Over the past 24 hours, NEAR Protocol [NEAR] faced some of the biggest losses among the top-20 crypto assets by market capitalization. The altcoin has registered a 10.53% price slide in a day and a 12.24% drawdown over the past week.
The losses were quite pronounced when compared to Bitcoin [BTC], but not so poor when compared to other leading AI sector altcoins.
The sector-wide performance in the past week, alongside a 2.2% dip across the entire altcoin market, meant a bearish short-term bias was warranted. Here’s a closer look at the NEAR price charts across timeframes.
NEAR falls toward 30-day price low Source: NEAR/USDT on TradingView The downtrend of 2025 registered a swing point, a lower high, at $3.34 in September 2025. A year later, the bullish swing structure break came when this high was breached.
The recent losses were part of a pullback within the upward move that extended from $0.84 to $6.00.
The weekly RSI was cooling down from its extension into overbought territory above 70, while the OBV challenged yearly highs to underline steady buying pressure.
The Fibonacci retracement levels (orange) showed that a pullback to $3.42 was likely. A deeper correction to $1.94 and $2.81 would remain part of a healthy longer-term trend.
Why NEAR traders must watch THIS short-term demand zone Source: NEAR/USDT on TradingView For a month, NEAR bulls have held their own at the $4.50 demand zone. Incidentally, the $4.30 anchor level was the one that kept the bullish bias alive on the 4-hour timeframe. The RSI has dropped below 30, while the OBV has also steadily trended downward over the past two weeks.
Though the indicators highlighted recent bearishness, it is $4.30 that dictates the next move’s direction. If lost, swing traders can flip their bias bearishly.
As things stand, NEAR could be a buying opportunity in the $4.44-$4.70 price zone.
Final Summary NEAR Protocol has a bullish structure on the weekly chart but could see a retracement toward $3.42 or even lower in the coming months. Over the next week, NEAR buyers have to keep hold of the $4.30 level to maintain the H4 bullish bias.
NEAR Protocol's open interest has dropped 9.5% over the past 24 hours, according to data from Coinalyze. This coincides with a 7.9% decline in the token's price.
NEAR is currently trading near $4.50, with a market capitalization of approximately $5.86 billion and daily trading volume of around $618 million.
Source: CoinMarketCapOpen interest measures the total number or value of outstanding futures and perpetual contracts that have not been settled or closed. It helps gauge the amount of exposure remaining in the derivatives market, although it does not independently indicate whether traders are bullish or bearish.
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When prices and open interest fall simultaneously, the combination generally suggests deleveraging. Traders may be voluntarily closing positions, or positions may be liquidated as prices move against them.
The decline in open interest therefore indicates that derivatives exposure is shrinking rather than being aggressively rebuilt.
NEAR has lost approximately 13.2% over the past seven days, reversing part of a powerful September rally that lifted the token from below $2 to above $5.
The price has also retreated from its recent high near $5.86, suggesting that selling pressure has strengthened in the short term.
Despite the correction, NEAR remains substantially above its summer lows. The key question is whether buyers can defend current support levels or whether continued deleveraging will lead to another leg down.
Next key price level to watchThe $4.50-$4.55 area is the first support zone to monitor. A sustained move below this range could expose NEAR to the Oct. 8 low near $4.29. A further decline would weaken the recovery structure established during the summer.
On the upside, NEAR needs to reclaim the $4.90-$5.00 range to signal that buyers are regaining control. A breakout above that zone could open the way toward $5.33-$5.45.
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Near Protocol continues to develop its cross-chain and AI-related infrastructure, but those longer-term themes have not prevented the token from correcting alongside the broader market.
For now, the combination of falling prices and declining open interest suggests that traders are reducing risk.
Whether NEAR stabilizes around $4.50 or extends its losses will depend on broader market conditions, derivatives activity and the token's ability to recover key technical levels.
Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
TL;DRU.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs lost $635 million in one of the largest daily outflows in months, while over 82,000 traders were liquidated, mostly longs.
Grayscale’s Zcash ETF (ZCSH) posted a third straight day of inflows ($14.23 million) ahead of the NU7 hard fork on November 5.
Spot XRP ETFs added $3.55 million, with XRP outperforming the market ahead of Ripple Swell.
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DFINITY founder Dominic Williams accused NEAR Protocol of building NEAR Intents on DFINITY’s proprietary technology; NEAR fell 1.29%.
The Friday morning session on the crypto market, October 23, 2026, is characterized by a large redistribution of institutional capital amid profit-taking in Bitcoin. The total capitalization of the crypto market stands at $2.75 trillion with a daily trading volume of $108.21 billion. Planned de-risking amid macroeconomic pressure triggered a wave of margin position closures.
Crypto market capitalization heat map with BTC at $81,657.29 and 60.02% dominance, Source: CoinMarketCapThe external factor is the correction of the U.S. stock market, where the S&P 500 index fell by 1.24%, and the price of gold was recorded at $4,029.80. A direct consequence of this dynamic was one of the largest daily outflows in recent months from U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, amounting to $634.99 million.
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The trading structure points to an intra-market rotation of capital rather than its complete exit into fiat. While retail traders lock in losses, large limit orders absorb the drawdown in alternative assets. Liquidity is flowing into utility blockchain platforms of the banking sector and regulated exchange-traded products based on privacy coins.
The key beneficiaries of the morning distribution of funds are XRP and Zcash.
The great capital migration: how the Bitcoin drawdown fed XRP and ZECAccording to the SoSoValue analytics dashboard, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a net outflow of $634.99 million. The trading session also ended in the red zone for Ethereum funds, which lost $26.13 million, and Solana ETFs, where the outflow amounted to $2.65 million.
Countertrend resilience is demonstrated by Grayscale's spot Zcash ETF (ZCSH), which absorbed a net daily inflow of $14.23 million. Accumulation has continued for the third consecutive day after injections of $23.16 million and $12.88 million in previous sessions, which raised the fund's total net assets under management to $681.39 million.
Zcash spot ETF inflows chart showing a $14.23M net inflow and $681.39M in total net assets, Source: SoSoValueThrough this regulated instrument, institutional investors directly control 3.11% of Zcash's market capitalization, with a daily trading volume of $63.33 million and an underlying asset price of $1,236.83.
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In parallel, spot XRP funds recorded an inflow of $3.55 million, fully provided by the Franklin Templeton pool (FBIT). At the same time, issuers Bitwise, Canary, Grayscale, and 21Shares maintained a zero daily balance change.
XRP spot ETF net asset flows tracking a $3.55M daily inflow and $1.49B in total net assets, Source: SoSoValueFundstrat co-founder Tom Lee notes that this cycle represents a healthy correction, not a bubble: the short on big tech has become excessively consensus-driven, and the debt market is tightly limiting the inflow of speculative capital. The cumulative historical inflow into XRP ETFs has surpassed the $1.8 billion mark, with net assets under management at $1.49 billion (1.01% of the token's capitalization) at an estimated underlying asset price of $1.31.
Billionaires' race for privacy and code theft from ICP. Main stories of this morningAt the morning session, the focus of attention shifted from Bitcoin's price fluctuations to major corporate conflicts. In the U.S., a battle for control over privacy technologies is flaring up, accompanied by loud accusations of code plagiarism.
An open infrastructure war for Zcash has unfolded on the American market between Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (Gemini) and DCG founder Barry Silbert. Demand for privacy has intensified due to AI tracking on public networks, so the miners they control, Cypherpunk Technologies and Fortitude Mining, each hold approximately 20% of the network hashrate. Big capital views the asset as a scarce alternative to Bitcoin with fixed issuance.
In parallel, a technology scandal is flaring up: DFINITY founder Dominic Williams publicly accused NEAR Protocol of patent theft. Williams claims that a key component of NEAR Intents is built on DFINITY's proprietary ECDSA threshold signature algorithm.
@hosseeb @grok The algorithm NEAR has been running on for two and a half years is patented. They also took vetKeys, it looks like, but that's not. Obviously if you're mining the repos, research, and work of competitors, without talking to them, referencing them, etc, this is a risk you take.
— dom | icp (@dominic_w) October 23, 2026 According to him, NEAR's solution runs on only 8 servers, is completely devoid of decentralization, and an emergency rollback to slower algorithms was recorded on NEAR's GitHub due to legal and litigation risks in the U.S. Against this background, the NEAR token decreased in value by 1.29%, trading at $4.96.
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At the same time, a flow of capital toward regulated Asia is being recorded, where traditional financial giants and state regulators are massively introducing stablecoins into the real sector of the economy.
Briefly about other important events this morning:
HSBC launches RedCoin in Hong Kong: Banking giant HSBC, with $3.4 trillion in assets, has officially deployed RedCoin (RCHKD), a stablecoin licensed by the HKMA and 100% backed by the Hong Kong dollar. It is instantly available to 3.3 million users of the PayMe app for payments across a network of 100,000 merchants.
Legalization of stablecoins in South Korea: The South Korean government recognizes stablecoins as an official means of payment from December 3. For this purpose, LG Group's IT division (LG CNS) has entered into a strategic alliance with Chainlink to digitize the Korean won on the $68 billion local crypto market.
Zcash anniversary and AI verification: The Zcash project celebrates a decade since its launch, and a $1,000 investment made five years ago is equivalent to $7,178 today. The developers used Anthropic's Claude AI tools for formal verification of code security before the Network Upgrade 7 (NU7) hard fork on November 5.
Ripple liquidity based on RLUSD: Ripple announces a partnership with the Arf platform to provide cross-border liquidity for the RLUSD stablecoin on the XRP Ledger network. The project is preparing to launch Web3 lending features ahead of the Ripple Swell conference, while traders on Kalshi are pricing in a scenario of XRP rising to $1.80 by the end of the year.
A healthy correction, not a bubble. What to expect from the market in the coming daysBitcoin quotes are holding at $81,657.29 (-0.07% over 24 hours) with a market dominance of 59.63%. The current decline is accompanied by a shakeout of margin positions. Over the past 24 hours, the positions of 82,246 traders totaling $332.09 million were liquidated on the futures market. The decline is directed against buyers: 82.6% of the total volume of forced closures fell on long positions ($274.37 million), according to CoinGlass.
Crypto derivatives liquidation heat map dominated by Ethereum at $59.54M and Bitcoin at $52.28M, Source: CoinGlassThe main blow was taken by Ethereum derivatives ($59.54 million in liquidations, 82.1% longs) and Bitcoin derivatives ($52.28 million in liquidations, 87.3% longs). Binance's share is 45.5%, and the largest order was recorded on Hyperliquid in the XYZ:SOXL-USD pair, worth $4.34 million.
