October is well and truly in full swing. For most, that’s a month full of autumn leaves topped off by a night full of ghost stories and pumpkins. At NEAR, it’s shaping up to be another month full of highlights and achievements, let’s take a look!
Did we forget something? Let us know! Hit reply to the thread and we’ll make sure it gets included in the next update!
ICYMI - In case you missed it
Octopus Network Launches Mainnet
Octopus Network, a cryptonetwork for launching and running Web3.0 application specific blockchains, aka “appchains”, has launched its mainnet TODAY!
Keep up to date with all things Octopus Network over on their website.
Aurora Creates a DAO As Part of its Community-Led Vision
Aurora, the EVM and Ethereum scaling solution built on NEAR, is launching their very own DAO!
In line with the ethos of blockchain technology as a whole, the future of Aurora will be passed over to its ever-growing community.
Paras Hits $1m Total Value Locked
Paras, the Digital Art Cards Marketplace, powered by NEAR has reached over $1m total value locked! All this only a short time after their successful $PARAS IDO - kudos to the team and the Paras Community!
Astro Launch
The future of DAOs has arrived on NEAR! Astro DAO, the evolution of Sputnik DAO, has launched as of October 4th.
The launch of Astro presents
NEAR nominated for Best Blockchain Technology Award 2021
NEAR Protocol has been nominated for Best Blockchain Technology Award over at CryptoAwards! 
If you haven’t cast your vote for your favourite protocol yet, you can do so here.
NEAR Hits One Million Live Wallets!
It’s official! As of the 1st of October, NEAR has hit more than 1,000,000 live accounts on-chain. This is an incredible milestone, but we’re confident it’s a mere stepping stone on the journey to one billion people on-chain and beyond!
Next at NEAR
Check out some of the upcoming events, launches, and news in the NEAR Ecosystem.
NEAR | CON Preparation is Well Underway
Pack your bags because it’s nearly time for NEAR | CON! Two days full of sunshine, talks, and deep dives into the NEAR Community and Ecosystem.
If you haven’t grabbed your ticket yet and you can make it to Lisbon, check out the website here.
MetaWeb VC - A Research Driven VC
MetaWeb VC is a research-driven venture capital firm that seeks to invest in the NEAR Ecosystem and beyond. I for one am quite excited to see which projects they assist in meeting their goals through strategic funding!
Shroom Kingdom Airdrop - Check You’re Eligible!
Shroom Kingdom, an upcoming play-to-earn video game built on NEAR, is hosting an ecosystem-wide airdrop for NEAR Community members!
There are, of course, a few prerequisites but if you meet them then the tokens will be airdropped directly to your wallet. Check if you’re eligible here.
Have We Missed Something?
There’s no doubt that our sizable news net hasn’t snagged all of the highlights which are set to roll out of the NEAR Ecosystem over the coming weeks. If there’s something you think we’re missing, or that we should be sure to include in the next update, then reply to the thread and let us know!
Want To Know More? Check Out NEARWEEK
NEARWEEK is a community-driven weekly newsletter covering all things in the NEAR Ecosystem.
If you haven’t signed up to NEARWEEK yet, you can do so here or read the newsletter directly here.
Skipping this week’s ‘Next Up’ for a more in depth post next Friday, pre-NEARCON.