Near Protocol vs Internet Computer: Key Differences (NEAR vs ICP)
Complete side-by-side comparison of Near Protocol and Internet Computer. Price, market cap, technology, and more.
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What is Near Protocol?
NEAR Protocol uses sharding (Nightshade) to achieve high throughput while keeping the network decentralized. Human-readable account names and simple onboarding make it developer and user friendly. The team includes former Google and Facebook engineers.
What is Internet Computer?
Internet Computer by DFINITY aims to be the World Computer - running web apps entirely on-chain without traditional cloud servers. Smart contracts serve web content directly, no AWS needed. Ambitious and controversial, it is building infrastructure for a fully decentralized internet.
Price Evolution
Percentage change from start of period
NEAR+72.36%ICP+4.01%Detailed Comparison
| Metric | NEAR | ICP |
|---|---|---|
| NEAR ICP | ||
| Price & Market | ||
| Price | $2.44 | $2.57 |
Price $2.44 $2.57 | ||
| Market Cap | $3.16B | $1.42B |
Market Cap $3.16B $1.42B | ||
| 24h Volume | $861.56M | $54.54M |
24h Volume $861.56M $54.54M | ||
| Volume/Cap Ratio | 27.23% | 3.84% |
Volume/Cap Ratio 27.23% 3.84% | ||
| Market Dominance | 0.0012697% | 0.00057057% |
Market Dominance 0.0012697% 0.00057057% | ||
| All-Time High | $20.44 | $700.65 |
All-Time High $20.44 $700.65 | ||
| ATH Date | Jan 16, 2022 | May 10, 2021 |
ATH Date Jan 16, 2022 May 10, 2021 | ||
| Performance | ||
| 24h Change | 1.57% | 0.15% |
24h Change 1.57% 0.15% | ||
| 7d Change | 60.63% | 1.10% |
7d Change 60.63% 1.10% | ||
| 30d Change | 72.36% | 4.01% |
30d Change 72.36% 4.01% | ||
| Supply | ||
| Circulating Supply | 1.30B | 553.02M |
Circulating Supply 1.30B 553.02M | ||
| Total Supply | 1.30B | 553.02M |
Total Supply 1.30B 553.02M | ||
| Max Supply | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Max Supply Unlimited Unlimited | ||
| Technology | ||
| Consensus | Nightshade (Sharded PoS) | Threshold Relay + Chain Key |
Consensus Nightshade (Sharded PoS) Threshold Relay + Chain Key | ||
| Block Time | 1 second | 1-2 seconds |
Block Time 1 second 1-2 seconds | ||
| TPS (Transactions/sec) | 100000 | 11500 |
TPS (Transactions/sec) 100000 11500 | ||
| Launch Year | 2020 | 2021 |
Launch Year 2020 2021 | ||
| Transaction Fees | ||
| Average Fee | < $0.01 | < $0.01 |
Average Fee < $0.01 < $0.01 | ||
| Fee Model | Near sharding, low gas fees | Internet Computer, reverse gas (cycles) |
Fee Model Near sharding, low gas fees Internet Computer, reverse gas (cycles) | ||
| General | ||
| Primary Use Case | Scalable dApps, AI, Developer platform | Web3 hosting, Decentralized apps, Cloud replacement |
Primary Use Case Scalable dApps, AI, Developer platform Web3 hosting, Decentralized apps, Cloud replacement | ||
| Founder | Illia Polosukhin, Alexander Skidanov | Dominic Williams |
Founder Illia Polosukhin, Alexander Skidanov Dominic Williams | ||
| Website | near.org | internetcomputer.org |
Website | ||
| Volatility & Risk | ||
| Drawdown from ATH | 88.1% | 99.6% |
Drawdown from ATH 88.1% 99.6% | ||
Why Near Protocol?- ✓Uses sharding (Nightshade) for high throughput and scalability
- ✓Developer-friendly with human-readable account names and easy onboarding
- ✓Founders have strong tech backgrounds from Google and Facebook
Why Internet Computer?- ✓Runs web apps fully on-chain, reducing reliance on traditional servers
- ✓Uses innovative Threshold Relay + Chain Key consensus for scalability
- ✓Targets cloud replacement, enabling decentralized web3 hosting
Near Protocol Risks
- ✗Relatively young network launched in 2020 with less proven longevity
- ✗Faces strong competition from other scalable smart contract platforms
- ✗Sharding complexity may pose security and maintenance challenges
Internet Computer Risks
- ✗Highly ambitious project with unproven long-term adoption
- ✗Complex technology may slow developer onboarding and ecosystem growth
- ✗Faces strong competition from established smart contract platforms
The Verdict
Both Near Protocol and Internet Computer serve important roles in the crypto ecosystem. Near Protocol focuses on scalable dapps, ai, developer platform, while Internet Computer is known for web3 hosting, decentralized apps, cloud replacement. Many investors choose to hold both as part of a diversified crypto portfolio.
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