The correction is fully synchronized with the U.S. technology sector, where the SPDR index (XLK) fell by 3.6%, and semiconductors dropped almost 7% after Meta's reports on AI spending of up to $135 billion.
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Amid Ethereum's drop to $2,403.04 (dominance of 10.72%) and Solana's stagnation ($104.46), the outperforming dynamics of XRP ($1.3172, daily growth of +0.66%) and Zcash confirm the local rotation. The scandal around the centralization of NEAR Intents is accelerating the exit of capital into regulated U.S. exchange-traded products (ETFs) based on protected protocols.
Indicators to watch:
Holding the BTC price corridor: Bitcoin's ability to lock in the $81,700 – $82,000 range will determine the speed of the market recovery.
Zcash hard fork (November 5): The launch of the NU7 upgrade acts as the main fundamental trigger for retaining institutional demand for ZEC.
Ripple Swell conference: Upcoming announcements on the RLUSD stablecoin could push XRP through local resistance at $1.32 – $1.50.
Legal consequences of the ICP/NEAR dispute: The dynamics of NEAR Protocol's quotes will directly depend on official responses to DFINITY's accusations in U.S. courts.
NEAR Protocol has rolled out cross-margin on its Hyperliquid-powered perpetuals platform, allowing trading positions to share a single perps balance while retaining what the project describes as confidential trading.
Summary
Positions can draw collateral from a shared perps balance instead of holding separate margin. NEAR’s privacy explanation describes dedicated Hyperliquid accounts with confidential deposits and withdrawals. Hyperliquid documents account-level liquidation rules for positions that use shared cross margin. The platform advertises more than 50 markets, with U.S. persons excluded from access. NEAR Protocol announced the feature on Oct. 22, saying positions now share the user’s perps balance as margin. Its accompanying image presents cross and isolated margin alongside the platform’s confidentiality claim.
“Positions now share your perps balance as margin instead of each holding its own,” the project said.
The announcement identifies perps.near.com as the trading interface and Hyperliquid as the underlying provider. NEAR’s message says the feature is live, although it does not provide trading volume, user counts, or figures showing how much collateral customers have committed.
NEAR describes confidentiality through a dedicated trading account NEAR’s product page gives a more specific description of privacy than the short launch announcement. The service says each user receives a dedicated account for trading perpetuals on Hyperliquid, with confidential deposits and withdrawals to and from that account.
The Oct. 22 post describes positions as confidential, stating “nobody can tell they’re yours.” The product page’s explanation centers on the account and its funding flows, without establishing that every order, execution, or position record disappears from Hyperliquid’s public infrastructure.
Neither the announcement nor that explanation provides an independent assessment of whether observers could identify users through other information. The material supports reporting NEAR’s confidentiality claim, but not a guarantee that trading activity cannot be linked to a person under any circumstances.
For funding, the site says NEAR Intents converts supported assets into the required margin currency. Users can start with assets held across connected networks, while funding and settlement transactions are signed on their devices, according to the service.
Cross margin shares collateral across eligible positions Hyperliquid’s documentation describes cross margin as collateral shared among cross-margin positions. Isolated margin assigns collateral to an individual position, separating it from the collateral used elsewhere in the account.
Its rules allow unrealized profits from cross-margin positions to become available as initial margin for new trades. For isolated positions, unrealized profit instead becomes additional margin for the existing position, the documentation states.
Hyperliquid calculates initial margin from position size, mark price, and the leverage selected by the trader. Maximum leverage depends on the asset, so the platform’s advertised ceiling does not apply equally to every market.
The documentation says leverage is checked when a position opens. Afterward, users must monitor their exposure, with available actions including closing positions, adding collateral to isolated trades or depositing USDC for cross-margin positions.
Hyperliquid distinguishes how cross-margin works across different perpetual exchanges deployed on its infrastructure. Its documentation says collateral sharing across those venues depends on the account mode and collateral type. NEAR’s announcement does not specify which of those configurations its interface supports.
Hyperliquid applies account-level liquidation rules Hyperliquid’s liquidation rules say positions become subject to liquidation when account equity falls below the required maintenance margin. The platform first attempts to close positions through orders sent to its order book. Remaining collateral stays with the trader when the resulting closures restore compliance with margin requirements.
If account equity falls below two-thirds of maintenance margin and liquidation through the book has not succeeded, the documentation describes a backstop process involving the liquidator vault.
For a cross-margin backstop liquidation, Hyperliquid says the trader’s cross positions and cross collateral transfer to the liquidator. An isolated backstop liquidation transfers the affected position and its assigned margin while leaving cross-margin positions untouched.
The exchange uses a mark price for liquidations. Its pricing documentation says that measure combines external market information with Hyperliquid trading data and is used for margin calculations, unrealized profit and loss, and take-profit or stop-loss triggers.
Funding payments can change an account’s balance while positions remain open. Hyperliquid states that funding is exchanged hourly between long and short holders, with the payment direction determined by the funding rate. The exchange says it collects no fee on those transfers.
NEAR’s perps service excludes U.S. persons The product page advertises access to more than 50 perpetual markets with leverage of up to 40 times. It explicitly states that perpetuals are unavailable to U.S. persons and users in other restricted jurisdictions, alongside a warning that leveraged trading carries a substantial risk of loss.
NEAR’s relationship with Hyperliquid includes direct token trading. On Sep. 23, crypto.news reported that NEAR spot trading had become available against USDC, alongside an existing perpetual market for the token. The announcement cited in that article said inclusion on Hyperliquid’s Strict List would take several more days after deployment.
DFINITY founder Dominic Williams questions the privacy design of NEAR Protocol's Confidential Intents, citing a PhD engineer's review of its FAR network, open-source status and node operators.
DFINITY (@dfinity) founder Dominic Williams (@dominic_w) has publicly questioned the privacy design of Near (@NEARProtocol) Confidential Intents, citing a review by a PhD engineer. The criticism targets $NEAR's privacy layer for cross-chain trading and comes as the token trades higher on separate ecosystem news. Williams is the founder of the Internet Computer ($ICP), a competing blockchain network.
What Williams AllegesWilliams shared the engineer's assessment, which alleges the system relies on a separate permissioned network called FAR, where operators are trusted to protect private data. The review also questioned the privacy technology itself, the feature's open-source status and the fact that node operators have not been disclosed.
According to CoinPedia, Williams described the setup as running on unknown centralized nodes and not open source, and implied the network could be one of the overpromised Web3 projects. The same report says some supporters agreed with his doubts, while most replies came from critics who contrasted the weaker ICP price with NEAR's performance.
The claims are Williams' and the engineer's. NEAR has not been shown to have responded to the specific allegations in the material reviewed for this article.
How NEAR Describes Confidential IntentsNEAR positions Confidential Intents as a way to protect trading activity on its cross-chain system. In its product announcement, the project says users can toggle between a Main Account and a Confidential Account, opting into confidentiality across transfers, deposits and withdrawals. NEAR says the aim is to prevent MEV extraction, frontrunning and strategy copying.
On architecture, Glitchwire reports that transactions are routed through a dedicated NEAR private shard, described as a parallel execution environment run by a decentralized set of permissioned validators. The shard connects to NEAR's mainnet through a bridge built on Trusted Execution Environments. The same report says NEAR states the product is not a mixing or anonymization tool and includes selective disclosure for regulatory compliance.
The description of a permissioned validator set overlaps with part of Williams' critique, though the sources differ on how they characterize it. The dispute centres on how much users must trust those operators, and on what NEAR has disclosed about the validators and underlying technology.
Why It MattersPrivacy tooling is a growing area of cross-chain DeFi, and design choices such as who operates the infrastructure and whether the code is public bear directly on how much trust users place in it. The exchange also reflects ongoing competition between NEAR and Internet Computer, whose founders have traded technical criticism in the past.
Readers weighing the claims may want to look for independent audits, validator disclosures and published code from NEAR as the debate develops.
Sources:
CoinPedia: Near Protocol surges 5% despite DFINITY founder slamming its techNEAR: Confidential Intents announcementGlitchwire: Confidential Intents reaches general availability
NEAR Protocol launches NEAR Business, a multisig treasury platform for Web3 firms and crypto desks covering 35+ chains, built on NEAR Intents with a 0.35% swap fee.
NEAR Protocol (@NEARProtocol) has launched NEAR Business, a multisig treasury management platform aimed at Web3 companies, institutional crypto desks and venture firms. The product is pitched as an institutional-grade alternative to traditional custody and treasury software.
What NEAR Business offersThe platform supports payroll distribution, capital deployment and cross-chain operations across more than 35 blockchain networks, including $BTC, $ETH and $SOL. Teams manage these activities from a single control panel and do not need third-party bridge protocols.
A related NEAR-linked treasury product, Trezu, describes a similar setup. The site also lists public and confidential treasury modes, bulk payments and audit-ready exports.
Multisig wallets are widely used for business treasuries because they spread signing authority across several people. according to B2BinPay's guide to business multisig wallets.
Pricing and the NEAR Intents backboneNEAR Business runs on the NEAR Intents Solver Protocol. It charges a 0.35% swap fee and subsidises transaction gas costs, a structure designed to drive settlement value for $NEAR. NEAR Protocol positions the pricing against traditional institutional custody providers that charge annual SaaS licence fees above $18,000.
NEAR Intents has grown quickly as a cross-chain settlement layer. More recently, according to Digital Today, which cited U.Today.
The scale of that activity gives NEAR Business an existing liquidity base for the cross-chain swaps it offers. Whether treasury teams adopt it will depend on how the 0.35% fee compares with existing tools and on how institutions weigh non-custodial multisig setups against regulated custodians. NEAR Protocol has not published adoption figures for the new product.
Sources:
Trezu: multi-chain confidential multisig treasuryNEAR: 2025 milestones and NEAR Intents growthDigital Today: NEAR Intents swap volume
NEAR Protocol has launched NEAR Business, a platform built to let crypto teams manage treasury operations privately across multiple blockchains.
What NEAR Business actually does
The service went live on October 20, 2026. It is a confidential multisig treasury management tool aimed at crypto-native teams and institutional players.
NEAR Business folds several back-office chores into a single dashboard. Those include payroll, vendor payments, cross-chain swaps and capital allocation.
The privacy piece runs on NEAR’s private shard infrastructure. Sensitive transaction details stay confidential, but they remain accessible for audit purposes.
Under the hood, each organization gets a self-custodial Treasury Contract on NEAR’s mainnet. The contract follows SputnikDAO multisig principles.
