NEAR Co-Founder Illia Polosukhin Highlights Global Contract Support in Nearcore 2.6

On May 28, NEAR Co-Founder Illia Polosukhin shared details of an important network upgrade. He explained that smart accounts previously required enough balance to cover contract storage costs. This limitation created friction for developers who had to duplicate contracts on each shard. He noted that this constraint hindered more complex application behaviors on the NEAR network. The network upgrade is known as Nearcore 2.6 and addresses storage cost issues directly. This change aims to simplify contract deployment and reduce operational complexity for developers.

Early Results Show Cost Savings With NEAR Global Contracts

A community member, @slimedrgn, shared early results after trying the new NEAR Global Contracts. They noted that sponsoring smart wallets for the first 1 million wallets costs about 59 NEAR. An additional 20 NEAR is required as a one-time fee per update on this contract. This example highlighted potential cost savings and deployment efficiency gains across shards. It also underscored how the network upgrade could lower expenses for developers. It gave developers practical figures for budgeting upcoming integration work.

NEAR Protocol Upgrades Aim To Support Advanced Applications 

The Nearcore 2.6 upgrade brings two major improvements to the NEAR protocol. First, it introduces Global Contracts accessible across all network shards without duplicate deployments. This change can reduce deployment costs by over 100 times for common contract templates like fungible tokens. Second, block time is cut from 1 second down to about 600 milliseconds per block. Faster blocks help speed up transactions and improve the overall user experience on the network. Both upgrades aim to enhance efficiency and support more advanced application logic on NEAR.

Global Contracts solves shard communication challenges by using universal contract identifiers. With one deployment, any account can link to the same contract from any shard. Developers no longer need to manage contract copies or handle inter-shard messaging manually. This approach simplifies code bases and allows modular architecture designs across the protocol. Global contracts function like common libraries that multiple applications can import and use directly. Such shared infrastructure reduces redundancy and fosters a unified developer experience on NEAR. Projects can integrate updates seamlessly when using standardized global contract templates.

How Global Contracts Support Modular dApp Development

NEAR Global Contracts are immutable after deployment, ensuring consistent logic for all users. This immutability provides a reliable reference point for decentralized applications and services. Shared contracts can act as standards or common modules in diverse protocol implementations. Developers benefit from a stable code base and fewer integration errors across different dApps. This model also supports rapid onboarding, as teams can import proven components. Overall, shared global contracts help create a more modular and maintainable ecosystem. Project teams can focus on unique features instead of rewriting core contract logic repeatedly.

Despite these benefits, some challenges remain around the governance of shared global contracts. Questions persist about which entities should deploy and maintain these network-wide resources. Community-reviewed processes or NEAR-native DAOs could offer transparent approval systems for updates. Security is a priority since a flaw in one contract could impact many applications. Formal verification and strict code audits help reduce the risk of network-wide vulnerabilities. Since contracts are immutable, update mechanisms rely on proxy patterns or modular architecture. Proper planning and design are essential to manage upgrades and maintain long-term stability.

Blockchain Evolves Toward Accessibility and Inclusive Design 

Despite the risks, as blockchain platforms evolve, industry focus shifts to greater accessibility for developers and users alike. The introduction of Global Contracts aligns with this broader trend across protocols. Innovations in cross-shard access and reduced block times reflect a market-wide emphasis on seamless experiences. Standardized shared contracts can lower entry barriers for new developers. Thoughtful governance processes across the sector ensure security and trust. NEAR Co-Founder Illia Polosukhin’s statement highlights how accessible design is becoming a norm. This move promises more inclusive blockchain ecosystems and better adoption for everyone.

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