Aurora 2024: A Year in Review
2024 was a big year for Aurora, and we’re here to spill all the tea. From next-level cross-chain tech to speed boosts that make things faster than your favorite meme going viral, Aurora has been on a mission to level up the blockchain world. Whether you’re a dev, a user, or just blockchain-curious, this year had something for everyone. So, grab your popcorn, and let me take you on a ride through the highlights that made 2024 legendary and set the vibe for an even better 2025.
We have released Near Intents, a Cross Chain DEX which has chain, wallet, contract, and token abstractions, all in one place. It facilitates user onboarding and provides access to liquidity for Virtual Chains by seamlessly consolidating resources from multiple sources.
It also has an easily re-usable UI that can be tailored to your own use case. We did this with SolSwap, DogecoinSwap, and TurboSwap, aiming at these communities’ swapping needs. (In January, 2025 we launched TrumpSwap - with the same logic).
To learn more about Near Intents, check out Alex Shevchenko’s latest talk at [REDACTED]. For a deeper dive, explore the documentation and browse the source code to see the magic in action. Got questions or need a walkthrough? Reach out to us on Discord or Telegram. We’re here to guide you every step of the way on your Intents journey.`
The Near Intents is available for integration from day one with every one of the Virtual Chains. And here are some of the ones that were launched in 2024:
- TurboChain – the first AI generated memecoin launching the first AI Memecoin Chain. The gas token is, of course, $TURBO, the memecoin that started out as a Chat GPT prompt and a budget of USD 69.
- BerryChain – a cross-chain ecosystem where AI agents manage funds, analyse market sentiments, and link value to performance. It introduces the Proof of Inference, providing the first on-chain verification of AI decisions.
- TPRO Chain – a blockchain-based ecosystem that enables modeling, simulating, reporting and verifying of tokenomics models. In 2025, they will launch AI agents that will independently analyse tasks, manage trading resources, and determine when action is needed
- AriumChain – a Cloud gaming platform that believes that every gamer deserves more than being a spectator. It turns them into competitors who can earn rewards as they evolve in the games. Currently it supports competition in FIFA 23; Mortal Kombat 11, Rocket League, Street Fighter V, Tekken 7 and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.
Another standout achievement this year was the launch of EVM Wallets on NEAR, making it easier than ever to connect your favorite EVM wallets to NEAR. All you have to do is to use this onboarding site. To learn more about this, read the blog post. We have also prepared the integration instructions on how to build it into your NEAR dApp.
The Forwarder, another of this year’s highlights, allows you to move your crypto from an exchange directly to networks previously out of reach, smoother the process and opens up new opportunities in the blockchain universe. So, it is one more way to bring liquidity to your virtual chain. It acts as a bridge between CEXs, Aurora Mainnet, and virtual chains.
We have also developed a Bitcoin Light Client, which allows developers to access Bitcoin network block information on NEAR and Aurora. This opens new opportunities for projects unifying NEAR and Bitcoin networks.
Back in the Aurora side, we launched the Cloud Data Oracle. These contracts enable the use of Pyth price feeds on the virtual chains. Released and accompanied by a webinar with the Pyth team. The Aurora Cloud Bridge: This single UI widget connects all virtual chains with NEAR and Ethereum by using Rainbow Bridge. It also unifies on-ramps with it and simplifies user onboarding. You can easily embed it into your dApp by writing a few lines of code.
The Aurora EVM Cancun Release marked a significant upgrade to the EVM, introducing features such as transient storage, removing the SELFDESTRUCT opcode, and adding MCOPY. These updates enhanced developer tools and made operations more efficient and cost-effective for users.
To ensure the reliability and compatibility of these improvements, over 130,000 Ethereum tests were conducted, verifying the seamless functionality of Aurora’s EVM and its virtual chains. This extensive testing framework guarantees that developers can trust the ecosystem’s performance across various use cases.
Building on this solid foundation, stateless validation for NEAR further revolutionized the infrastructure by allowing validators to store only parts of the state. This advancement significantly reduces computational and storage requirements, lowering the barriers to becoming a validator while strengthening decentralization and network robustness. Such innovations are pivotal for scaling the NEAR ecosystem effectively.
In addition, the EVM Controller Contract was developed to overcome deployment limitations, such as the 150TGas limit for code updates via the Aurora DAO. This new contract facilitates the deployment of large-scale updates, like the Aurora Engine, empowering developers to execute major upgrades seamlessly and efficiently.
Aurora didn’t just step up in 2024—we drove innovation, usability, and ecosystem growth to new heights. From cracking cross-chain liquidity challenges to turbocharging speed, enhancing compatibility, and unleashing game-changing tools for virtual chains, Aurora has been rewriting the rules of what’s possible in the NEAR ecosystem - and the blockchain itself.
This year’s progress wasn’t just about ticking boxes; it was about delivering real-world impact. With the release of Near Intents, EVM Wallets for NEAR, the Aurora Cloud Bridge, and the EVM Cancun Release, we introduced solutions that simplify complexity, empower developers, and unlock new opportunities for businesses and users.
And speaking of what’s next, 2025 is going to be even bigger. With plans to launch 1,000 virtual chains, Aurora is leveling up like never before. The year started with the announcement of the WAGMI Chain, from WAGMI HUB, aiming to create new opportunities for developers, degen enthusiasts, memecoin projects, and AI builders.
This is only possible with the newly launched Aurora Cloud Console - the easiest way to build your own, custom, blockchain.
Thank you 2024! Let’s build 2025 together.