Chains, assets and the price tag
The platform supports transactions across more than 35 blockchain networks. That list includes Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana, with support for more than 200 assets.
Cross-chain moves rely on NEAR Intents rather than third-party bridges. A team can swap assets between chains without routing funds through a separate bridge service.
The service is free to start, with no subscriptions and no per-seat fees. Teams can spin up unlimited treasuries and add unlimited users. There are no annual contracts.
Swaps on the platform carry a fee of 0.35%. Setup can be completed in minutes, according to the research findings. NEAR is positioning the product against enterprise offerings that charge $18,000+ yearly.
Features built for finance teams
Bulk payroll works through CSV upload. Instead of approving dozens of individual transfers, a finance lead can push an entire pay run in one batch.
Role-based approvals let organizations decide who can propose payments and who signs off.
Customizable exports round things out.
The target users are broad. NEAR is courting institutional desks and venture firms alongside crypto-native startups. For now, access is invite-only. Early teams can test the platform without paying subscription costs or per-seat fees.
Where this fits in NEAR’s 2026 roadmap
NEAR Business is part of a broader strategy the protocol has pursued through 2026, emphasizing integrated cross-chain execution and privacy enhancements.
The launch follows the earlier unveiling of near.com as a multi-chain super-app. The super-app serves individuals, while NEAR Business handles organizations, and both rely on NEAR Intents for cross-chain execution.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Kaye Quema. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
NEAR Protocol has added XRP to near.com, letting users deposit from the XRP Ledger, swap and pay with confidential transactions powered by NEAR Intents.
XRP is now available on near.com, the all-in-one crypto app from @NEARProtocol, with confidential transactions enabled by default. Users can deposit $XRP directly from the XRP Ledger, swap it for other assets and use it to make payments.
What the XRP integration offersThe listing means XRP holders can move funds into the app without first converting to another asset. Once inside, they can swap XRP for other tokens or spend it, all from a single interface.
Privacy is the main selling point. @XRP transactions on near.com are confidential by default, which keeps sender addresses, amounts and routing off public $NEAR explorers. A recipient receives the funds without seeing the sender's address or wallet history. Routing is handled by @near_intents, NEAR's system for swapping assets across chains.
The feature builds on NEAR's wider privacy push. CoinDesk reported that near.com launched in February as a super app, with a confidential mode that keeps balances, transfers and trading activity private within the network's security framework. NEAR co-founder Illia Polosukhin said at the time that onchain transparency is not realistic for day-to-day use.
How confidential execution worksAccording to NEAR's own documentation on Confidential Intents, transactions run on a NEAR private shard, a dedicated execution environment operated by a decentralized set of independent, permissioned validators. It connects to NEAR mainnet through a bridge based on trusted execution environments (TEEs). When a user goes confidential on near.com, deposits, transfers and swaps stay out of public view, and funds can be moved between confidential and public accounts at any time.
The design has limits. An explainer from the LeoDex exchange notes that this is confidentiality rather than anonymity, because deposits into and withdrawals out of the system remain visible on public chains.
Demand for the feature appears to be real. NEAR said in a general availability announcement that over 40% of volume across near.com used Confidential Mode within weeks of launch. That figure comes from NEAR itself and has not been independently verified.
For XRP holders, the addition offers a way to swap and pay across chains without exposing wallet history on public explorers. The XRP Ledger is also among the networks supported by NEAR's recently launched NEAR Business treasury platform, according to Crypto Briefing.
SourcesCoinDesk: NEAR launches Near.com super app
NEAR: Confidential Intents
Crypto Briefing: NEAR launches crypto treasury platform
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NEAR Intents handled about $10.4 billion in Q3 2026, and NEAR Protocol is retaining a larger share of swap fees to fund $NEAR buybacks.
NEAR Protocol is capturing a growing share of the fees generated by its cross-chain swap product. @near_intents handled about $10.4 billion in volume in the third quarter, bringing lifetime volume to more than $32 billion, according to @NEARProtocol's Q3 report.
Lifetime fees topped $52 million, and more than $8 million of that went toward buying back $NEAR.
Retained share of fees risesThe portion of Intents fees that NEAR keeps reached 16.4% over its lifetime as of October 6. That compares with 11.5% in the second-quarter report. Over the past 30 days, the retained rate stood at 28.4%.
The distinction matters because the fees charged on swaps are not all kept by the protocol. DefiLlama's methodology separates gross fees, which include the protocol fee plus the affiliate fee each front end collects, from the revenue NEAR itself captures. According to DefiLlama, NEAR's captured Intents revenue has been used to buy back $NEAR on the open market since February 23, 2026, and the tokens are not burned.
Buybacks in contextBuyback activity has picked up alongside volume. Altcoin Buzz, citing DefiLlama data, reported that September's $1.84 million was the biggest monthly buyback so far. Different trackers count the buyback total differently, depending on whether they measure tokens or dollars and which wallets they include.
Some market participants have urged caution on what buybacks can achieve. Sal Ternullo, CEO of Nasdaq-listed NEAR treasury company SVRN, said on the Bankless podcast that buybacks are real, but that the network was issuing more than six times as much new NEAR as was bought back over the prior 30 days, according to Yahoo Finance. He also floated a governance proposal to cut maximum annual issuance from 2.5% to 1.6%.
For now, the Q3 figures show both swap volume and the protocol's retained share moving higher. Whether that is enough to offset token issuance will depend on how long volume stays elevated.
SourcesDefiLlama: NEAR Intents TVL, fees, revenue and volume
Altcoin Buzz: NEAR Intents buyback hits $6.68M
Yahoo Finance: NEAR treasury firm CEO on buybacks and issuance
NEAR Protocol announced via X that its hackathon will run from 8:00 AM (Beijing Time) on November 1 to 7:59 AM on November 15. The judging period is scheduled from November 16 to 18, with results to be released no later than 7:59 AM on November 19. The event focuses on building intelligent agents, autonomous payment, and cross-chain value transfer applications using tools including NEAR Intents, NEAR AI Cloud, and Chain Signatures. The total prize pool is $250,000, payable in NEAR tokens. Participants can join individually or in teams, and submissions require a public code repository plus a public demo posted on X. The hackathon features 13 tracks, with a judging panel that includes Illia Polosukhin, Mert Mumtaz, Eddy Lazzarin, and other members.
NEAR Protocol has outlined plans to apply AI-assisted formal verification to its protocol and core smart contracts after reporting 672 solved mathematics problems at a submission-time model cost of $111.85.
Summary
NEAR plans to apply AI-assisted formal verification to its protocol and core smart contracts. NEAR AI reported solving 672 PutnamBench problems at a submission-time model cost of $111.85. Production verification requires accurate software models, defined requirements, and proofs covering the deployed implementation. Formal verification complements testing and code reviews, with guarantees limited to specified properties and assumptions. NEAR Protocol said in an Oct. 16 announcement that its research seeks to reduce the specialist work and computing costs involved in proving software follows defined rules.
Formal verification proves that software follows defined rules.
Our goal is to make it affordable for more developers. NEAR AI’s progress in automated proof generation brings us closer.
Next: applying it to the NEAR protocol and core smart contracts. https://t.co/MqFxz4B166
— NEAR Protocol (@NEARProtocol) October 19, 2026 The planned application covers the network’s protocol and core contracts, alongside tools for ecosystem developers. NEAR described production verification as a goal, while its completed benchmark work concerns automated mathematical proof generation.
NEAR plans to move proof generation into production software According to NEAR’s announcement, applying the research to running software involves three stages. Developers must represent a program mathematically, define the properties it should satisfy, and construct proofs showing those properties hold.
NEAR AI’s recent benchmark results demonstrate progress on the third stage. The announcement says production work still requires accurate models of software behavior and a clear connection between the proofs and the implementation users rely on.
In its explanation, NEAR distinguishes a proof covering a particular accounting rule from a guarantee that an entire application is secure. A contract could preserve balances during transfers while requiring a separate proof that only authorized accounts can initiate them.
NEAR co-founder Illia Polosukhin has linked the research to risks from AI-generated software and tools that help attackers identify weaknesses.
“The future of AI, and AI-generated code, is exciting – but only once we achieve verifiable and mathematical guarantees of its behavior.”
The announcement reproduces the statement from Polosukhin’s writing on software security. NEAR says formal verification should complement testing, code review and operational security practices.
The $111.85 result measures mathematics proofs NEAR’s announcement reports that its AI agent solved 672 Lean problems from PutnamBench, a benchmark based on the Putnam undergraduate mathematics competition. The reported mean cost was approximately $0.17 per problem at the model prices used for the submission.
The project’s public repository describes the result as 670 upstream problems plus corrected versions of two problems with defective formalizations. NEAR says the reported spending excludes the full cost of developing the system and does not estimate the price of verifying a production contract.
In the repository, the team reports that replaying the same usage at later listed DeepSeek off-peak prices would cost $331. Its methodology includes unsuccessful attempts, although the authors identify a separate parallel experiment using Kimi that they excluded from the cost accounting.
The repository describes checks against unfinished proofs and changes to the mathematical statement being proved. It reports that the longest run lasted more than three days.
Alongside PutnamBench, NEAR says its team reached first place by total solves on the Lean Eval v1 formalization leaderboard. The announcement specifies that ranking measure, distinguishing it from first solves and unique solves.
According to NEAR, mathematics benchmarks exercise a capability needed for software verification because developers translate software requirements into mathematical statements. The company separates those results from the work of proving properties of deployed code.
Formal proofs depend on the rules developers choose In NEAR’s transfer example, a conventional test checks a selected transaction, such as moving five tokens between two accounts. A proof can establish that every successful transfer covered by the mathematical model preserves the accounts’ combined balance.
The announcement explains that developers first choose a requirement, express the relevant software behavior mathematically, and submit a proposed proof to a checker. The resulting guarantee depends on the definitions and assumptions used.
NEAR’s approach uses Lean, an open-source programming language and proof assistant. An AI agent can propose a proof, run Lean, inspect its feedback, and revise the attempt, while Lean’s kernel checks whether the proof follows its logical rules.
An unsuccessful attempt does not necessarily identify a software flaw, according to NEAR. The requirement may be wrong, the implementation may violate it, or the agent may fail to find a valid proof.
Formal verification already has documented applications within the NEAR ecosystem. Certora’s March 30 assessment of Templar, a lending protocol deployed on NEAR, describes manual review of its Rust contracts and formal specification and verification of its market contract. Certora’s assessment page identifies the proven properties and discovered issues as subjects of the full report.
