Denver, CO — February 10, 2021 — ShapeShift, an international, non-custodial cryptocurrency leader, announced the availability of a new, in-depth report titled “New Frontiers: A Deep Dive Analysis of the Cosmos, Polkadot, and Near Protocols.” The analysis reviews three emerging “smart contract blockchains” (or, blockchains that can run a wide variety of decentralized applications). 

While blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum have grown in mindshare, adoption and sophistication, lesser-known blockchains are proliferating. This series will provide blockchain, cryptocurrency and web 3.0 development enthusiasts with an in-depth review of the opportunity and state of evolution of the three emerging platforms. The report is the first of a series called “New Frontiers”; subsequent reports issued later this year will review additional smart contract blockchains and explore related topics.

“New Frontiers: A Deep Dive Analysis of the Cosmos, Polkadot, and Near Protocols” provides readers with an assessment of each protocol’s:

  • Architecture (high-level review)
  • Interoperability
  • Governance
  • Ecosystem
  • Token Distribution 


“The world of smart contract platforms is buzzing with new entrants—all of which strive to offer the properties of being trust-minimized, censorship-resistant, immutable, permissionless and transparent. These are the qualities that have propelled Ethereum to success,” said Kent Barton, head of Research and Development at ShapeShift and author of the series. “Enthusiasts may want to get involved with these newer blockchains early; but it’s difficult to know which new projects have a strong foundation before they have earned a critical mass of developers, users and projects. This series of reports, while not investment advice, will offer analysis and one view of their potential.” 

RESOURCE: Download New Frontiers: A Deep Dive Analysis of the Cosmos, PolkaDot, and Near Protocols

The next report in the series will review the topic of staking derivatives. Follow @shapeshift_io on Twitter to be alerted for future report announcements. 

About ShapeShift

Since 2014, ShapeShift has been pioneering self-custody for digital asset trading. The company’s new web and mobile platform now allows users around the world to safely buy, hold, trade and interact with digital assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Learn more at ShapeShift.com.

Media Contact: 

Media Relations 

mediarelations@shapeshift.io