HOT Bridge

**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.

**HOT Wallet remains secure** following the recent NPM supply chain attack that compromised packages like chalk. The wallet team confirmed they **do not use any vulnerable versions** of the affected packages. **Security measures in place:** - Locked dependencies to safe versions - Mandatory security screening before updates - Isolated build environments The attack targeted popular NPM packages, but HOT Wallet's security protocols prevented any exposure to user funds.

A fast cross-chain bridge utilizing HOT Protocol has been established to connect NEAR and BASE networks. This infrastructure enables seamless asset transfers between the two blockchain ecosystems, potentially improving liquidity and user experience across both platforms. The bridge represents ongoing efforts to enhance interoperability in the multi-chain landscape.

**WalletMarket introduces Dragon Armor NFTs** as rewards for active community participants. **Available gear includes:** - 300 PublicAI Amulets - 500 NEAR Protocol Helmets - 300 DexeNetwork Caps - 200 Zcash Helmets - 300 Christmas Scarves The collection rewards users for **trading contests, testing features, and campaign participation**. The platform hints at future utility for these items but keeps details under wraps. **Rhea Finance trading contest rewards** will be distributed soon with rarity details. [Mint NFTs](https://walletmarket.app/en/quests) | [Trade collection](https://hotcraft.art/trader/span1ardhp.tg?collection=armor.perk.nfts.tg)

Firedrops has expanded its claiming functionality across multiple platforms, offering users more flexibility in how they access their drops. - **Available Platforms**: - Telegram - Mobile app - Browser extension The update follows recent improvements including a redesigned claim screen and standalone app launch. Users can now seamlessly choose their preferred platform when opening Firedrop links. [Download HOT Wallet](https://hot-labs.org/wallet/) to start claiming Firedrops on your preferred platform.

HOT Wallet has released a significant NFT update with several key features: - Support expanded to 18 blockchains for NFT display - Built-in NFT spam detection system - Long-press gesture to mark/unmark NFTs as spam - New collection-based organization system - Customizable collection covers The update focuses on improving NFT management and display functionality. This follows recent improvements to the EARN section, which added multi-chain staking options and AAVE protocol support.