Other blockchain teams have pursued AI-assisted verification In May, Aptos Labs described support for AI-assisted formal verification involving dynamic dispatch in Move contracts. Its stated workflow uses AI-generated specifications with Move Prover, according to coverage of the announcement.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has discussed a similar combination of AI tools and machine-checked proofs. As crypto.news previously reported, his May comments identified applications across Ethereum’s roadmap, including consensus, quantum-resistant cryptography and zero-knowledge systems.
Buterin cautioned that proving one layer does not establish that an entire system behaves as intended. His discussion covered verification from high-level specifications through the lower-level implementation.
NEAR’s separate security research has addressed quantum-resistant signing. Near One’s May proposal selected FIPS-204 signature support, using the ML-DSA standard approved by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The May proposal described a testnet target for the end of the second quarter of 2026. Near One said wallet software, hardware wallets, endpoints, and APIs would require coordinated changes to support the new signing schemes.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
The NEAR Protocol ecosystem has reached peak operational efficiency metrics. Over the last 24 hours, transaction volume through the NEAR Intents cross-chain swap protocol hit $130.7 million. The current surge keeps the platform's 30-day turnover at $4.59 billion, and cumulative trading volume since launch has exceeded $35 billion.
$130.7M traded through NEAR Intents in the last 24h.
7-day run rate $859.9M; $4.59B over 30 days. https://t.co/hyoDSJsoZw
— NearStats (@nearstatsorg) October 19, 2026
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At the same time, the native NEAR token has settled in the $4.97–$5.10 range, quickly buying back the short-term market dip to $4.62. Large capital is clearly entering the network for specific practical purposes rather than for speculation.
Institutions, Zcash, and Paranoid Security: How This Growth WorksDaily activity was driven by a sharp surge in demand for protected transactions, which now generate almost a tenth (9.4%) of NEAR Intents' total monthly volume. In monetary terms, this hidden liquidity flow amounted to $91.9 million. The main direction of capital movement was direct cross-chain transfers between Zcash (ZEC) and Bitcoin (BTC).
Over the course of the day, on-chain radars recorded a series of large transactions by institutional players (whales), who converted hundreds of thousands of dollars from shielded ZEC pools directly into BTC in one click.
As a result, the ecosystem's confidential TVL (total value locked) settled in the $151–$152 million range, turning the platform into one of the key legal hubs for protected operations.
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In parallel, NEAR's technological focus has shifted toward long-term protection against fundamental risks. Co-founder Illia Polosukhin confirmed that users can migrate the keys of their NEAR accounts to the post-quantum ML-DSA standard right now. NEAR's architecture allows security standards to be updated within the wallet seamlessly, without affecting the funds themselves and removing the need to use third-party bridges.
Bitwise NEAR ETF (NRR) daily net inflows and net assets chart as of October 2026, Source: SoSoValueThe network's technical resilience is also supported by Wall Street money. The spot Bitwise NEAR ETF (NRR) recorded a daily net inflow of $2.61 million, raising cumulative inflows to $83.05 million. The fund's net assets under management reached $82.36 million (1.26% of NEAR's total market capitalization), which is a strong protective buffer for the market.
The network itself is digesting these volumes without delays. The decentralized MPC computation system has expanded to 17 independent operators, which has stabilized block generation time. Meanwhile, the recent liquidation of short positions on exchanges has noticeably eased selling pressure, clearing the way for a test of local resistance levels.
PANews reported on October 19, citing SoSoValue data, that crypto sectors were mixed, with the PayFi sector up 1.12% over 24 hours, led by Monero (XMR) up 2.37% and Zcash (ZEC) up 2.32%. Meanwhile, Bitcoin (BTC) rose 0.89%, breaking above $82,000; Ethereum (ETH) rose 0.45%, oscillating narrowly around the $2,400 level.
In other sectors, the Layer1 sector rose 0.48% over 24 hours, with NEAR Protocol (NEAR) up 2.22%; the CeFi sector rose 0.48%, with Binance Coin (BNB) up 0.77%; the DeFi sector rose 0.14%, with Convex Finance (CVX) up 6.06%.
In addition, the Meme sector fell 0.02%, with Pons (PONS) down 10.35%; the Layer2 sector fell 0.32%, with Starknet (STRK) down 4.31%; the RWA sector fell 1.32%, with Maple Finance (SYRUP) down 3.82%; the DePIN sector fell 1.57%, with Grass (GRASS) down 3.56%.
NEAR prices have risen in response to Sunrise and Near Intent’s partnership to establish liquid markets for NEAR Intents assets on Solana, as announced in their recent tweet. Over the last 24 hours alone, the token has gained more than 12%.
Moreover, the partnership could expose NEAR to a broader trading audience by making the token accessible within Solana’s [SOL] ecosystem.
With fresh market access and investment flows supporting the bullish bias, can NEAR extend its bullish run?
How is NEAR market activity reacting to the news? Notably, the development arrives as trading activity picks up in the Futures market and retail traders increase their participation across the spot markets.
Solana Compass reported approximately $11.4 million in 24-hour trading volume for NEAR on Solana on launch day, alongside about $819K in netflow.
Source: Solana Compass The coin’s derivative data shows that NEAR Intent revenue has skyrocketed to $163K, not been recorded over the past three months. This being just the beginning the token revenue could be key for the token’s anticipated bullish run continuation.
Source: DefiLlama Notably, NEAR ETFs reported $1.13 million in daily inflows, indicating that investors are still allocating capital to NEAR-linked products during the period. Moreover, persistent inflows could support demand, although a single session cannot establish a lasting trend.
Source: SoSoValue Will NEAR crypto’s bullish run prevail? On the daily chart, the impacts of the development are evident. NEAR’s price action is currently gaining momentum from a key demand zone. The token’s bullish gains are going hand in hand with its trading volume, with its prices now trading above all key EMAs.
All in all, with the partnership and ETF inflow surge, NEAR projected rally continuation could occur. However, traders and investors should be aware of the bearish caution from a potential profit-taking phase among the holders and bulls on floating profits.
Source: TradingView Final Summary NEAR’s Sunrise partnership opens a new route into Solana markets. Reported ETF inflows of $1.13 million and rising trading activity could support the rally if buying pressure persists.
NEAR Protocol has announced support for earning SOL yields via secret accounts. Users deposit funds into vaults, which remain unaware of their addresses. The product features no lock-up period, allowing users to redeem or withdraw funds at any time. The relevant vaults are deployed on Kamino by Gauntlet.
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Crypto-friendly securities platform UMX, incubated by Avenir Group, announced its official launch and full open registration. Since the public beta kicked off on August 10, UMX has collected 788 product feedbacks, with 89 demands incorporated into the official version, completing a practical validation round rooted in real use scenarios and user needs. It is reported that UMX stems from the cross-asset management practice of Li Lin’s family office team. To break down barriers between crypto assets and securities, UMX has built a unified trading system covering all categories of Hong Kong and U.S. stocks as well as crypto assets. The platform adopts cross-asset unified margin, flexible transfers, and the industry-first "hold-assets-for-credit" stock purchasing mechanism, enabling users to directly access purchasing power for Hong Kong and U.S. stocks without selling their crypto assets, realizing the function of "buying stocks via credit based on held assets". During the launch period, UMX is running a "Grand Opening Triple Rewards" campaign: users who meet wealth management targets will receive the latest iPhone Duo, earn UMX points for trading activities, and new users can get up to 100 USDT in bonus rewards.
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Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Helius CEO Mert Mumtaz has joined the NEAR Foundation Council, the body that oversees NEAR Protocol's foundation and its biggest decisions, as NEAR Intents tops $33 billion in volume.
Helius CEO @mert has joined the NEAR Foundation Council, the body that oversees the NEAR Protocol foundation and its biggest decisions. He remains at @Helius, which builds Solana ($SOL) infrastructure used by Phantom, Jupiter and Coinbase.
Who sits on the NEAR Foundation Council
Polosukhin said Mumtaz's
Why NEAR Intents is the common threadMumtaz is an early user of NEAR Intents. Mumtaz's own view is that Solana, Zcash ($ZEC) and Bitcoin ($BTC) cannot win alone, and that @NEARProtocol is how they work together.
The appointment comes as NEAR Intents grows. For comparison,
The protocol's design explains the cross-chain pitch.
The seat gives a leading Solana infrastructure operator a formal role in NEAR governance, which suggests growing overlap between two ecosystems often seen as rivals.
SourcesThe Block: Helius CEO Mert Mumtaz joins NEAR Foundation Council
PR Newswire: Helius CEO Mert Mumtaz Joins the NEAR Foundation Council
Bankless: Helius CEO Mert Mumtaz Joins NEAR Foundation Council
Bitwise's NEAR ETF (NRR) and SVRN's plan to hold 10% of NEAR supply both rely on AI-agent activity on NEAR Protocol turning into real economic value.
@Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan (@Matt_Hougan) sees the NEAR Protocol (@NEARProtocol) token $NEAR as a way to invest in blockchain infrastructure for AI-driven commerce. The firm's NEAR ETF, ticker NRR, pairs spot NEAR exposure with staking rewards. Separately, SVRN chief executive Sal Ternullo (@sal_ternullo) says his company aims to accumulate 10% of NEAR's token supply.
Both strategies rest on the same question: whether AI-related activity on NEAR can produce revenue and demand for the token.
How the Bitwise NEAR ETF works
On redemptions,
SVRN targets 10% of NEAR supplySVRN is taking a different route.
The company also runs operating businesses around the network.
Ternullo
The AI revenue questionThe AI thesis is still largely prospective.
Investors should also note that NRR does not offer direct exposure to AI companies.
Sources
The Block: Bitwise launches first US spot NEAR ETF with staking rewardsBitcoin.com News: Bitwise, SVRN Bet on NEAR as AI Infrastructure Thesis Takes ShapeCryptoRank: SVRN acquires FastNEAR
Open interest on NEAR-related futures contracts hit a record $1.92 billion on October 12, while the token benefited from a rotation into cryptos associated with artificial intelligence. This peak reflects strong speculative activity, but not the arrival of $1.92 billion in fresh capital.
In brief
Open interest on NEAR futures contracts hit a record $1.92 billion on October 12.
The token benefits from renewed interest in cryptos related to artificial intelligence.
According to Wintermute, NEAR benefits from a capital rotation towards crypto projects associated with AI.
The development of AI agents and post-quantum technologies strengthens its positioning in this market.
The drop in open interest to $1.56 billion underscores the fragility of the movement and the risks related to leverage.
