer skills and idea potential.
Connect up to 3 GitHub repositories and 1 NEAR wallet to the automated ecosystem tracking system.
Build your product and submit weekly deliverables to meet your assigned milestones.
Monitor your on-chain and off-chain metrics via the official dashboard to claim monthly tier-based rewards.