Meta Pool

**NEAR Protocol** continues its rapid expansion with **63 new nodes** onboarded through the #NodeStudioProgram2 in less than a month. The latest milestone includes welcoming the **R1M team** to the NEAR ecosystem during another successful weekend of onboarding activities. **Key highlights:** - 63 nodes added in under 30 days - R1M team joins NEAR Protocol ecosystem - NodeStudio Program driving consistent growth - Strong weekend onboarding momentum The NodeStudio Program appears to be **accelerating network participation** and bringing new teams into the NEAR ecosystem at a steady pace.

Node Studio maintains its active development pace with continued building efforts. The team emphasizes their commitment to **non-stop construction** and progress. - Studio remains focused on consistent development work - Building activities continue without interruption - Team demonstrates ongoing dedication to project advancement This follows their established pattern of continuous development work throughout 2025, reinforcing their **"never stop building"** philosophy.

**NEAR Protocol continues growing its validator network** with the addition of BonyNode as the latest validator to join the ecosystem. This follows a recent pattern of network expansion, with **Solvium_game also joining** through the Node Studio Program 2 just days earlier. **Key developments:** - BonyNode becomes newest NEAR validator - Part of ongoing validator onboarding initiative - Strengthens network decentralization and security The consistent addition of new validators demonstrates **NEAR's commitment to expanding** its decentralized infrastructure and maintaining network growth momentum.

**NEAR Protocol's Node Studio Program 2 has officially closed its application window.** The program, which offered 60 validator slots and 2.52M NEAR tokens over a one-year period, concluded its recruitment phase on October 30, 2025. **Key program highlights:** - 50,000 NEAR initial delegation per validator - Support from Meta Pool & NEAR Foundation - Special focus on diversity with 20 spots reserved for women - Coverage across LATAM, Africa, and Asia regions **Top 5 Node Commitment Bounty rewards:** - 1st place: ~4,563 NEAR - 2nd place: ~2,535 NEAR - 3rd place: ~1,521 NEAR - 4th-5th place: ~1,014 and ~507 NEAR respectively Rewards split 40% stablecoins and 60% locked mpDAO tokens. Unsuccessful applicants are encouraged to follow NEAR's social channels for future program announcements.

**NEAR Governance Call 23** took place on October 30, 2025, focusing on two critical proposals: - **HSP-002: Validator Support Program** - Aims to maintain network decentralization following NEAR's planned inflation reduction from 5% to 2.5% - **HSP-003: veNEAR Holder Rewards Program** - Establishes a 3-month rewards program to incentivize governance participation **Participation Requirements:** To vote on these proposals, users need veNEAR tokens. A step-by-step guide is available showing how to obtain veNEAR using: - Different Liquid Staking Tokens (LSTs) - NEAR native tokens Both proposals are now live for voting at [gov.houseofstake.org](https://gov.houseofstake.org/proposals). **Background Context:** These initiatives are part of NEAR's broader tokenomics upgrade coinciding with the network's five-year mainnet anniversary. The proposals work alongside the "Halving Upgrade" to create a comprehensive economic strategy focused on sustainability and decentralization. *Get your veNEAR and participate in shaping NEAR's governance future.*

**Meta Pool** is promoting its staking platform with **4.51% APY** on ETH staking this week. Key features include: - Multi-asset staking options available - **Referral program** offering $mpDAO tokens for each successful referral - $mpDAO holders receive **governance voting rights** and monthly protocol fees The platform supports staking across NEAR, Aurora, and Ethereum networks through a unified interface. **Get started:** [Stake here](https://www.metapool.app/stake/?referralCode=5) or [join referral program](https://peppermint-daffodil-e37.notion.site/12d3f29d38d380779947db096ec04dce)

Meta Pool DAO co-founder @ccossio participated in **Mexico Tech Week** alongside @Guabster, a scholarship recipient at @uzh_blockchain through Meta Pool DAO grants. The event featured community collaboration with @waylearnlatam, focusing on: - Blockchain fundamentals - DeFi opportunities and education - Knowledge sharing within the ecosystem The participation highlights Meta Pool's commitment to **education and community building** in Latin America's growing blockchain space.

**NEAR Ukraine Guild** has released a new Request for Proposals (RFP) targeting network decentralization. The proposal suggests **excluding validators** that already control 1.00% or more of total network stake from receiving performance-based delegation through Meta Pool. **Key Points:** - Aims to prevent further concentration of stake among large validators - Open for community discussion and feedback - Part of ongoing efforts to maintain network decentralization The community can review the full proposal and share comments on the NEAR governance forum. [Read full proposal](https://gov.near.org/t/proposal-stop-meta-pool-performance-delegation-to-validators-1-stake-on-near/41724?u=kiskesis)

**NEAR Foundation partners with OceanPal** to launch SovereignAI with a $120M PIPE investment. The initiative aims to build: - Blockchain-native AI infrastructure - Confidential computing capabilities - NEAR-powered AI systems SovereignAI will leverage yield from its balance sheet to develop innovative AI infrastructure solutions. Meanwhile, **Ocean Protocol gains recognition** alongside ASI Alliance members SingularityNET and Fetch.ai in Forbes for pioneering transparent, user-controlled AI systems. The article highlights their work in: - Decentralized AI (DeAI) development - Community-driven AI systems - Data privacy and ownership solutions Read the full announcement: [SovereignAI Launch](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oceanpal-in-partnership-with-near-foundation-announces-120m-pipe-investment-to-launch-sovereignai-to-buildout-near-powered-ai-infrastructure-302596832.html)

**NodeStudio Program** is accepting final applications for **Cohort 2**, with the deadline set for **October 30**. The program targets builders interested in participating in decentralization efforts. **Limited slots remain** available for the upcoming cohort. Builders from various global locations including Nairobi, Lima, Delhi, and Lagos are already launching validators on the **NEAR Protocol network**. **Key details:** - Application deadline: October 30 - Focus on validator deployment - Part of NEAR Protocol ecosystem - Global participation encouraged [Apply now](http://bit.ly/NodeStudio-v2)