Firedrops Expands Cross-Platform Claiming Capabilities

**NEAR Intents has selected HOT Bridge as its primary connection to the Stellar network**, marking a significant step in cross-chain infrastructure development. This integration demonstrates **chain abstraction in practice** - allowing users to interact across different blockchain networks seamlessly. HOT Bridge now connects major ecosystems including NEAR Protocol and Stellar. **Key developments:** - HOT Bridge serves as the main bridge between NEAR and Stellar - Expands on previous integrations with Optimism and Avalanche networks - NEAR Intents continues rolling out to various wallets and aggregators The partnership strengthens HOT's position in cross-chain infrastructure, making their bridge technology **accessible beyond just HOT Wallet** through NEAR's growing ecosystem of integrated applications.

**NEAR Protocol liquid staking** is now available through Rhea Finance integration in HOT Wallet. **Key Features:** - Stake $NEAR to receive $rNEAR tokens that grow with APY - **Instant liquidity** - rNEAR unlocks immediately unlike native staking - Lower returns than native staking but tokens can be used in EARN or liquidity pools for additional yield **How to Stake:** - Open EARN section in HOT Wallet - Select NEAR and choose RHEA Liquid Staking - Enter amount and confirm **To Unstake:** - Navigate to EARN > My investments - Tap Unstake [Stake $NEAR in HOT Wallet](https://download.hot-labs.org/x)

The **HOT Bridge** is now operational, enabling fast cross-chain transfers between NEAR and BASE networks. This launch follows the roadmap announced in October 2024, bringing the anticipated bridging functionality to users. Key features: - Cross-chain transfers from NEAR to BASE - Built on HOT Protocol infrastructure - Fast transaction processing The bridge represents a significant milestone for interoperability between these two blockchain ecosystems.

**DarAI_Yupik**, a leading NEAR Protocol project, has launched a major NFT trading contest on HOT Craft platform. **Contest Details:** - **Prize Pool:** $10,500 for top 300 traders by volume - **Bonus Rewards:** 100 Dragon Armor NFTs for top 100 traders - **Duration:** 6 days - **Eligible Collections:** Yup and YupLandshop NFTs **How to Participate:** Trade NFTs from the specified collections to climb the [leaderboard](https://hotcraft.art/leaderboard). Rankings are determined by trading volume. *Note: YupLand team organizes the contest while HOT Craft handles point calculation and reward distribution.*

**Special NFT mission** launches for hardware wallet users connecting Ledger devices to HOT Wallet extension. **How to participate:** - Connect your Ledger device - Visit the mission website: [walletmarket.app](https://walletmarket.app/en/quests/quest-ledger-campaign) - Use EVM or NEAR networks for connection **Rewards distribution:** - Top 400 users by balance get **guaranteed NFT** - Additional 100 NFTs distributed randomly - 30-day participation window The Dragon Armor collection rewards active WalletMarket users participating in trading contests and feature testing.