NEAR Foundation’s Shift Towards User-Owned AI
The NEAR Foundation is currently at a pivotal point in its development, especially as it aims to validate the User-Owned AI concept. In mid-October 2025, the foundation made significant changes to its leadership, appointing five seasoned professionals to oversee critical areas such as product management, business strategy, marketing, technology, and human resources. This strategic move comes as the organization grapples with the challenge of engaging developers and attracting funding in an increasingly competitive landscape. Moreover, the NEAR Foundation’s focus is shifting towards enhancing its product offerings and the ecosystem surrounding “user-owned AI,” a transition intended to leverage years of technological advancements into scalable applications. Co-founder Illia Polosukhin emphasized that the new executives will play a crucial role in translating technology into market-ready products, moving beyond the confines of the Web3 space, and promoting privacy-centric AI solutions globally.
Introduction of New Executives
In a significant leadership overhaul, the NEAR Foundation has appointed five new senior executives to bolster its operational framework. These individuals hail from distinguished backgrounds, having held prominent positions at recognized institutions such as Bloomberg and Digital Currency Group. Matt Kummell, now serving as Chief Commercial Officer, will spearhead business strategy and market expansion, drawing from his extensive experience in both traditional finance and the cryptocurrency sector. Alycia Tooill, as Head of People, brings a wealth of human resources expertise from her previous roles at tech startups and blockchain firms, crucial for attracting talent in the evolving fields of AI and privacy computing. Chris Briseno, the new Chief Marketing Officer, is set to enhance NEAR’s visibility and user engagement, leveraging his background in crypto marketing. George Zeng has been appointed Chief Product Officer and General Manager of the newly formed NEAR AI division, tasked with accelerating research and development in AI technologies. Lastly, Bowen Wang takes on the role of Chief Technical Officer, leading the core research and development efforts vital for NEAR’s technological foundation.
Strategic Emphasis on User-Owned AI
The intersection of blockchain technology and artificial intelligence (AI) has gained significant momentum over the past two years. Given Illia Polosukhin’s deep expertise in AI, stemming from his role in developing the Transformer architecture, NEAR’s transition from a traditional blockchain to one that integrates AI appears well-timed. The foundation’s advocacy for “User-Owned AI” aims to ensure that control over AI technologies is distributed among users rather than concentrated in the hands of a few tech giants. This initiative seeks to establish an open AI infrastructure on the blockchain, enabling users to reclaim their data and intelligence. Consequently, the NEAR Foundation has embarked on a strategic pivot since 2024, shifting its focus from enhancing basic blockchain technology to integrating AI capabilities, thus positioning itself as a platform that empowers user control over AI applications.
Progress and Developments in AI Integration
To facilitate its strategy, the NEAR Foundation established a dedicated AI team and project structure, including the NEAR.ai R&D Lab, which focuses on foundational research and prototype development. The lab is working on an “AI Developer” system that utilizes generative AI to automatically create Web3 applications based on user needs. Additionally, NEAR has outlined specific business initiatives surrounding “user-owned AI,” including the development of privacy-preserving AI computing and the integration of AI with on-chain functionalities. One such innovation is the NEAR Intents feature, which serves as an on-chain interface for AI agents to autonomously execute operations based on user directives. This system has already processed over $2 billion in transactions and is expected to see growth in the coming years. Furthermore, the NEAR Foundation has launched HZN, an incubator aimed at fostering AI projects, and revealed its NEAR AI Agent Fund, which plans to allocate $20 million to support the development of autonomous agents within the NEAR ecosystem.
Challenges and Opportunities Ahead for NEAR
Recently, the NEAR Foundation has shifted its focus towards the practical implementation of user-owned AI and product development. This change is evident as they integrate new features like the Allora Network’s predictive layer, aimed at providing valuable insights for AI agents in various applications. Collaborations with firms like IQ AI also focus on enhancing the capabilities of on-chain agents. Despite these advancements, NEAR faces intense competition from other leading blockchain platforms, which are vying for quality projects and developer talent. The decline in NEAR’s monthly active developers and the outflow of cross-chain developers highlight the need for strategic restructuring. As public chains race to improve performance and developer engagement, NEAR’s ability to execute its vision for user-owned AI will be critical for its success in the evolving landscape of Web3 and AI. The new leadership team will need to navigate these challenges effectively to distinguish NEAR in the competitive arena.
