The NEAR Foundation today announced a new partnership with Blumer, a social platform that combines the functionality of popular social networks with blockchain. The partnership is expected to bring about a new era of social media, where users are rewarded for their active participation.

Blumer is the first Web3  social network created and developed in Colombia. It is a social platform that recognises and rewards active user participation by distributing 18% of its advertising revenue to its users. This is a major breakthrough in the world of social media, where users are often left uncompensated for their contributions. With Blumer, users can monetize their time by consuming advertisements, selling NFTs and making crypto transactions. By integrating blockchain technology, Blumer also provides its users with a higher level of privacy and security, 

Blumer's platform aims to address limited privacy and lack of compensation for users. Furthermore, by offering compensation to its users, Blumer encourages more active participation on the platform. The platform's commercial growth focus is derived from businesses undertaking digital marketing.

Blumer's differentiator is the compensation for their users for the time spent on the network, monetising that time for the user in a crypto wallet to collect, pay and send tokens. There is also access to an integrated NFT marketplace for users to enjoy.  As a digital company, Blumer will integrate content and free trials of their marketing platform as tools for commercial growth and also help to advance the adoption of Web3 in Latin America. Cryptocurrencies are the future of payment in the world,  but their adoption in Latin America is very low, due to lack of knowledge and understanding about cryptocurrencies, and poor usability within the real market.  Through its free crypto education platform - ZVerso, Blumer addresses these issues head-on, giving users the information they need to confidently engage, monetise and have fun within the Web3 ecosystem. 

Welcoming the partnership, Marieke Flament, CEO of the NEAR Foundation, said: 

“This partnership is a significant step towards creating a fair and transparent social media ecosystem. By combining the benefits of blockchain technology with social media, we are set to revolutionize how we interact on social platforms. We believe that this partnership will unlock new opportunities for users to monetise their time and content while also promoting greater privacy and security. We are excited to work with Blumer on a decentralized social network that truly puts users first.”

Ernesto Ruiz, CEO of Blumer, said: 

“At Blumer, we believe in creating a social network for everyone. Our platform is designed to be a space where users can express themselves, connect with friends, and learn about the crypto world. We’re committed to creating a platform that is fun, engaging, and rewarding for everyone involved. With NEAR's support, we are confident that we can achieve this vision and create a social network fit to thrive in tomorrow’s landscape.”

Last year, Latin America and the Caribbean boasted an online population exceeding 543.39 million individuals, making it the fifth-largest global market for social media in the world. With over 306.76 million users exclusively in South America, this region is a thriving hub for social media engagement.