From Capabilities to Measurable Performance

“If you can’t prove usefulness with metrics—success rate, speed, error reduction—no one will use it,” noted Anthropic’s Adam Wolff during the kickoff panel, alongside NEAR’s Illia Polosukhin, Electric Capital’s Avichal Garg, and SF Compute’s Evan Conrad. This perspective set the tone for the hackathon, moving the conversation from theoretical AI to concrete benchmarks and quantifiable performance indicators.

NEAR took a fundamentally practical approach in designing the event. All teams were required to provide quantitative evidence of their agents’ utility through benchmarks, error analyses, and reproducible testing environments. Instead of pursuing virality, participants concentrated on creating tools that resolve actual problems with demonstrable metrics that show lasting impact.

An Ecosystem of Innovation

The hackathon’s $20,000 prize pool attracted serious talent, with specialized bounties from partners including Coinbase CDP, Phala Network, xTrace, Nevermined, MIZU, Questflow, Pond, Silverstream AI, PublicAI, and Exabits. This collaboration created a robust environment where teams could leverage cutting-edge tech stacks to build solutions for specific vertical use cases.

Throughout the event, participants had access to workshops covering essential topics, such as NEAR AI Agent Hosting, Private Vector Databases, and Edge AI Data Agents. These sessions provided valuable technical guidance while fostering a collaborative atmosphere where ideas and solutions could flow freely.

Teams deployed their agents directly to the NEAR Agent Hub during the event, making them immediately available to users beyond the hackathon. Be sure to check them out on the NEAR AI Developer Hub.

Special thanks to our guest judges: Anna Turos, Manuel Del Verma (Silverstream), Lincoln Mur (Coinbase), Hang Yin (Phala), and Felix Meng (xTrace) for your time and insight.

Winners Circle: Solving Real Problems with Measurable Results

First Place: Postt ($5,000)

Zahidul Islam’s team created Postt, an AI-powered social media manager tailored specifically for startup founders and professionals focused on personal branding and thought leadership. The agent automatically generates engaging content, designs visuals, schedules publishing times for maximum reach, and analyzes follower engagement to optimize future posts.

The team’s benchmark results were impressive, showing a 92% approval rate by human evaluators, 35% average engagement increase, less than 2% error rate, and increased impressions by over 3,000% within one week on a test LinkedIn account.

When asked what he liked most about building with NEAR AI, Islam said, “I don’t have to worry about inference cost, and great support from the team.”

Second Place: Due Diligence Agent ($3,000)

Vijay Sithambaram and team developed DiligenceAI, a multi-agent system that performs comprehensive due diligence on potential investments. Their orchestrated system of seven specialized agents covers everything from initial screening to market analysis, competitor evaluation, team assessment, technical due diligence, report generation, and final decision recommendations.

The project’s benchmark results demonstrated that their solution is 85% faster than manual due diligence, identifies 92% of risks correctly, has less than 5% false positive rate, and analyzes 73% more sources than manual processes.

Third Place: NEAR Food ($2,000)

Nelson Lai created NEAR Food, an agent that finds free food events while effectively navigating anti-bot measures that typically prevent such automation. The system scrapes event listings, analyzes them to determine the likelihood of free food, and uses a two-agent approach to prevent anti-bot measures by mimicking human browsing behavior.

In performance testing, NEAR Food demonstrated 92% accuracy, correctly identifying 6/6 positive cases and 5/6 negative cases. The project earned additional recognition from Phala Network and xTrace for its novel approach to privacy preservation through Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs).

The Future of Useful Agents

What distinguished the Useful Agent Hackathon was its focus on benchmarks and measurable performance. But this is just the beginning of what’s possible with utility-focused AI agents.

Looking ahead, NEAR sees agents evolving from single-purpose tools to interconnected systems that seamlessly collaborate to solve complex problems. The multi-agent approaches demonstrated by several teams point toward a future where specialized agents combine their capabilities, similar to how teams of human experts work together.

Perhaps most intriguing is the potential for agent collectives to operate as autonomous businesses. DiligenceAI’s approach—with seven specialized agents working in concert to perform comprehensive due diligence—hints at a future where entire business functions could be handled by agent teams. We might soon see fully agent-operated businesses that can generate content, manage social media, perform market analysis, handle customer support, and even make investment decisions—all while continuously optimizing based on performance metrics.

As benchmarking frameworks become more sophisticated, we’ll move beyond basic metrics to holistic evaluations that consider not just speed and accuracy, but also resource efficiency, adaptability to new domains, and ability to learn from user feedback. The agents of tomorrow won’t just execute tasks—they’ll continuously improve their performance based on real-world usage.

