NEAR, which launched in 2019 with then-unrealized plans to boost transaction speeds by splitting its network into parallel processors (so-called sharding), kicked off Phase 1 or its “Nightshade” playbook facilitated by NEAR contributor Pagoda. This phase sees the introduction of specialist “chunk-only validators” that feed into the sharding mechanism but are easier to set up than full nodes.
NEAR Blockchain Moves Ahead with Phase One of Sharding Upgrade
