NEAR Foundation Appoints Helius CEO Mert Mumtaz to Its Board

Mumtaz's appointment is a notable cross-ecosystem signal: a Solana infrastructure operator joining NEAR's council suggests the foundation is prioritizing interoperability and intent-based execution over chain-specific maximalism. The disclosure that NEAR Intents has crossed $33 billion in cumulative volume puts real weight behind that pivot, even as the October exploit remains a governance and security test the new council member inherits. Whether that deposit and withdrawal infrastructure is hardened, and whether the compensation promise holds, is the open question for the ecosystem.