<aside> 💡 NEAR is a developer-friendly, proof-of-stake, public blockchain.
</aside>
Source: near.org
The NEAR token (aka $NEAR) powers the NEAR Protocol blockchain and all of the decentralized apps (dapps) built on top of it (e.g. NFT apps, DeFi apps, gaming apps, etc).
To understand what this all means, let's break it down. First, we'll dive into what a blockchain is. Then, we'll dive into proof-of-stake.
A blockchain is a public database that is updated and shared across many computers in a network. - Ethereum.org
Plain & simple, blockchain is records of data stored on networks of computers.
As an analogy: think of blockchain technology like a Google Doc that is shared between lots of people. When the doc is shared, the original doc itself is distributed between the people it's shared with (instead of copied or transferred). Any modifications to the doc are done transparently and in real-time.
Blockchains store transaction data.
For example, let's say Susan wants to send Jacob 10 $NEAR. Once Susan sends the 10 $NEAR, a record of that transaction will be available for anyone to see on NEAR's Block Explorer.
How would someone find the record of Susan sending Jacob 10 $NEAR? They could simply enter in Susan's NEAR Account ID or Jacob's NEAR Account ID in the Search bar below (or the other info related to Susan & Jacob's transaction, prompted in the Search bar):