Build Your Own Agent

Ready to create your own useful agent? The NEAR Agent Hub makes it easier than ever to develop, deploy, and share AI agents with measurable performance. Start building today at app.near.ai and join the growing community of developers creating agents that solve real problems with demonstrable results.

Whether you’re working on content creation, financial analysis, job applications, or something entirely new, the tools and infrastructure are ready for you to turn your ideas into deployed agents. What will you build?

The post Building Useful Agents: SF Hackathon Shows the Power of Practical AI appeared first on NEAR Protocol.

The hackathon, held from February 1–2 in San Francisco, was designed to push the boundaries of AI Agent innovation. The goal? To create agents that not only understand and analyze complex data but also explain their decisions and collaborate across blockchain networks seamlessly. As our CEO and co-founder Illia Polosukhin shared during his keynote, “AI is the last technology”.  

Organized in collaboration with Coinbase Developer Platform, Replit, and Anthropic, and sponsored by leading protocols including Virtuals Protocol, NEAR Protocol, XMTP, BASE Protocol, Hyperbolic Protocol, and Byte, the event was a melting pot of ideas and technical prowess. With over 100 participants, the hackathon provided an inclusive environment where developers could experiment with new tools, collaborate with peers, and tackle real-world challenges.

The Trillion Agent Pursuit

For the hackathon, NEAR included bounties focused on three key areas we believe pave the way to scale one trillion autonomous agents on-chain:

1. Reasoning Capabilities: Crafting agents that can explain their decisions and learn from experience. For example, imagine a smart contract auditor that not only identifies vulnerabilities but also reasons about potential attack vectors and suggests fixes.
   
2. Cross-Chain Intelligence: Building systems that can understand and optimize interactions across various blockchains. Picture a cross-chain data analyst that investigates market inefficiencies and arbitrage opportunities, clearly explaining its findings.
   
3. Practical Innovation: Developing tools and applications that translate advanced AI capabilities into accessible, real-world solutions. Consider a market sentiment analyzer that merges on-chain and off-chain data to formulate complex theories about market movements.
   

Participants were provided with a rich technical framework and resources—including our NEAR AI Agent Quickstart and key integration examples on GitHub—to jumpstart their projects. An example reference implementation offered a glimpse of a seamless NEAR Intent plus USDC flow:

https://github.com/referencedev/test-intent/blob/main/intents.py

This technical scaffold enabled teams to break down complex challenges into clear, manageable components, fostering an environment where technical depth met practical usability.

Winning Projects & Highlights

Several projects emerged as standout highlights, including two bounty winners that showcased the power of AI Agents on NEAR:

Chainsmokers (Participant: Matthew Law):
An MCP-augmented chatbot designed to create and pull in relevant tools on demand, facilitating natural language processing for cross-chain transactions through NearAI. Chainsmokers demonstrated how AI Agents can extend beyond pre-defined toolsets to provide flexible, real-time solutions.

“Crypto and its tech are often hidden from ordinary users, but the event brought together highly skilled devs. With guidance from Coinbase and Near’s engineering team, I rapidly built Chainsmoker . . . Near’s agent framework made integration seamless, and it was only exemplified by their incredible support. Seeing the community come together made it an enjoyable, educational, and deeply meaningful event.” – Matthew Law, Founder of Chainsmoker

Mosaia (Participants: Aaron Wong Ellis, Alex Alksne, Cyril Delattre):

Also known as Walley, this smart wallet agent assesses user input and wallet interactions to construct tailored investment strategies. Acting as an AI financial co-pilot, Walley continuously learns from user behavior, evolving its trading and smart contract interaction strategies.

“Building an AI agent able to transact on your behalf has been a lot of fun, and unlock a whole new word, where anyone can get access to a financial advisor that understand them. The hackathon provided a great platform to share how easy it can be to build personalized portfolio management across multiple chains through Mosaia. The support of NEAR’s team and robust developer ecosystem played a huge role in making this project a reality.” – Cyril Delattre, Mosaia Co-founder and CEO

Additional Notable Projects:

• A2A Exchange (Participant: Jared Grogan):
  A versatile agent equipped with advanced voice-to-voice capabilities, A2A Exchange leverages Herakles AI to support the Near Protocol ecosystem while delivering general-purpose crypto knowledge. This project underscored the potential of voice interfaces in enhancing blockchain interactions.
  