NEAR’s open interest quadruples in two months
Open interest on NEAR derivative contracts fluctuated between $300 and $450 million in July and August. It started to increase rapidly in mid-September before surpassing one billion dollars and then reaching $1.92 billion on October 12.
The price followed a similar trajectory. NEAR was worth about $1.60 in August, compared to nearly $6 at the time of the record. This represents an increase of more than 260% in a few weeks.
Open interest measures the notional value of contracts that have not yet been closed. It does not correspond to amounts actually deposited as margin nor to direct purchases of the token on the spot market.
Its increase can come from several factors: creation of new positions, increase in NEAR’s price, or increased use of leverage. In September, open interest expressed in dollars had thus increased much faster than the number of tokens represented by the contracts.
This record confirms the exceptional attention from traders, but does not reveal their direction. Each contract pits a long position against a short position. High open interest can accompany either a rise or a future liquidation cascade.
Wintermute sees a crypto capital rotation towards AI
The record occurred during a difficult week for the crypto market. Bitcoin fell by 3.2% and Ethereum by 7%, while only 11 of the 66 main altcoins ended in positive territory. Their median decline reached 3.7%.
US bitcoin ETFs recorded about $679 million in net outflows over the week. Ethereum funds lost $542 million, while $1.19 billion in crypto positions were liquidated within 24 hours around the weekly low.
In this context, Wintermute describes NEAR as the main beneficiary of a rotation towards projects related to artificial intelligence. The market maker notes that capital left some large caps and the DeFi sector to focus on this new narrative.
Its October 12 report summarizes :
Capital that exited liquid DeFi and large caps moved towards AI-related assets, with NEAR as the main winner.
Wintermute mentions two possible explanations for this outperformance: the arrival of post-quantum signatures and a short squeeze. However, the group specifies it was unable to confirm that these two elements were indeed the causes of the movement.
NEAR builds its positioning around AI agents
NEAR does not only benefit from a label added by traders. The project has been developing for several months an infrastructure dedicated to autonomous agents, confidential inference, and interactions between different blockchains.
NEAR AI has notably integrated OpenRouter into its confidential inference platform. This setup aims to allow the use of AI models without exposing certain sensitive data to providers executing the calculations.
The project is also working on tools enabling AI agents to manage accounts and perform operations across multiple networks. This direction places NEAR at the intersection of two trends sought by investors: automation through AI and abstraction of exchanges between blockchains.
The network has moreover introduced support for post-quantum signatures. This development comes at a time when several researchers question the future ability of artificial intelligence and quantum computers to weaken current cryptographic systems.
These developments provide a technological basis for the narrative. However, they do not yet demonstrate that NEAR dominates the AI application market, whose uses and revenues remain limited.
The drop in open interest signals still fragile leverage
After reaching $5.88, NEAR quickly corrected. The token now trades around $5, while open interest has dropped back to $1.56 billion.
This decline of nearly $360 million since the record indicates that positions have been closed voluntarily or liquidated. It confirms that the peak on October 12 partly relied on significant leverage.
The daily volume of futures contracts still reaches about $2.4 billion, versus nearly $440 million on the spot market. This difference shows that derivatives play a central role in the current price formation.
The zone between $4.60 and $4.30 now constitutes the main technical support. A return above $5.50 would allow the token to target $6 again.
NEAR thus benefits from a credible positioning in AI, but its record remains primarily that of derivatives contracts. The network’s ability to turn this attention into users, activity, and revenue will determine if the movement can surpass speculation.
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Luc Jose A.
Diplômé de Sciences Po Toulouse et titulaire d'une certification consultant blockchain délivrée par Alyra, j'ai rejoint l'aventure Cointribune en 2019.
Convaincu du potentiel de la blockchain pour transformer de nombreux secteurs de l'économie, j'ai pris l'engagement de sensibiliser et d'informer le grand public sur cet écosystème en constante évolution. Mon objectif est de permettre à chacun de mieux comprendre la blockchain et de saisir les opportunités qu'elle offre. Je m'efforce chaque jour de fournir une analyse objective de l'actualité, de décrypter les tendances du marché, de relayer les dernières innovations technologiques et de mettre en perspective les enjeux économiques et sociétaux de cette révolution en marche.
DISCLAIMER
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.
Cover image via depositphotos.com Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
NEAR just set a new record in the futures market. Open interest in NEAR contracts hit $1.92 billion on October 12, according to Coinglass data. That is the highest level ever for the token. At that moment, NEAR was trading at $5.88.
The size of this jump is hard to miss. In July and August, open interest sat between $300 million and $450 million. It started to climb in mid-September and passed $1 billion within days. In approximately two months, traders have put roughly four times more money into NEAR futures.
Near's explosive rallyPrice followed the same path. NEAR rose from around $1.60 in August to nearly $6.00. The daily chart shows the coin trading far above its moving averages. The black line, which tracks the long-term trend, is near $2.55, and the price is about double that.
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NEAR/USDT Chart by TradingViewBut the record came with a warning. NEAR touched $6.00 and then fell hard. The current daily candle is red, with the price now near $5.07. Open interest also dropped from its peak and now sits closer to $1.5 billion. That means many traders closed positions or were forced out during the drop.
This is the danger of high open interest. When many traders use borrowed money, a sharp move in either direction can trigger a chain of forced selling. The fall from $5.88 to $5.07 looks like that kind of flush.
Mixed signalsThe RSI was above 75 in late September, which confirmed the rally was overheated. It has cooled to approximately 55, so the market is no longer stretched. Trading volume has also decreased in October, which suggests less excitement than during the September breakout.
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The key levels are clear. On the downside, the green moving average near $4.60 is the first support, and the low from last week near $4.30 is the next one. A break below those would open a path toward $3.90. On the upside, buyers need to push back above $5.50 to try another run at $6.00.
For now, NEAR has strong momentum and record interest from traders. But a record in open interest does not guarantee more gains. It shows that many people are betting on the coin, and that could push the price either way.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
The US Federal Reserve's hawkish rhetoric triggered a large-scale capital outflow from the digital asset industry, but the artificial intelligence (AI) sector managed to turn the general panic into a local rally. According to a fresh report from market maker Wintermute, the main beneficiary of the shift in market sentiment was the Near Protocol (NEAR), which effectively took the AI-segment leadership crown amid falling key tokens.
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The published minutes of the Fed meeting confirmed that most officials expect another rate hike before the end of the year, pushing the yield on 10-year US government bonds to a multi-year high of 5.24%. Market reactions were polarized: the S&P 500 index hit a record high (+1.2% for the week), as growth in expected corporate earnings (+29% y/y) fully offset the high borrowing rate.
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Cross-asset performance ranking matrix showing digital assets underperforming traditional markets during Week 41, Source: WintermuteThe crypto market, lacking similar fundamental support, saw weekly outflows of $679 million from spot Bitcoin ETFs (the highest since June) and $542 million from Ethereum ETFs, while CoinGlass recorded forced liquidations of $1.19 billion ($1.06 billion of them longs). Bitcoin dropped 3.2% (to $83k), while Ethereum plunged 7.0% due to a reputational shock: an Ethereum Foundation researcher publicly urged users to migrate to new addresses immediately.
But the largest damage was done elsewhere.
The market's new favorite. How NEAR ignored the general stormThe main blow fell on the altcoin sector, where the median decline was 3.7% and the recent leader UNI collapsed by 15.8%. Of the 66 largest projects, only 11 closed in the green.
However, this crisis exposed an important trend: investors did not flee to fiat but changed narratives. Capital leaving classic DeFi platforms began actively flowing into tokens tied to artificial intelligence technologies.
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Near became the absolute leader of the movement. Historically positioned as an AI-oriented blockchain, the project effectively ignored the market storm and, after a symbolic dip, claimed leadership in the sector, continuing its aggressive growth.
Wintermute highlights two key drivers of this momentum: a technological news event (the network introduced support for post-quantum digital signatures to strengthen security) and market mechanics. Bears tried to short NEAR out of inertia along with the rest of the market, which triggered a powerful short squeeze: the forced buyback of short positions only accelerated the token's surge.
Why now is not the time to take risksUntil US government bond yields stabilize and net inflows return to Bitcoin ETFs, Wintermute considers buying altcoins on rebounds an unjustified risk. Attention is shifting to fresh US inflation (CPI) data and the financial reports of tech giants, which will determine whether the global AI trend continues to provide the industry with liquidity.
Bitcoin OG @LLuciano_BTC shared his altcoin picks for the next six months, including Avalanche ($AVAX), Sui ($SUI), NEAR Protocol ($NEAR), Chainlink ($LINK), Stellar, Quant ($QNT) and Ondo.
Crypto commentator @LLuciano_BTC, a long-time Bitcoin holder with nearly 2 million followers, has published a list of the tokens he is watching over the next six months. The picks are grouped into five categories, running from layer-1 networks to decentralised finance (DeFi).
The assets highlighted from the list include Avalanche (@Avax, $AVAX), Sui (@SuiNetwork, $SUI), NEAR Protocol (@NEARProtocol, $NEAR), Chainlink (@Chainlink, $LINK), Stellar (@StellarOrg, $XLM), Quant (@quantnetwork, $QNT) and Ondo (@Ondo, $ONDO). The full list contains more names than those shown here.
What the selected tokens have in commonThe names cover a mix of base-layer blockchains and infrastructure projects. Avalanche, Sui and NEAR compete as smart contract platforms, while Chainlink, Quant and Ondo are tied more closely to the tokenisation of traditional financial assets.
That second theme has been gaining ground. Ondo is a platform for tokenising real-world assets such as US Treasuries and stocks, according to CoinMarketCap. In October 2025, Ondo Finance and Chainlink announced a strategic partnership that made Chainlink the official oracle provider for Ondo's tokenised stocks and ETFs, with its cross-chain protocol (CCIP) named the preferred solution for institutional cross-chain use.
Chainlink and Ondo have also worked with JPMorgan's blockchain unit. The Block reported that Kinexys, Chainlink and Ondo completed a test transaction that settled a tokenised US Treasuries fund across a public and a permissioned network.
Quant has also been linked to the sector. Coin-Turk reported that Quant, Ondo and Chainlink rallied sharply as real-world asset tokens advanced, with Quant's gains tied to UK banks using its infrastructure for tokenised deposit transactions.
A watchlist, not financial adviceLists like this reflect one person's view and do not predict how any token will perform. Crypto assets are volatile, and prices can move sharply in either direction over a six-month window. Readers should do their own research before acting on any watchlist.
