Aurora
Aurora, launched in 2021 by Alex Shevchenko and a team from NEAR Protocol, develops an EVM-compatible scaling layer on NEAR. Aurora Engine runs Ethereum contracts with low fees and fast finality, while Aurora Cloud lets enterprises launch custom chains, and the Rainbow Bridge connects NEAR, Ethereum and other networks. Headquartered with a distributed team across Europe and the US, Aurora targets developers seeking Ethereum tooling without migrating away from NEAR security and sharding. The ecosystem funds grants for DeFi and gaming builders migrating contracts with minimal changes. Governed as open infrastructure alongside NEAR, Aurora emphasizes EVM equivalence and developer ergonomics. Expect a builder-centric culture that values cross-chain pragmatism, execution reliability and helping teams ship Ethereum experiences on NEAR at lower cost.