Participation Guidelines

The Node Studio Program Cohorts have the goal to distribute stake to new organizations and companies interested to become part of the NEAR Protocol ecosystem as a node runner.

Historical / Cohort #2 terms — Program Delegation: 40,000 NEAR (and related program rules below) are the published terms for Node Studio Program cohort #2. They are not a current universal rate card. Live Node Studio: https://nodestudio.metapool.app.

Program Delegation: 40,000 NEAR tokens
Program Duration: 12 Months

Leaderboard & Prizes Structure

Note: Reward amounts are estimates and are based on a percentage of the total rewards generated through the validation activity of program participating validators on the NEAR network. Payouts will be made in 40% stablecoins and 60% mpDAO tokens (locked for 300 days).

Monthly Participation Requirements

• Each validator must earn a minimum of 5 points per month to remain active in the program.
• Validators who do not meet the monthly minimum may be:
  • Removed from the program
  • Replaced by a participant on the waiting list
  • Disqualified from receiving end-of-program rewards
• Each validator team is responsible for submitting a monthly activity update, including verifiable evidence (dates, links, screenshots, etc.) to designated oversight groups.

Activity List & Point Values

Below is the list of validated activities with corresponding point values and monthly caps:

Bring Delegation to Validator (1 Point per 500 NEAR, with additional time-based bonus for sustained delegation)

• Must be new stake: not delegated to another validator in the past 6 months.
• Cannot originate from liquid staking protocols or similar mechanisms.
• Validator must provide verifiable proof of the delegation source (wallet address or transaction ID).
• 1 point per 500 NEAR, no partial points.
• Reflects the high effort and value of bringing new capital into the ecosystem.

Host Twitter Space (3 Points)

• Must have 25+ live attendees (verified via screenshot or Twitter analytics).
• Limited to 2 Twitter Spaces per month.
• Recording must be publicly accessible.
• Topics must center around NEAR, Meta Pool, Node Studio, or core NEAR ecosystem components (e.g., NEAR AI, Intents, Chain Abstraction).

Publish Twitter Post (2 Points)

• Content must be original and created by the validator.
• Thread must receive a minimum of 150 views.
• Maximum of 3 posts per month.
• Must clearly reference NEAR, Meta Pool, Node Studio, or relevant ecosystem programs.

Publish YouTube Video (4 Points)

• Minimum duration of 2 minutes.
• Must be original content created by the validator.
• Minimum of 50 views.
• Limited to 1 video per month.
• Topics may include validator node operations, NEAR protocol education, Meta Pool, or NEAR-native tools/products.

Publish LinkedIn/Medium/Reddit Article (4 Points)

• One original article discussing:
  • NEAR ecosystem products
  • Technical or strategic opinions on NEAR’s evolution
  • Case studies or validator-related learnings
• Minimum 100 views.
• Must be clearly linked to validator participation, NEAR, Meta Pool, or Node Studio programs.
• Capped at 3 articles per month.

Organize an Event (in person only)

• 30–99 Attendees: 8 Points
• 100+ Attendees: 20 Points
• Required documentation: agenda, screenshots, attendee list and registration link.
• Limited to 2 events per year, unless pre-approved.
• Events must be conducted in person and focus on validator education, NEAR, Meta Pool, or ecosystem technology.

Special Ecosystem Contributions (Bonus Points)

• Examples include technical integrations, dashboards, guides, or substantial media outreach.
• Points (up to 10) awarded at the discretion of the organizing committee.
• Contributions must be submitted and reviewed for approval.

Activity Bonus Structure

• Threads with over 2,000 views: +0.5 points bonus
• YouTube videos with 500+ views: +1 point bonus

Tie-Breaker Policy

In case of a tie among the top 5 ranked participants:

1. Priority will be given to the validator who has brought the highest amount of new stake to the NEAR network.
2. If still tied, the validator with the highest total number of event attendees will be prioritized.
3. Final resolution may be determined by the organizing committee.

Definition of New Stake:

• NEAR tokens that have not been delegated to any validator in the last 6 months.
• Excludes NEAR originating from liquid staking protocols or similar delegation contracts.
• Must come from individual, non-contract wallets.

Program Timeline

• Program Duration: One Year (Check your starting Date Program)
• Progress reviews and standings updates will be issued monthly.
• Prizes will be distributed after program conclusion based on cumulative point totals.

Final point totals will be calculated at the end of the program. Each team is solely responsible for maintaining accurate records of their activities, including dated evidence, links, and supporting material.

Legal & Operational Disclaimer

Meta Pool and the Node Studio organizing team assume no responsibility for the following:

• Infrastructure downtime or technical issues related to validator operations.
• Third-party hosting or VPS provider failures.
• Delays or changes in staking delegation due to NEAR network behavior.
• Ineligibility due to failure to comply with activity guidelines or maintain minimum participation.

Participants are fully responsible for:

• Ensuring updates and security of their validator nodes.
• Providing accurate, verifiable reports for claimed activities.
• Proactively managing and documenting their contributions.

Final Notes

• The organizing team reserves the right to:
  • Adjust activity point values and thresholds.
  • Review and approve additional activity types.
  • Request further documentation for validation purposes.
  • Disqualify participants found engaging in fraud or manipulation.
• Suggestions for new scoring activities are welcome and may be evaluated case-by-case.

Support & Resources

For questions about qualifying activities or proof requirements, please contact the organizing team.