• Alphabot (Participants: Chetan Nandakumar, Michael Barry, Anderson Chen, BabuAravind, Kashyab Murali):
  A discovery service that enables AgentKit-powered agents to locate one another, Alphabot exemplifies how interconnected AI agents can form robust networks, enhancing both functionality and user experience.
  

The innovations showcased at the hackathon have far-reaching implications for the AI Agent ecosystem. By addressing challenges like reasoning, cross-chain coordination, and practical application, the projects not only highlight individual ingenuity but also signal a broader trend towards more adaptive, intelligent systems. The event reinforced that the future of technology will be defined by systems that learn, evolve, and operate across multiple domains seamlessly.

As we move forward, NEAR is committed to nurturing this ecosystem by continuing to provide robust tools, technical resources, and a collaborative platform for developers worldwide. The hackathon was more than a competition—it was a glimpse into the future of AI Agents, where creative problem-solving and technical excellence combine to unlock new possibilities.

We are excited about the journey ahead and look forward to seeing how these innovations shape the landscape of AI and blockchain technology. Stay tuned, and join us on the journey to one trillion agents on-chain.

Join Us at ETH Denver!

We’re also gearing up for ETH Denver with a series of exciting events. Mark your calendars and come join us for a deep dive into the NEAR AI stack, interactive workshops, networking sessions, and much more:

• Feb 25
  • The Road to One Trillion Agents (Day 1)
  • Delphi x NEAR Happy Hour 🍻
• Feb 26
  • Founders & VC’s Brunch hosted by DFG, Jsquare, and NEAR
  • The Road to One Trillion Agents (Day 2)
  • NEAR Eco Mixer 🍹
• Feb 27
  • NEAR AI Agent Games Day 🤝
• 

For more technical resources and support, visit the NEAR AI Documentation, explore our NEAR AI Agent Kit, or join our Developer Telegram.

The post AI Agents: Transforming Technology at the Coinbase Onchain AI Hackathon appeared first on NEAR Protocol.

What’s Happening?

Our mission is clear: chart the path to scale one trillion autonomous agents on blockchain networks. Through keynotes, technical workshops, whiteboard sessions, and interactive content, you’ll discover the cutting-edge tech driving autonomy, trust, and security in Web3.

Expect technical demos, hands-on learning, and community discussions addressing the biggest challenges in scaling decentralized AI. Whether you’re a protocol developer, researcher, or founder, you’ll leave with actionable insights and practical solutions for building at scale.

Can’t-Miss Events

Here’s the full lineup of events to help you maximize your ETHDenver experience:

Feb 25

• 🛠️ The Road to One Trillion Agents (Day 1)
  Dive into foundational concepts and practical applications of autonomous agents on NEAR.
• 🍻 Delphi x NEAR Happy Hour
  Connect with peers over drinks and ideas!

Feb 26

• 🥞 Founders & VCs Brunch
  Co-hosted by DFG, Jsquare, and NEAR, this brunch is perfect for networking with top-tier investors and founders.
• 🛠️ The Road to One Trillion Agents (Day 2)
  Deep-dive into advanced topics with experts from the NEAR ecosystem.
• 🍹 NEAR Eco Mixer
  Unwind and mingle with builders, developers, and innovators shaping the NEAR ecosystem.

Feb 27

• 🤝 NEAR Agent Games Day
  Join us for a day filled with interactive games, networking and insights into building impactful projects in the NEAR ecosystem. Whether you’re a developer, creator, or enthusiast, it’s the perfect opportunity to connect, learn, and have fun! 
• 💰 Discover Protocol Rewards
  A team member will be on-site to answer your questions and guide you through the process. Are you building the next big thing on NEAR? Don’t miss your chance to earn up to $10,000 per month while developing your project. 👉 Apply Now

Feb 28

• 🥞 ETH Rising hosted by Re, Bitwise and NEAR
  Join us at ETH Rising, where we explore the pivotal crossroads shaping the future of DeFi.

Why Join Us?

• Gain hands-on experience with NEAR’s AI stack driving autonomy and scalability.
• Connect with a global community of developers, researchers, and investors innovating in AI and blockchain.
• Be part of the movement shaping the future of autonomous systems and the path to One trillion agents.

Let’s build the future together. Don’t miss your chance to connect, collaborate, and innovate at ETHDenver 2025.

👉 Register now and secure your spot!
Learn More & RSVP

See you in Denver!

The post NEAR at ETHDenver 2025: Join the Road to One Trillion Agents! appeared first on NEAR Protocol.

