Web2 and Web3 are currently fragmented: Web2 because each account and experience is centralised and managed by a single firm, and Web3 because each blockchain network is a separate entity.
By providing a method to discover and use experiences with common services like user-owned assets, a single identity, and user-controlled data, the Blockchain Operating System addresses both issues.
Recently, the NEAR protocol has announced the launch of an operating system that developers can build into and users can interact with as a single platform called Blockchain Operating System (BOS) at the ETH Denver conference. Both consumers and developers can use the BOS to browse and discover open web experiences that are compatible with all blockchains.
In addition, it allows seamless access to a variety of gateways, whether they are blockchain or Web2 based. With the BOS, end users will be able to seamlessly move between experiences created by many developers or chains, similar to the ease of using a single app. By utilising built-in features like profiles, payments, notifications, and search without having to host anything, developers can create and release better apps more quickly with decentralised and composable frontends.
“NEAR is more than just a layer-one blockchain, it’s an operating system that will make Web3 usable,” said NEAR Co-Founder and Pagoda CEO Illia Polosukhin, who shared the announcement and vision for the BOS at NEAR Denver, an event during the ETHDenver conference and hackathon. “The goal for NEAR has always been to make Web3 simple. Now we have all the components to deliver on this vision. We already have live examples from the ETH and NEAR ecosystems we are sharing at ETHDenver.”
The BOS launch also includes the appearance of alpha.near.org, the preview of a gateway for developers to build on it, and FastAuth, a solution for quick BOS onboarding via online login. With over 1800 components now live, Alpha.near.org is the composable, easy-to-use multichain frontend for developers. These are the initial essential components of the Blockchain Operating System, and they will enable developers to provide superior user experiences. Pagoda, the product and engineering business that contributes fundamental technology to the NEAR ecosystem, created Alpha.near.org and FastAuth.
FastAuth is simple for developers to manage and enhances usability and accessibility for a variety of end users. It supports decentralised ownership utilising human-readable account names, is Pass Key enabled, is mobile-friendly, and doesn’t require a crypto wallet to activate. This keeps control in the users’ hands. FastAuth streamlines the onboarding process by simplified login for the whole web.
“We’re excited for the Blockchain Operating System to accelerate mainstream adoption and showcase the technical excellence of NEAR,” said Marieke Flament, NEAR Foundation CEO. “By offering solutions to make all of Web3 more accessible to everyone, we can achieve a truly multichain future that delivers real value to people.”
The OS will be built by Pagoda, the NEAR Foundation, and other teams within the NEAR ecosystem until 2023. With the BOS, NEAR becomes a Web3 gateway for all software developers, whether from mobile web, Web2, Ethereum, Polygon, or any other blockchain ecosystem.Illia Polosukhin and Alexander Skidanov started NEAR.ai in 2017. The Layer 1 blockchain network plans to onboard a billion users to the infinite possibilities of Web3 with the Blockchain Operating System (BOS). With its carbon-neutral protocol, The platform will be a common layer for browsing and discovering open web experiences. NEAR’s front end is compatible with all blockchains, making it the entry point to the open web for users and developers alike.
