Validators process transactions and receive validator rewards (supply-side fees).

NEAR Protocol is a smart contract platform for decentralized applications (a blockchain). NEAR Protocol was founded by Alexander Skidanov & Ilya Polosukhin and launched in 2017.

NEAR holders own and govern the protocol. They currently take (burn) all of the total transaction fees paid by users (revenue). NEAR Protocol's investors include a16z, Pantera Capital, Libertus, etc.