NEAR at Davos for World Economic Forum
COMMUNITY
May 20, 2022
Each year, decision makers and stakeholders from across the globe and many different fields descend on Davos, Switzerland. They come for the World Economic Forum, to discuss the most pressing issues facing the global economy. For WEF 2022, topics will include the pandemic recovery, inflation, climate change, new technologies, and more. 

This year, NEAR community members and partners will be attending WEF. Why will NEAR be there? Great question!

NEAR is heading to WEF to lend its voice and expertise on matters related to blockchain, crypto, and Web3. NEAR and its partners also have some other cool plans for WEF. And given that WEF is such an influential gathering, with much media coverage, the NEAR ecosystem will gain global exposure both during and after the forum. 

So, let’s take a look at what you can expect from NEAR at Davos. 

NEAR, CNBC and Filecoin partner for The Sanctuary
NEAR is a featured Partner of The Sanctuary, a space hosted by CNBC and Filecoin Foundation. Community members will be joining a list of featured Partners that includes the New York Times, Financial Times, CoinDesk, Global Blockchain Business Council, and others. 

The Sanctuary sessions will focus on: Sustainability, Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI), and Cryptocurrency & Web3. NEAR and other Sanctuary partners will discuss a number of topics facing Web3, including regulatory frameworks, decentralized app ecosystems, and ensuring the Open Web is a welcome space for anyone and everyone. 

NEAR Wallet demo and brunch
The NEAR community will also host a brunch at The Sanctuary on May 25th from 8:30-10:30am. During coffee and brunch, NEAR Foundation CEO Marieke Flament will introduce Davos attendees to the NEAR ecosystem.

NEAR Co-founder Illia Polosukhin will then lead a session on how to open a wallet on NEAR. He will also explain how to make a transaction and more NEAR wallet functionality. 

The Davos Challenge: Walk for Ukraine
Sweatcoin, pioneers of the “movement economy”—in which users can earn by moving—is joining NEAR at Davos. They will be featured in the official WEF Davos app, and will be hosting “The Davos Challenge: Walk for Ukraine”.  

Sweatcoin is encouraging Davos delegates, plus millions of other Sweatcoin users, to track their steps and donate the sweatcoins generated to the Free Ukraine Foundation. Users simply download the free Sweatcoin app (iOs and Android) and start walking. Delegate and user steps will be counted and start to generate sweatcoins, which they can then donate to the campaign at the end of the week.

“There’s typically a lot of walking involved at an event like Davos,” says Sweatcoin’s Chief Marketing Officer, Jessica Butcher. “So, why not put the sweatcoins to good use and donate them to a great cause!”

“As the Russian invasion in Ukraine continues, millions of Ukrainians are facing a humanitarian crisis and are in need of urgent assistance,” she adds. “Together, we can support communities impacted by this violence against the Ukrainian people.”

The Davos Challenge: Walk for Ukraine will take place on WEF’s opening night, Sunday, May 22nd. For more details on the challenge, head over to Sweatcoin.

Tune into CNBC for NEAR @ Davos 
Few people get to attend the Davos forum in person. WEF attendance is limited to 2,000 of the world’s most influential figures across business, politics, technology, social impact, and more.

However, the NEAR community and other Web3 developers and entrepreneurs can check out the schedule and stay tuned for the recap.