NEAR Lights Up Singapore: Leading the Charge in AI & Web3 at Token2049

Token2049 Singapore was a pivotal moment for NEAR. It showcased the seamless integration of AI and Web3 technologies, shaping the future of the user-owned internet. Through visionary keynotes, live demos, and in-depth technical discussions, NEAR demonstrated its leadership in Singapore. The convergence of AI and Web3 is no longer a distant goal but a reality actively being built. With innovative technology and a thriving ecosystem, NEAR is setting new standards for interoperability, scalability, and user-owned AI within the Web3 landscape.

Key Highlights: NEAR at the Forefront of AI and Chain Abstraction

NEAR’s presence at Token2049 started strong, with chain abstraction and user-owned AI solutions taking center stage. At the booth, alongside partners SWEAT, Proximity Labs, and Aurora, the team engaged attendees in discussions on how NEAR is driving the convergence of AI and Web3. The booth became a hub for exploring how NEAR’s ecosystem is leading the integration of AI models into decentralized, user-owned applications, providing practical use cases and real-time insights.

One of the major highlights of the week was the Scaling AI Summit, where NEAR co-founder Alex Skidanov delivered a keynote focused on the building blocks of user-owned AI. He outlined how NEAR’s infrastructure empowers users to own, control, and benefit from AI models within decentralized systems. Alex emphasized how chain abstraction plays a crucial role in this vision by facilitating cross-chain AI model execution, highlighting leading projects like Hyperbolic, Masa, and Bitte as examples of how decentralized AI is already thriving within the NEAR ecosystem.

A key element of Alex’s presentation was a video demo that showcased the practical applications of user-owned AI. The demo provided an immersive look at how NEAR’s infrastructure is enabling scalable and interoperable decentralized AI solutions, offering attendees a tangible understanding of how these technologies are already transforming Web3.

NEAR’s Packed Agenda: Showcasing the Ecosystem

The NEAR AI Tech Showcase provided a deeper dive into NEAR’s AI ecosystem, featuring live product demos from pioneering teams such as Hyperbolic, Masa, Nillion, and Bitte. These teams are working at the intersection of User-Owned AI and Web3, demonstrating how NEAR’s infrastructure is powering real-world decentralized AI applications.

Attendees also had the opportunity to hear from NEAR’s engineers during the showcase, who offered a comprehensive overview of the NEAR AI tech stack. Their presentations covered the tools and techniques enabling the efficient training and deployment of AI models on-chain, showing how NEAR is transforming the landscape of decentralized AI by making these processes scalable and accessible.

Chain Abstraction: The Backbone of NEAR’s Edge

At Token2049 Singapore, NEAR put a spotlight on chain abstraction, a core innovation that simplifies blockchain interactions. By decoupling blockchain layers, NEAR’s chain abstraction enables seamless integration of AI models across diverse blockchain architectures. This allows for cross-chain AI computations, making it easier for developers to build scalable, interoperable applications that leverage both AI and blockchain technologies.

The Chain Abstraction X DeFi Brunch further highlighted how NEAR simplifies DeFi interactions, demonstrating how users can manage multiple assets from different chains within a single wallet. Through interactive discussions, attendees saw firsthand how NEAR’s chain abstraction is revolutionizing decentralized finance (DeFi) and setting the stage for a new generation of Web3 applications.

Community and Networking at SkyPool Lounge

From September 17-19, NEAR hosted a three-day SkyPool Lounge & Party, bringing together the NEAR community and ecosystem partners for deep technical discussions, live coding sessions, and interactive demos. The SkyPool Lounge was more than a networking event—it was a space for developers, partners, and enthusiasts to collaborate, explore new ideas, and dive deep into the future of decentralized technology.

Thought Leadership on Display

NEAR’s speaking engagements throughout Token2049 highlighted its strong commitment to advancing decentralized AI. In addition to his keynote at the Scaling AI Summit, Alex Skidanov explained why user-owned AI matters. He demonstrated how AI agents can leverage decentralized data—such as social, coding, and DeFi datasets—to create user-centric applications, contrasting this with corporate-owned AI, which prioritizes profits.

Alex concluded with a live AI developer demo, where he used natural language commands to build an application in under three minutes, drawing from Learn Near contract data. This showcased the ease and power of user-owned AI, putting control in the hands of users instead of corporations.

In addition to the above, Alex Skidanov participated in the main conference panel titled “Decentralized AI: The Power of Permissionless Intelligence,” where he explored how blockchain is democratizing AI development. The conversation highlighted NEAR’s vision of empowering users and developers through open, permissionless systems, emphasizing the critical role of decentralization in the future of AI. Alex also delivered a solo presentation titled “Building Web3 Apps of the Future with User-Owned AI,” diving deeper into the technical aspects of integrating AI with decentralized systems and showcasing how NEAR’s infrastructure is paving the way for a new generation of intelligent, user-centric applications.

Looking Ahead: NEAR’s Role in Shaping Web3 and AI

As Token2049 concluded, NEAR’s contributions left a lasting impact. NEAR is not just participating in the Web3 and AI conversation—it is actively leading and shaping the future of decentralized systems. With groundbreaking innovations in chain abstraction, a thriving ecosystem of projects, and a vision for user-owned AI, NEAR is setting new standards for interoperability, scalability, and user empowerment.

Stay tuned to NEAR’s channels for further updates, demos, and ongoing deep dives into the technologies that will define the future of Web3 and AI. The future is unfolding now, and NEAR is at the forefront of its creation.