bitcoin.

In 2026, comparing blockchains is no longer about who has the highest TPS or who is faster.
The real question is
What problem is this chain trying to solve?
$NEAR and $SUI are perfect examples of this.
They are both fast. Both powerful. Both growing.
But they are not trying to win the same game.
NEAR is Trying to Hide the Blockchain From You
NEAR has quietly moved away from being “just another Layer 1.”
Its big idea now is called Chain Abstraction.
Instead of trying to make people come use NEAR directly, NEAR wants to become the invisible layer that connects everything in Web3.
The goal is simple, you use crypto without feeling like you are using crypto.
How NEAR scales
NEAR uses something called Nightshade sharding.
Think of it like a highway. Most chains have one big road where all transactions pass through. NEAR keeps adding more lanes.
As of early 2026, NEAR runs on more than nine shards. That means it can handle a huge amount of activity simply by adding more capacity when needed.
This isn’t a future promise. It’s already running like this.
Where NEAR really stands out : User experience
This is where NEAR feels different from most chains.
You get named accounts like user.near instead of long wallet addresses.You can use your NEAR account to sign transactions on #Ethereum or #Bitcoin.
You might be interacting with Ethereum or Bitcoin and not even realize it.
NEAR is trying to remove the “technical stress” from using blockchain.
NEAR’s big 2026 direction : User-Owned AI
NEAR is now positioning itself as the place where AI agents can live on-chain.
The idea is that AI won’t just be software you use.
AI can hold assets, sign transactions and perform tasks on your behalf directly on the blockchain.
That’s a very different vision from most other Layer 1s.
NEAR is preparing for a world where users and AI interact with crypto without worrying about networks, wallets or gas fees.
Sui is Focused on Pure Speed and Performance
While NEAR focuses on abstraction and smooth experience, Sui is focused on something else
Raw performance and safety.
Sui doesn’t use shards like NEAR. Instead, it uses a completely different way of handling blockchain data.
How Sui works differently
Most blockchains think in terms of accounts holding balances.
Sui thinks in terms of objects.
Coins are objects.
NFTs are objects.
Smart contracts are objects.
Because these objects don’t depend on each other, Sui can process many transactions at the same time instead of one after another.
This is why Sui is extremely fast without needing sharding.
Where Sui shines : Speed that feels like Web2
$Sui regularly finalizes transactions in under half a second.
That’s so fast it doesn’t feel like a blockchain. It feels like using a normal app.
This is why Sui has become popular for:
GamingReal-time DeFiApps where instant response matters
Sui’s big strength : The Move language
Sui uses a programming language called Move.
Move was designed to prevent many of the common smart contract hacks we see on $ETH , like re-entrancy attacks and asset misuse.
This has turned into Sui’s biggest advantage.
It’s now seen as one of the safest high speed chains for serious applications and even institutional interest.
The Real Difference Between NEAR and Sui
NEAR is building a future where you don’t know which blockchain you are using. Everything just works smoothly in the background, even across Bitcoin and Ethereum. It is betting big on abstraction, user experience and a world where AI agents can operate on-chain for users.
Sui is building a future where applications need extreme speed and strong safety. It is focused on making blockchain feel as fast and responsive as Web2 while keeping assets secure through its object model and Move language.
They are not trying to beat each other.
They are solving different parts of the same problem.
In conclusion
If the future of Web3 is about seamless cross chain interaction, AI agents and removing the complexity of crypto for users, NEAR is positioned perfectly for that world.
If the future of Web3 is about gaming, real time apps, and high speed on-chain activity that feels like Web2, Sui is built for that world.
Both visions can succeed.
And that’s why this isn’t really a competition.
It’s two different roads leading to the same destination: making blockchain usable for everyone.