“Autonomous Agent” is the first event in the “{Chain}-of-Thought” series from Edge, which will explore and harness the potential of Web3 and open source AI. Edge is a research and development organization dedicated to democratizing access to open intelligence and advancing the evolution of next-generation web architecture. Hackers can expect hands-on hacking sessions, workshops, and mentorship opportunities with a chance to learn from those at the cutting edge of decentralized AI development. 

The intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Web3 technology is poised to revolutionize industries, with many Web3 projects now incorporating AI into decentralized applications and developer tools. Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin recently shared his observations about the intersection, and NEAR Co-Founder Illia Polosukhin shared how AI fits into the vision for the NEAR ecosystem in a recent post. 

As the risks from centralized AI controlled primarily by major corporations become more apparent, investing in open source, transparent AI development will become increasingly important––along with community building, governance experiments, and advocacy. “{Chain} of Thought” will lead the way in bringing members of the AI and Web3 ecosystems together to advance these initiatives and make concrete progress.

In addition to the premier sponsors, the “Autonomous Agent” hackathon is co-sponsored by EigenLayer, Gensyn, and Hyper Oracle, with co-hosting participation from Sentient, Lightspeed, and Symbolic Capital. Benefits of participation include:

• Cutting-Edge Workshops: Engage with industry experts and thought leaders through immersive workshops exploring the latest trends and technologies in AI x Web3.
• Hackathon Challenges: Tackle real-world challenges and showcase your creativity by developing innovative solutions at the forefront of AI and Web3 integration.
• Networking Opportunities: Connect with like-minded individuals, potential collaborators, and industry professionals to expand your network and exchange ideas.
• Prizes and Recognition: Compete for exciting prizes and gain recognition for your contributions to the advancement of AI x Web3 technology.

Join NEAR Foundation, Polygon Labs, and Edge in Denver and be a part of the next great tech revolution. Those interested in attending the Decentralized AI Summit can register here. Researchers, developers, and hackers interested in participating in the hackathon can apply here. 

The post Inaugural AI x Web3 Hackathon and Decentralized AI Summit to Debut at ETH Denver 2024 appeared first on NEAR Protocol.

Congratulations to all Near winners. who received over 30k in USDC! Let’s have a look at the winning projects of the Near at ETHDenver bounties. 

Aurora Bounty Winners

Open Aurora Bounty

Winner – StakingPool Aurora

Implements a liquid staking protocol around Aurora Plus staking. Users will deposit AURORA and receive a share in $stAUR tokens, which distributes the APY rewards. $stAUR could be immediately converted with a fee or wait for a delayed unstake.

Runner Up – Geni

AI-powered specifications generator of security tests for smart contracts.

Runner Up – Demeter

A lending platform that offers yield advancements, i.e., self-paying loans. Borrowers’ collateral is invested in RWA protocols, and the yield pays off debt.

Proximity Bounty Winners

Deploy a Decentralized Frontend Component

Winner – BosWrap 

BosWrap used the Near Blockchain Operating System to build a decentralized widget for wrapping/unwrapping ETH.

Runner Up – ABI BOS Widget 

A solidity explorer widget that allow users to explore any smart contract for a given ABI. You can get ABI from Etherscan website.

Runner Up – Bossed Up

A project focusing on Ethereum frontends, Blockchain Operating System improvements, and NEAR Social widgets that interact with NEAR contracts.

Runner Up – Atmosph3re

A dApp for reducing the homeless crisis in the United States by giving those living on the streets a decentralized identity, mentoring and community support, and funds for spending on their basic needs to help them thrive. 

Runner Up – EthDenver2023UWCA

A dApp on NeaR’s new frontend with BOS.GG. Integrates with Rocketpool to offer quick swaps on Ethereum.

DevGov Bounty Winners

Extensive Developer Profile Widget

Winner – Developer Profile

A recreation of Github profile for NEAR social developers in the Blockchain Operating System. 

Fuzzy Search Widget / Promoted Posts Banner Widget / Top Posts Widget  / Post History with Diff Widget

Winner – Near.Social DevGovGigs Improvements 

A new Developer Governance Gigs interaction experience for Near.Social. Features: 1) Fuzzy Searching that can handle typos, 2) Promote posts and Promoted Post viewer, 3) Hottest Posts viewer, and 4), Post editing history viewer.

Near.Social Bots Coded in Javascript

Winner – JS Bot Widget

Verifiable RPC Replies

Winner – Near Verifiable RPC Endpoints for Viewing Access Keys

Adds proof generation support to RPC read access key endpoints on the NEAR protocol to help pave the road for light client support. 

The post Near at ETHDenver Hackathon Bounty Winners appeared first on NEAR Protocol.