Marieke Flament, the CEO of Near Foundation, the developer of the Near Protocol layer-1 protocol, has recently announced her resignation. In her place, Chris Donovan, the general counsel of Near Foundation, will take over as the new CEO of the organization. Flament did not provide a specific reason for her departure.
Reflecting on her time at Near Foundation, Flament expressed her initial unfamiliarity with the NEAR project before recognizing its tremendous potential. She was drawn to the fantastic technology, the diverse and vibrant community, and the limitless possibilities that NEAR presented. This realization led her to join the organization, embarking on a journey that has spanned two years.
Flament highlighted the impressive growth of Near Protocol during her tenure. The daily active user count of the protocol grew from 50,000 to a staggering 3 million between 2021 and 2023. Twitter followers swelled from 200,000 to over 2 million, indicating a significant increase in interest and engagement. Furthermore, Near Protocol received over 2,000 pieces of press coverage, further boosting its visibility and reputation in the industry.
The success of Near Protocol can also be traced through its strategic partnerships. Flament revealed that Near had forged partnerships with various companies and organizations, including SWEAT, Playember, Circle, Ledger, Alibaba, Amazon, Google, KPMG, Cosmose AI, SailGP, The Littles, PipeFlare, Shemaroo, Kakao Games, Inven/Vortex, and Netmarble/Marblex in Korea. These partnerships have not only contributed to the growth and success of Near Protocol but have also expanded its reach and influence in the market.
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Flament also disclosed the current treasury balance of the Near Foundation, which stands at 330 million NEAR tokens, equivalent to an estimated $350 million. This substantial financial position demonstrates the stability and strength of the organization, positioning it for further growth and development.
Describing her leadership strategy, Flament emphasized driving mainstream adoption, empowering grassroots communities, and progressing towards decentralization. She recognized the significance of onboarding large web2 players while fostering web3 innovators, an approach that has been instrumental in Near Protocol’s growth and success.
Currently, Near Protocol ranks as the 40th largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, with an estimated value of $1.04 billion. The protocol has also attracted notable partnerships, including a collaboration with Czech automobile conglomerate Škoda Auto, which launched a non-fungible token (NFT) platform on Near Protocol in June.
In a unique move, Cointelegraph offers readers the opportunity to collect this article as an NFT, preserving this moment in history and expressing support for independent journalism in the crypto space. This initiative underscores the growing significance and acceptance of NFTs in the industry.
In conclusion, Near Foundation CEO Marieke Flament’s resignation marks a significant change in leadership for the organization. Her contributions to the growth and success of Near Protocol are evident in the substantial increase in daily active users and Twitter followers, as well as the numerous strategic partnerships established. The future of Near Protocol looks promising, with Chris Donovan stepping in as the new CEO to continue driving the protocol towards greater adoption and decentralization.
