NEAR Protocol co-founder, known as @ilblackdragon, revealed on the latest episode of Uneasy Money that NEAR's scalable, sharded blockchain design was initially pitched to the Ethereum Foundation in 2018. However, the proposal was declined without funding. Undeterred, the team proceeded to develop the project independently, leading to the creation of NEAR Protocol. The discussion, featuring insights from @kaiynne, @tayvano_, and @LucaNetz, delved into the early challenges and motivations behind NEAR's development. This origin story highlights the determination and innovation that drove NEAR to become a significant player in the blockchain space.