# NEAR Protocol review: Trust Score 68/100 (Solid)

Source page: https://vaultx.llc/reviews/near-protocol · independent VaultX review by Rex · updated 2026-11-04

Shipped, long-running Layer-1 with no regulator action found; Intents exploit and swap complaints are the concern

NEAR is a sharded Layer-1 blockchain whose mainnet launched in 2020. It has shipped major upgrades such as stateless validation, though some milestones arrived later than first stated, and it now has a US-listed spot ETF. The research notes found no regulator warning, lawsuit or court case naming NEAR. The main concern is NEAR Intents, its cross-chain layer. The Defiant reported a roughly $3.8M exploit there, and Trustpilot reviewers describe failed swaps without refunds. The notes do not name the founders or the legal entities behind the project and do not verify how much money it raised.



**Sources**
- near.org https://www.near.org/roadmap-history
- roadmap.near.org https://roadmap.near.org/timeline
- near.org https://near.org/blog/category/Protocol%20Roadmap
- near.org https://www.near.org/blog/mainnet-roadmap
- near.org https://www.near.org/blog/near-token-supply-and-distribution
- near.org https://www.near.org/blog/what-is-near-protocol

Not financial advice. Nobody can pay for a VaultX review.

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