Sources
PR Newswire: Ondo and Chainlink strategic partnershipThe Block: JPMorgan, Chainlink and Ondo Finance cross-chain settlement testCoinMarketCap: What is Ondo (ONDO)
Cover image via depositphotos.com Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
NEAR Protocol is having a strong week. The token jumped approximately 11% and touched $6.00 on Binance before pulling back. At the time of writing, it trades near $5.64, up almost 5% over 24 hours. Trading interest grew even faster than price. Daily volume reached $3.54 billion, a rise of 98.44%.
Volume is doublingVolume nearly doubled in a single day, which indicates that many more investors are paying attention. The bigger picture is just as strong. NEAR traded around $1.55 to $1.80 through most of July and August. Since then, it has more than tripled. The move began in late August and accelerated in mid-September, when the price shot above $3.60 in just a few days. The rally has not been smooth.
NEAR/USDT Chart by TradingViewIn early October, NEAR dropped to approximately $4.30 in a single sharp red candle. Buyers stepped in quickly, and the price recovered within days. That quick rebound shows demand is still strong at lower levels. The moving averages on the daily chart all point up, and the price sits well above each one.
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Trying to save the trendThe closest support is near $4.60, followed by approximately $3.90. A fall to those levels would still keep the trend intact. The RSI is around 65. That is high, but it is still below the 70 line that typically marks an overheated market. This leaves some room for more gains before the signal turns risky.
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There is one thing to watch. Volume on the chart is still lower than during the large September surge. Today's jump in volume is a good sign, but the market needs to keep it up. A rally with fading volume can lose energy quickly. The key levels are clear.
A daily close above $6.00 would open the way to new highs. If the price slips, the $5.40 to $5.60 area, where it stalled in late September, is the first place to look for support. For now, NEAR is ranked 8th on the list the data comes from, and investors are clearly interested. The next few days will show whether this volume spike is the start of another leg up or just a short burst.
NEAR Protocol’s native token climbed 16% over the weekend, according to The Motley Fool. Trading activity piled in right alongside it.
The numbers behind the run
The sharpest single burst came on October 10, 2026. NEAR gained as much as 11% that day and touched $6.00 on Binance.
It later cooled to around $5.64. Daily trading volume hit a record of approximately $3.54 billion, a 98% increase.
Over the four weeks leading into mid-October, NEAR rose by at least 83%. Some measurements put the gain far higher, in the range of 138-172%.
That rally pushed NEAR’s market capitalization to around $7.2 billion when the token traded near $5.50. The token is back inside the top 20 digital assets.
What’s driving the demand
NEAR Intents. This is NEAR’s cross-chain feature. Users describe the outcome they’re after, and the system routes it across blockchains.
NEAR Intents has recorded more than $31-33 billion in cumulative cross-chain volume across over 30 chains. September swap volume reached $4.8 billion, a 72.9% jump from the prior month.
The Bitwise ETF. Bitwise launched the first US spot NEAR ETF on September 29, 2026, trading under the ticker NRR. The fund drew nearly $58 million in inflows during its first week.
A proposed supply cut. A governance proposal would lower NEAR’s maximum annual token issuance from 2.5% to 1.6% over the next 24 months. The proposal is still underway, not finalized.
The exploit that didn’t stick
In early October, NEAR Intents was hit by a $3.8 million exploit. The funds were recovered within 24 hours. The token showed no lasting damage from the incident.
What this means for NEAR and the altcoin market
If the issuance proposal passes, the drop from 2.5% to 1.6% would phase in over 24 months. The token already slid from $6.00 to around $5.64 within the same session on October 10.
The signals worth tracking are fairly clear: whether NEAR Intents keeps posting monthly volume growth after September’s $4.8 billion, whether NRR inflows hold up past launch week, and how the governance vote on issuance resolves.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
NEAR Protocol now lets users link a verified email and at least two other methods to regain account access without a seed phrase. Seed phrases still work.
@NEARProtocol now lets users link their account to a verified email and at least two other verification methods, chosen from six options, to regain access if they get locked out. NEAR Protocol said setup runs through the NEAR Accounts site. The update gives NEAR account users a recovery route that does not depend on having kept a seed phrase.
How the new NEAR account recovery worksUsers start by connecting a verified email to their account. They then add at least two further verification methods from a list of six. If they later lose access, they can use these linked methods to get back in.
Seed phrases and private keys still work as before. The new options act as a backup rather than a replacement, so existing users do not need to change how they secure their accounts.
The announcement does not list the six verification methods or explain how the recovery process is carried out. Users should check the NEAR Accounts site for details before relying on the feature.
The practical step is to set up the additional methods while access to the account is still available, and to keep seed phrases and private keys stored safely in any case. In non-custodial wallets, losing a seed phrase can mean permanent loss of access, which is the risk a secondary recovery route is meant to reduce.
Email recovery returns after a 2022 security scareEmail-based recovery has a mixed history on NEAR. In August 2022, The Block reported that NEAR disclosed that email and SMS recovery data from its wallet had been exposed to a third party. Decrypt reported that security firm Hacxyk, which reported the bug to NEAR in June, said the recovery process could leak users' seed phrases to the analytics platform Mixpanel when they clicked email recovery links.
NEAR said it fixed the issue on the day it was reported and deleted the data. The company also said it had found no indicators of compromise and that funds were not at risk. Those points are NEAR's own account of the incident.
After the incident, NEAR stopped allowing email or SMS recovery for newly created wallets and advised affected users to rotate their keys, according to Decrypt's coverage. The new feature marks the return of email-based recovery, now paired with at least two extra verification methods.
Wallet changes on NEARThe update comes as NEAR consolidates its wallet options. Phemex News reported that MyNearWallet, a non-custodial wallet in the NEAR ecosystem, will shut down on October 31, 2026. Users are being directed to migrate to near.com. NEAR has said assets remain stored on-chain, so users need a new way to access them rather than a new place to hold them.
SourcesThe Block: NEAR Protocol discloses breach of email and SMS data tied to user wallets
Decrypt: Near Protocol discloses wallet breach that may have exposed private keys
Phemex News: MyNearWallet to shut down October 31, users must migrate assets
Starknet (STRK), LayerZero (ZRO), and NEAR Protocol (NEAR) are the top 3 altcoins of the week by CoinGecko’s seven-day gains. However, the biggest gainer now shows the weakest chart.
STRK rose 81.7% over seven days, ZRO added 21.7%, and NEAR gained 12.3%. Bitway (BTW) ranked second but trades on thin volume, and was recently covered by BeInCrypto’s weekly series.
Top 6 altcoins by seven-day gains. Source: CoinGeckoSTRK Price Faces Further Decline After 80% Weekly RallyLast week, STRK printed a weekly candle of nearly 110%. The rally stalled near $0.12.
Technical Indicators: Weekly RSI dropped from an overbought 77 to 65, showing that buying momentum is weakening. An October 15 token unlock of 127 million STRK could add selling pressure. Price Projection: If STRK falls below $0.083, the next downside target is $0.06. However, a recovery above $0.12 could push the price toward $0.151 and potentially $0.181. STRK weekly chart. Source: TradingViewZRO Price Targets $3 as Buying Momentum GrowsZRO trades at $2.40, up 17.8% in 24 hours. It has moved above the important $2.19 resistance level, which has repeatedly blocked rallies for more than a year.
Technical Indicators: Weekly RSI has reached 72, suggesting strong buying momentum but also a risk of overheating. Trading volume is at its highest since February, supporting the rally. Price Projection: A weekly close above $2.19 could push ZRO toward $2.54–$2.60. Breaking that resistance could open the way to $3.04. However, renewed selling could send the price back toward $1.84, followed by $1.41. ZRO weekly chart. Source: TradingViewNEAR Price Could Rally Another 18% if Support HoldsNEAR trades at $5.63, up 4.8% in 24 hours. Despite a roughly 5% decline this week, the token remains above its important $5.42 support level.
Technical Indicators: Weekly RSI has remained near 75 for four weeks, showing sustained buying strength but also an increased correction risk. Strong trading volume during September’s breakout supports the bullish trend. Price Projection: If NEAR holds above $5.42, it could climb toward $6.66, an approximately 18% gain. However, losing this support could trigger a decline toward $4.54. A deeper correction could take prices toward $3.10–$3.35. NEAR weekly chart. Source: TradingViewOverall, ZRO and NEAR show stronger bullish momentum, while STRK faces a higher risk of further correction after its sharp rally.
However, all three tokens are approaching critical price levels that could determine their next move.
For traders, the key will be whether buying volume remains strong enough to push prices above resistance or whether profit-taking triggers a deeper pullback.
Cover image via depositphotos.com Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
NEAR is trading near $5.25 after a strong run. Since August, the coin has climbed from under $2 to above $5, and the primary trend still points up. But price has hit the same area several times without closing above it, and that is what makes investors nervous.
The region between $5.30 and $5.60 is the key test. Price reached about $5.56 in late September and about $5.65 in early October. Both times, sellers pushed it back down. Each rejection made the area look stronger, which is why many people now call it unbreakable.
NEAR/USDT Chart by TradingViewThe daily chart still favors buyers. Price remains well above its main moving averages, and the sharp drop to about $4.30 was fully bought back. Volume has been lighter in recent days, though, so the market is waiting for a clean move.
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Scenario 1: BreakoutIf NEAR closes a full day above $5.65 with strong volume, the ceiling is broken. The next targets are around $6.00, then the round $6.50 level. A bounce from the $5.00 area would support this view. Volume should also expand on the breakout day and hold up on any retest, which would show that buyers are willing to defend the new level.
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Scenario 2: RejectionIf price fails once again between $5.30 and $5.60, a pullback is likely. The first support sits near $4.90, then near $4.45, where the recent sell-off stopped. If $4.45 breaks, the bullish setup weakens and price could test $4.00. A close below $4.90 would be an early warning that the pullback is deepening, so it helps to decide in advance how far price can move before you change your view.
Watch the daily close. A close above $5.65 turns the chart strongly bullish. A close below $4.90 is an early warning sign. Until NEAR holds above the top of this range, the safer view is that it remains stuck between these levels.
As first flagged by @MSBIntel, @RobinhoodCrypto Chain is now fully live on @NEARProtocol's @near_intents, opening up bridgeless cross-chain swapping for Robinhood users across a wide range of assets and networks.
What the Integration Does Specifically,
The integration runs through NEAR Intents' 1Click Swap API.
How NEAR Intents WorksFor those unfamiliar, NEAR Intents takes a different approach to cross-chain trading than traditional bridges.
