{"id":"harshit-tiwari","title":"Harshit Tiwari","content":"**Harshit Tiwari** is a blockchain and [Web3](https://iq.wiki/wiki/web3) professional who has held multiple strategic roles at the [NEAR Foundation](https://iq.wiki/wiki/near-foundation), focusing on ecosystem growth, business development, and community engagement. He is also known for his contributions to decentralized investment initiatives as a founding member of Hydra Ventures. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-ywkUGpv3a27M4xVW) [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-Q1z4CNFXRMG3sI4A)​\n\n## Education\n\nHarshit Tiwari attended the University of Calcutta, where he pursued a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a focus on Accounting and Finance. He completed his studies and graduated from the institution in 2018. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-ywkUGpv3a27M4xVW)​\n\n## Career\n\nTiwari began his career between 2020 and 2021 as a student intern at Digital Kraftsmen. In this role, he was part of the project management team, where his responsibilities included working on finance-related tasks and client relations, as well as providing support for supervisory activities across various contracts. In 2021, he became a core contributor to the [NEAR Protocol](https://iq.wiki/wiki/near-protocol), marking his formal entry into the [NEAR](https://iq.wiki/wiki/near-protocol) ecosystem. In 2022, Tiwari officially joined the [NEAR Foundation](https://iq.wiki/wiki/near-foundation), the non-profit organization that supports the growth and development of the [NEAR](https://iq.wiki/wiki/near-protocol) ecosystem. His initial work at the foundation centered on community activation and initiatives related to governance participation. During the same year, he became a founding member of Hydra Ventures, a decentralized investment organization structured as a fund-of-funds [Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO)](https://iq.wiki/wiki/dao). He was involved with Hydra Ventures from 2022 until 2026. His role at the [NEAR Foundation ](https://iq.wiki/wiki/near-foundation)evolved as he moved into business development. From 2022 to 2023, he focused on driving ecosystem growth, forging strategic partnerships, and developing go-to-market strategies for new protocol initiatives. This led to a more senior position, and from 2023 to 2024, he served as the Senior [Web3](https://iq.wiki/wiki/web3) Business Development Lead. Since May 2024, Tiwari has held the position of Head of Ecosystem Strategy at the [NEAR Foundation](https://iq.wiki/wiki/near-foundation), where he oversees the high-level strategic direction for the entire [NEAR](https://iq.wiki/wiki/near-protocol) ecosystem. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-ywq15Rp0f7OLoSHm)​\n\n## Presentations\n\n### Future of DeFi\n\nAt a 2024 conference on the future of [decentralized finance (DeFi)](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi), Tiwari highlighted the significant advancements made within the [NEAR](https://iq.wiki/wiki/near-protocol) ecosystem over the past year. Initially criticized for a lack of exciting [DeFi](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi) projects, the [NEAR](https://iq.wiki/wiki/near-protocol) community collaborated to strengthen its infrastructure, onboard new teams, and enhance existing protocols, resulting in a fivefold increase in [total value locked (TVL)](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tvl) and a twentyfold increase in the availability of [stablecoins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/stablecoin). Tiwari emphasized the introduction of innovative financial applications and cross-chain capabilities that would enable users to engage with various assets seamlessly. Furthermore, he noted that [NEAR](https://iq.wiki/wiki/near-protocol) enabled users to log in with [Ethereum](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum)-compatible wallets, making the platform more user-friendly. Tiwari also outlined the concept of “[near intents](https://iq.wiki/wiki/near-intents),” a multi-chain transaction framework designed to simplify cross-chain operations, which could potentially revolutionize interactions between [DeFi](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi) and artificial intelligence. Overall, the conference showcased both past achievements and an optimistic future for [DeFi](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi) on the [NEAR](https://iq.wiki/wiki/near-protocol) platform. [\\[4\\]](#cite-id-xaG77MnAkbR5Igtx) \n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=MKCQIFXq9hY)\n\n## Panels\n\n### NEAR Ecosystem\n\nIn November 2024, Tiwari participated in a panel at the [REDACTED](https://iq.wiki/wiki/redacted) conference alongside Iad Frolov ([NEAR DevHub](https://iq.wiki/wiki/near-protocol)), Miao Jiang (Proximity), Marcus Ribeiro (Frontier Growth), and Peter Humaidan ([NEARWEEK](https://iq.wiki/wiki/nearweek)), where participants discussed developments within the [NEAR](https://iq.wiki/wiki/near-protocol) ecosystem over the preceding year. The conversation highlighted ecosystem growth, including increases in total value locked and [stablecoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/stablecoin) activity, as well as the introduction of initiatives such as an AI-focused accelerator and expanded developer engagement. Panelists also examined evolving governance structures and infrastructure developments, including mechanisms such as Chain Signatures and the House of Stake model, which aim to decentralize coordination and funding within the ecosystem. The discussion reflected on broader trends in adoption, community participation, and the ongoing development of tools and frameworks supporting the network. [\\[5\\]](#cite-id-lMcfO35d6MMSrdvf) \n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](GBXFD9AFE8M)","summary":"Harshit Tiwari is the Head of Ecosystem Strategy at the NEAR Foundation. He focuses on ecosystem growth, business development, and community engagement, and is a founding member of the decentralized investment DAO, Hydra Ventures.","images":[{"id":"QmY9HNt9tqYdnM4y5vmbPFJZ1oaMsjfTFFzVkdCoiRqQ8T","type":"image/jpeg, image/png"}],"categories":[{"id":"people","title":"people"}],"tags":[{"id":"PeopleInDeFi"},{"id":"Speakers"}],"media":[{"id":"QmbToKZFvVgZXg7TagPfFPQLU1xgqa4PUEeCKuSGxBLVqa","type":"GALLERY","source":"IPFS_IMG"},{"id":"QmUAUs3htNRzMLmGE7xa2jSwypB2VsEzfrVYUwp7QoaYxy","type":"GALLERY","source":"IPFS_IMG"},{"id":"QmYHv9FqiCSGjy3T8BrFLHx29LGqnRSp5mxAW8U9Ut5jTM","type":"GALLERY","source":"IPFS_IMG"},{"id":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKCQIFXq9hY","size":"0","name":"MKCQIFXq9hY","type":null,"source":"YOUTUBE"},{"id":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBXFD9AFE8M","size":"0","name":"GBXFD9AFE8M","type":null,"source":"YOUTUBE"}],"metadata":[{"id":"references","value":"[\n  {\n    \"id\": \"ywkUGpv3a27M4xVW\",\n    \"url\": \"https://www.linkedin.com/in/harshit-tiwari-is-near/\",\n    \"description\": \"Harshit Tiwari's LinkedIn Profile\",\n    \"timestamp\": 1773839017965\n  },\n  {\n    \"id\": \"Q1z4CNFXRMG3sI4A\",\n    \"url\": \"https://near.foundation/\",\n    \"description\": \"NEAR Foundation Official Website\",\n    \"timestamp\": 1773839017965\n  },\n  {\n    \"id\": \"ywq15Rp0f7OLoSHm\",\n    \"url\": \"https://www.linkedin.com/in/harshit-tiwari-is-near/details/experience/\",\n    \"description\": \"Harshit Tiwari's Professional Experience on LinkedIn\",\n    \"timestamp\": 1773839017965\n  },\n  {\n    \"id\": \"xaG77MnAkbR5Igtx\",\n    \"url\": \"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKCQIFXq9hY\",\n    \"description\": \"Harshit Tiwari's Presentation on the Future of DeFi in 2024\",\n    \"timestamp\": 1773839017965\n  },\n  {\n    \"id\": \"lMcfO35d6MMSrdvf\",\n    \"url\": \"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBXFD9AFE8M\",\n    \"description\": \"Panel Discussion on the State of the NEAR Ecosystem\",\n    \"timestamp\": 1773839017965\n  }\n]"},{"id":"linkedin_profile","value":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/harshit-tiwari-is-near/"},{"id":"twitter_profile","value":"https://twitter.com/Harshit_NEAR"},{"id":"website","value":"https://near.foundation/"},{"id":"commit-message","value":"\"Added profile for Harshit Tiwari.\""}],"events":[{"id":"50d0957c-1c5f-4965-a27f-58718c67cd35","date":"2018-01","title":"Graduated from University of Calcutta","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Tiwari graduated from the University of Calcutta with a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Finance.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/harshit-tiwari-is-near/?originalSubdomain=in","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"dd09946c-b7c8-4cf1-bdf6-5bec3991358b","date":"2022-01","title":"Joined NEAR Foundation","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Joined the NEAR Foundation, initially working on community activation and governance participation initiatives before moving into business development roles.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/harshit-tiwari-is-near/details/experience/","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"517ba187-22b7-45b6-92f1-96b6060dcc70","date":"2022-01","title":"Became a Founding Member of Hydra Ventures","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Became a founding member of Hydra Ventures, a decentralized investment organization structured as a fund-of-funds DAO.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/harshit-tiwari-is-near/details/experience/","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"f5db5f5f-0a28-45fe-8af6-6a0dff841c4e","date":"2024-05","title":"Appointed Head of Ecosystem Strategy","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Appointed as Head of Ecosystem Strategy at the NEAR Foundation, leading the high-level strategy for the NEAR ecosystem.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/harshit-tiwari-is-near/details/experience/","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null}],"user":{"id":"0x8af7a19a26d8fbc48defb35aefb15ec8c407f889"},"author":{"id":"0x8af7a19a26d8fbc48defb35aefb15ec8c407f889"},"operator":{"id":"0xacb6c5AD52b8f605299B0d774CE97F26e3DB80c2"},"language":"en","version":1,"linkedWikis":{"blockchains":["near-foundation"],"founders":[],"speakers":[]}}