NEO, often referred to as the "Ethereum of China," is a blockchain platform and cryptocurrency designed for the creation of decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts. Launched in 2014 under the name AntShares, it was renamed NEO in 2017. NEO's main goal is to create a "smart economy" by using blockchain technology for digital asset management and identity verification. The platform supports various programming languages such as C#, Java and Python, making application development easier. NEO is also known for its unique two-tier token system: NEO (used for governance and voting) and GAS (used to pay for transactions on the blockchain).