The Robinhood Chain addition is the latest in a string of NEAR Intents integrations in 2026,
Sources:
Crypto Briefing: Robinhood Chain plugs into NEAR Intents for swaps across 180+ assets
Token Post: NEAR Intents Adds Robinhood Chain With Six Supported Assets
CoinMarketCap: NEAR Surges 5.83% on Robinhood Integration and AI Narrative
NEAR Protocol (NEAR): Trades near $4.79, below main resistance at $5.60, with $4.35 as key support. RSI in the mid-50s leaves room for a push, but a close above $5.00 is needed first.XRP (XRP): Trades near $1.38, on top of the 200-day average. RSI near 42 and low volume point to indecision, and the $1.33 to $1.40 range decides the next move.Shiba Inu (SHIB): Trades near $0.00000536 after falling below the 200-day average. The 100-day average near $0.00000529 is key support, and SHIB likely stays between $0.00000510 and $0.00000565.Bitcoin (BTC): Trades near $82,949 after bouncing from the 20-day average. The trend remains bullish, with $87,000 as resistance and $80,000 as the first support to watch.NEAR Rally Pauses Below $5.60 ResistanceNEAR trades near $4.79 after a rough few days. The coin ran from about $1.60 in late August to nearly $5.60 in late September, a gain of more than 250%. Since then, price has failed three times to close above $5.60, which makes that level the main ceiling.
NEAR/USDT Chart by TradingViewThe latest red candle was the biggest drop of the move. NEAR fell to $4.44 on high volume, then bounced and is now green. The low touched the 20-day average, which sits near $4.35, and buyers stepped in right there, which is a good sign. A bounce from a rising average often means the trend is still alive. The 50-day average is near $3.67 and the 200-day is near $2.45.
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RSI has cooled from the overbought zone and now sits in the mid-50s. That removes some of the heat from the rally and leaves space for another push. Volume fell on today's bounce, so buyers still need to prove they are back.
The wider picture still favors bulls. Every moving average points up, and they sit in the right order. Price is far above all of them, so a pullback has lots of room before the trend breaks. A close above $5.60 would open a new high. If $4.35 breaks, expect a drop toward $3.80 and then the $3.60 area.
What happens next: The first goal is $5.00. A daily close above it would put $5.60 back in play. Until NEAR closes above $5.00, the price will likely move sideways between $4.35 and $5.60.
XRP Price Tests the 200-Day AverageXRP trades near $1.38 after falling from the $1.50 zone. The coin is now right on top of the 200-day average, the black line near $1.38. This is the most important level on the chart, and how XRP closes here will set the next move.
XRP/USDT Chart by TradingViewThe drop was sharp. A large red candle took price through the 20-day and 50-day averages. A long wick then reached $1.32 before buyers pushed price back up. That wick shows demand near the 100-day average, the orange line around $1.335. Earlier, XRP broke above a falling trend line in September and reached $1.65. That move was strong, but price could not hold above $1.55, and the coin has now given back most of those gains.
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RSI is near 42, which is weak but not oversold. Volume on the latest candles is low. That means sellers are not very aggressive, but buyers are not either.
Above price, several averages bunch up between $1.40 and $1.46, and they will act as resistance. XRP needs a daily close above $1.46 to show real strength. If XRP holds the 200-day line and closes above $1.40, a move to $1.45 and then $1.50 is likely. If the line breaks, the next support is $1.33, followed by the $1.25 area, where price bounced in mid-September. A close below $1.25 would turn the trend bearish.
For now, the $1.33 to $1.40 range decides the next move.
SHIB Sellers Push Price Below the 200-Day LineSHIB trades near $0.00000536 after a sudden sell-off. Price fell from the $0.00000600 area and dropped below the 200-day average, the black line near $0.00000565. That was the main reason for the fall. SHIB could not hold above this line, and sellers took over fast.
SHIB/USDT Chart by TradingViewThe drop stopped at the orange line, the 100-day average near $0.00000529. A long wick went down to $0.00000510, but buyers pushed price back up. Today's candle is green, which shows some demand at this level. The 100-day line is now the key support.
RSI is near 45, which is neutral and slightly weak. Volume on the bounce is low, so buyers are not very confident yet. The drop itself came with higher volume, which gives sellers the edge for now.
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Above price, there is a crowded zone. The 20-day and 50-day averages sit near $0.00000545 to $0.00000548, and the 200-day line is at $0.00000565. These levels will slow any bounce. SHIB needs a daily close above $0.00000565 to show real strength. If SHIB holds $0.00000529 and moves above $0.00000548, a test of $0.00000565 is likely. A close above that line could open the way to $0.00000600.
If $0.00000529 breaks, the next support is $0.00000500, where price bounced in mid-September. A close below $0.00000500 would put the $0.00000470 area in play.
For now, SHIB stays in a tight range between $0.00000510 and $0.00000565.
Healthy Pullback Within an UptrendBitcoin trades near $82,949 after a drop from the $87,000 area. Price fell to $80,300 and then bounced back, closing today in the green. The bounce came right at the 20-day average, the light blue line near $80,700. This is a healthy sign in an uptrend.
The 50-day average is near $79,800, the 100-day is near $75,900, and the 200-day is near $75,200. All the main averages point up, and price is well above all of them, so the trend is not in danger yet.
BTC/USDT Chart by TradingViewRSI is near 45. It cooled down from the high levels seen in August and September, which gives room for another move up without being overheated. The latest drop also came with the highest volume in weeks, so sellers are active.
The bigger picture is still bullish. Since August, BTC has climbed from $63,000 to $87,000. A close above $87,000 would open a path to new highs near $90,000.
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BTC has failed twice to hold above $87,000, and that level is now strong resistance. If $80,000 breaks, the next support is the 50-day average near $79,800, then $77,000. A close below $75,000 would break the 100-day and 200-day lines and turn the trend weak.
The first goal is $85,000. A close above it would put $87,000 back in play. Until $75,000 breaks, buyers hold control, and dips toward $80,000 look like chances to buy.
Kripto para piyasasında satış baskısı devam ederken Bitcoin (BTC), 80.000 dolar seviyesinin üzerinde tutunmaya çalışıyor. 87.000 dolardan başlayan sert geri çekilmenin ardından 82.949 dolar civarında dengelenen Bitcoin’de yatırımcıların gözü kritik destek ve direnç seviyelerine çevrildi. Özellikle 80.000 dolar desteğinin korunup korunamayacağı, kısa vadeli fiyat hareketleri açısından büyük önem taşıyor. Piyasadaki belirsizlik sürerken XRP, NEAR ve Shiba Inu da satış baskısıyla karşı karşıya kalıyor. Analistler, Bitcoin’in önümüzdeki süreçte göstereceği performansın altcoin piyasasının yönü üzerinde de etkili olabileceğini değerlendiriyor.
Bitcoin’de 80.000 Dolar Desteği Neden Önemli? Bitcoin, 87.000 dolar direncini aşamamasının ardından artan satış baskısıyla birlikte 80.300 dolara kadar geriledi. Ancak 20 günlük hareketli ortalama olan 80.700 dolar çevresinden gelen alımlar, fiyatın yeniden toparlanmasını sağladı. Bu gelişme, piyasada alıcıların henüz kontrolü tamamen kaybetmediğine işaret ediyor. Teknik analizde 80.000 dolar seviyesi kritik destek olarak öne çıkarken, bu bölgenin kaybedilmesi durumunda satış baskısının daha da derinleşebileceği değerlendiriliyor. Olası düşüş senaryosunda 79.800 dolar ilk önemli destek noktası olarak izlenirken, bu seviyenin altında 77.000 dolar bölgesi gündeme gelebilir. Bitcoin’in 80.000 dolar üzerinde kalıcılık sağlaması ise kısa vadeli toparlanma beklentilerini destekleyebilir.
Bitcoin’in yeniden yükseliş ivmesi kazanabilmesi için 85.000 dolar üzerinde günlük kapanış gerçekleştirmesi gerekiyor. Bu senaryoda 87.000 dolar direnci yeniden test edilebilir. Teknik göstergeler ise temkinli bir görünüme işaret ediyor. RSI göstergesinin 45 seviyesine gerilemesi piyasadaki aşırı alım baskısının azaldığını gösterirken, düşüş sırasında işlem hacminin yükselmesi satıcıların hâlâ aktif olduğunu ortaya koyuyor.
Analizde dikkat çeken değerlendirme şöyle:
“Bitcoin’de 87.000 dolar seviyesi iki kez aşılamadı. Buna karşılık 80.000 doların üzerinde kalındığı sürece alıcıların kontrolü tamamen kaybetmediği görülüyor.”
XRP ve NEAR İçin Kritik Fiyat Seviyeleri Bitcoin’deki sert dalgalanmalar altcoin piyasasını da doğrudan etkilerken XRP ve NEAR Protocol kritik fiyat seviyelerinde işlem görmeye devam ediyor. XRP, 1,38 dolar civarında dengelenmeye çalışırken yatırımcıların gözü 1,40 dolar direncine çevrildi. Bu seviyenin aşılması ve üzerinde kalıcı kapanışların gerçekleşmesi durumunda fiyatın önce 1,45 dolar, ardından 1,50 dolar seviyesine doğru yükseliş göstermesi mümkün olabilir. Ancak satış baskısının yeniden artması halinde 1,33 dolar desteği kritik önem taşıyor. Bu bölgenin kaybedilmesi, XRP’de düşüş riskini artırabilir.
NEAR Protocol tarafında ise 4,79 dolar seviyesi yakından takip ediliyor. Son dönemde yaşanan sert fiyat hareketlerinin ardından toparlanma sinyalleri veren NEAR için 5,00 dolar direnci kısa vadeli yön açısından belirleyici konumda bulunuyor. Fiyatın bu seviyenin üzerinde günlük kapanış gerçekleştirmesi, 5,60 dolar direncine doğru yeni bir yükseliş hareketinin önünü açabilir. Buna karşılık 5,00 doların aşılamaması durumunda fiyatın bir süre daha yatay seyretmesi ve 4,35 dolar desteğine doğru geri çekilmesi ihtimali gündemde kalıyor.
