Meta Pool Celebrates 4 Years on NEAR Protocol

The NEAR ecosystem is encouraging community members to run validators through **Node Studio 3**. The platform continues to streamline validator operations, building on previous campaigns that asked users to share their node setups. Node Studio simplifies the technical barriers to running validators, making it more accessible for NEAR community members to participate in network validation and earn rewards.

**Build Buddies** anuncia eventos presenciales este fin de semana en México y Argentina. Los encuentros ofrecen un espacio para: - Conectar con otros builders - Compartir ideas y proyectos - Crear nuevas conexiones en la comunidad Web3 Los interesados pueden registrarse y consultar detalles en [luma.com/buildbuddies_latam](https://luma.com/buildbuddies_latam)

Meta Pool has issued an important clarification about their voting mechanism: **Key Voting Rule:** - Only engagement (likes, reposts, comments) on **official Meta Pool posts** counts as valid votes - Interactions on individual validator posts are considered promotional only - These validator engagements **do not count** toward voting tallies This rule ensures fair and centralized vote counting through Meta Pool's official channels, preventing confusion about which social media interactions actually influence validator selection decisions.

Meta Pool is running a community-driven validator competition called the Validator World Cup 2026. In Cohort 2, Week 5, two Mexican validators are competing for community support: - **frutero.pool.near** (backed by likes) - **proyecto-aliento.pool.near** (backed by retweets) The competition uses social engagement (likes, retweets, and comments) to determine which validator advances. This follows similar matchups across multiple cohorts featuring validators from Venezuela, Vietnam, Peru, Ecuador, and the United States. Previous winners include: - ttt.poolv1.near (Vietnam, Cohort 1 Week 4) - staker-rene.pool.near (Mexico, Cohort 2 Week 2) - blocksentry.pool.near (Venezuela, Cohort 1 Week 2) - takeshi7.pool.near (US, Cohort 2) - reengi.pool.near (Mexico, Cohort 1) The tournament combines validator selection with community participation, using public voting to determine which nodes move forward in the bracket.

A blockchain network is recruiting 60 validator operators to join its infrastructure. **Key Details:** - Open application process for validator positions - Single unified network structure - Applications accepted through dedicated portal [Apply here](https://www.notion.so/1f23f29d38d3811f8a47cb4e612c3a19) The initiative aims to decentralize network operations by onboarding diverse validator operators.