Yatırımcıları Ne Bekliyor? Genel değerlendirmede Bitcoin’in 80.000 dolar seviyesinin üzerinde kalıcılık sağlaması, kripto para piyasasının kısa vadeli yönü açısından belirleyici olacak. Özellikle 85.000 dolar direncinin aşılması, piyasadaki toparlanma beklentilerini güçlendirerek Bitcoin’in yeniden 87.000 dolar seviyesine yönelmesini sağlayabilir. Ancak 80.000 dolar desteğinin kaybedilmesi durumunda satış baskısının derinleşmesi ve fiyatın daha düşük destek bölgelerine gerilemesi ihtimali gündeme gelebilir. Öte yandan Bitcoin’deki fiyat hareketlerinin XRP, NEAR ve Shiba Inu gibi altcoinler üzerinde de etkili olması bekleniyor. Bu nedenle yatırımcıların önümüzdeki süreçte Bitcoin’in kritik destek ve direnç seviyelerini, işlem hacmini ve piyasa momentumunu yakından takip etmesi önem taşıyor.
Son dakika kripto para haberleri için hemen tıkla
Konu ile ilgili yorumlarınızı bize yazabilirsiniz. Ayrıca, bu tarz bilgilendirici içeriklerin devamının gelmesini isterseniz, bizleri Telegram, Youtube ve Twitter kanallarımızdan takip edebilirsiniz.
NEAR Protocol’s native token climbed at least 83% over a recent 30-day window. Bitcoin managed roughly 5% and Ether about 1% over the same stretch.
Some measurements of the move run even higher, up to 172% across 30-day periods between September and October 2026.
The rally pushed NEAR back into the top 20 crypto assets by market capitalization.
What drove the rally Market capitalization peaked at around $7.2 billion, with the token trading near $5.50 at that high point. As of early October, NEAR was moving between $4.70 and $5.50.
The first big catalyst was Wall Street-shaped. The Bitwise NRR, the first US spot NEAR ETF, launched on September 29, 2026.
It pulled in nearly $58 million during its first week. For a token that previously required a crypto exchange account to own, that is a meaningful new on-ramp.
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A spot ETF holds the actual token rather than futures contracts. That means a brokerage customer buying NRR shares can create real demand for NEAR itself, without ever touching a wallet or a seed phrase.
The second driver is NEAR Intents, the network’s cross-chain trading system. Cumulative volume has passed somewhere in the range of $31-33 billion, spread across more than 30 chains.
A hack, a fast recovery and a tokenomics rethink The rally did not arrive without drama. NEAR Intents suffered a $3.8 million exploit in early October 2026.
The funds were fully recovered within 24 hours.
Meanwhile, NEAR’s community is debating a change to how many new tokens the network creates each year. A governance proposal would lower maximum annual issuance from 2.5% to 1.6%, phased in over two years.
The proposal could avoid roughly 66 million new tokens over six years. At late-September prices, that supply would have been worth about $329 million.
There is a tradeoff. Staking yields would fall from approximately 5.4% to 3.5%, since rewards come from the newly issued tokens being cut.
Background: still far from the old highs NEAR is a sharded Layer-1 blockchain. Sharding splits the network into parallel pieces that process transactions simultaneously.
Despite the recent surge, the token sits well below its all-time high of around $20, set in January 2022. The current $4.70 to $5.50 range is still a fraction of that peak.
What this means for investors The NRR launch puts NEAR into a small group of assets that US investors can buy through a standard brokerage account, and nearly $58 million in first-week inflows shows some of them are using it.
The issuance proposal fits that new audience. Lower dilution is the kind of feature that appeals to longer-term holders who care more about supply discipline than about squeezing out a few extra percentage points of yield.
For stakers, the math changes. A drop from approximately 5.4% to 3.5% is meaningful for anyone running a yield strategy.
Technical signals point to caution in the near term. NEAR’s Relative Strength Index has at times pushed above 70-80, readings that typically mark overbought conditions.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
NEAR Protocol, son 30 günde yaklaşık %125 yükselerek piyasa değeri bakımından ilk 20 kripto para arasına girdi. Ancak Bitwise CIO’su Matt Hougan’ın ilgisini çeken yalnızca fiyat rallisi değil. NEAR Intents, 30 milyar doları aşan kümülatif işlem hacmine ulaştı ve bu yıl yaklaşık 45 milyon dolar ücret geliri üretme yolunda ilerliyor.
Hougan’a göre NEAR’ın yapay zekâ ajanlarına yönelik büyük hedefi gerçekleşmese bile proje mevcut işiyle değer yaratabilir. Yine de iki soru önemini koruyor: NEAR Intents büyümesini sürdürebilecek mi ve kısa süre önce yaşanan 3,8 milyon dolarlık güvenlik ihlali bu ivmeyi etkiler mi?
Bitwise NEAR’da Neden Fırsat Görüyor? NEAR, üçüncü çeyrekte yaklaşık %198 yükselerek Bitcoin ve Ethereum’dan daha güçlü bir performans sergiledi. Son 30 gündeki yaklaşık %125’lik artış da tokenı piyasa değeri sıralamasında ilk 20’ye taşıdı. Ancak Hougan, yatırım tezini yalnızca bu yükselişe dayandırmıyor.
NEAR kendisini “yapay zekâ için blokzincir” olarak konumlandırıyor. Uzun vadeli hedefi, yapay zekâ ajanlarının birbirleriyle işlem yapabildiği ve dış dünyayla etkileşim kurabildiği bir altyapı oluşturmak.
Bu vizyona yönelik temel eleştiri ise bugünkü kullanıcı tabanıyla ilgili. NEAR ağını hâlâ ağırlıklı olarak insanlar kullanıyor; yapay zekâ ajanları henüz kullanımın merkezinde değil.
Hougan için belirleyici nokta, projenin gelecekteki yapay zekâ fırsatına bağlı kalmadan da gelir üreten bir ürüne sahip olması. Bitwise yöneticisi, NEAR’a yatırım yaparken yalnızca yapay zekâ ihtimalini satın almadığını, mevcut bir blokzincir işine de yatırım yaptığını savunuyor.
NEAR Intents Nasıl Çalışıyor, Ne Kadar Gelir Üretiyor? Hougan’ın dikkat çektiği ürünlerden biri NEAR Intents. Platform, kullanıcıların cüzdanlar, köprüler ve borsalar arasındaki teknik karmaşıklıkla uğraşmadan farklı kripto ağları arasında işlem yapmasını sağlıyor.
İşlemlerin arka planında ise solver adı verilen piyasa yapıcı botlar bulunuyor. Bu botlar, kullanıcının talebini karşılayacak işlemleri gerçekleştiriyor. Böylece kullanıcı, farklı ağlarda işlemleri tek tek yönetmek zorunda kalmıyor.
NEAR Intents’in kümülatif işlem hacmi 30 milyar doları aştı. Hougan, ürünün bu yıl yaklaşık 45 milyon dolar ücret geliri elde etme yolunda ilerlediğini belirtiyor.
Bu gelirlerin bir bölümü token geri alımlarında kullanılıyor. Böylece ürünün faaliyetlerinden elde edilen gelirin bir kısmı NEAR token sahiplerine yönelik geri alım mekanizmasına aktarılıyor.
Hougan’ın değerlendirmesi burada önem kazanıyor. Yapay zekâ ajanlarının beklenen büyüklüğe ulaşmaması veya NEAR’ın bu pazardan sınırlı pay alması durumunda bile Intents’in mevcut ticari faaliyetleri yatırım tezini destekleyebilir.
3,8 Milyon Dolarlık Güvenlik İhlali NEAR İçin Risk mi? NEAR ekosisteminin yükseliş hikâyesine rağmen güvenlik tarafında önemli bir sorun da yaşandı. NEAR Intents, yaklaşık 3,8 milyon dolarlık kayıpla sonuçlanan bir güvenlik ihlaline uğradı.
Olayın ardından platform hizmetlerini durdurdu ve birden fazla blokzincirde yatırma ve çekme işlemlerini geçici olarak askıya aldı.
Projenin açıklamasına göre sorun, Omni yatırma-çekme sistemiyle NEAR Intents akıllı sözleşmesi arasındaki etkileşimden kaynaklanan bir yazılımsal hataydı. Ekip açığı giderdiğini ve etkilenen kullanıcıların zararlarını tamamen karşılayacağını bildirdi.
Bu olay, NEAR Intents’in artan işlem hacmi ve gelir potansiyelinin yanında güvenlik risklerinin de önem taşıdığını gösteriyor. Platformun kullanıcı güvenini koruması, büyümesini sürdürmesi açısından kritik olacak.
NEAR’ın yatırım hikâyesi artık yalnızca yapay zekâ anlatısına dayanmıyor. 30 milyar doları aşan işlem hacmi ve beklenen ücret geliri, projenin bugünkü faaliyetlerine somut bir zemin sağlıyor. Ancak tokenın yükselişini destekleyen bu tablonun kalıcı değere dönüşmesi, gelir üretiminin sürmesine ve güvenlik sorunlarının tekrarlanmamasına bağlı.
Bu içerik genel piyasa verilerine dayanır ve yatırım tavsiyesi değildir. Kendi araştırmanızı yapmanızı öneririz.
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NEAR has entered the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, surpassing Stellar, with a 138% increase in the last 30 days.
While the cryptocurrency market as a whole is experiencing selling pressure, NEAR Protocol’s native token has attracted investor attention with its strong performance. According to CoinGecko data, NEAR has gained approximately 138% in value over the past 30 days, placing it among the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.
As of the time of writing, NEAR’s market capitalization had reached $7.2 billion, with a daily trading volume of $1.2 billion. This surge puts the token ahead of Stellar, which has a market capitalization of approximately $7 billion.
One of the key developments behind the rally was the growth of the NEAR Intents protocol, which enables transactions across different blockchains. The protocol’s cumulative transaction volume exceeded $31 billion. NEAR Intents allows users or AI agents to perform asset swaps and transfers between chains without directly dealing with complex bridging operations.
On the institutional side, the launch of the first US spot NEAR investment product attracted attention. Launched by Bitwise and traded on the NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol NRR, the product allows investors to access the NEAR price without directly holding the token.
It’s important to remember that the rise isn’t entirely risk-free. NEAR Intents’ deposit and withdrawal infrastructure was recently compromised with a $3.8 million attack. The project team announced that all stolen funds have been recovered. While the swift resolution of the incident eased market concerns, infrastructure security remains closely monitored.
NEAR’s future performance may be determined by ETF demand, the sustainability of Intents trading volume, and potential profit-taking following the rise. While the 138% increase indicates strong momentum, such rapid increases also raise the risk of volatility.
*This is not investment advice.
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NEAR Protocol (NEAR), Bitwise CEO’su Matt Hougan’ın projenin yapay zeka alanındaki büyüme potansiyeline dikkat çekmesinin ardından yüzde 6’nın üzerinde yükseldi. NEAR fiyatı 5,38 dolara ulaşırken son 30 gündeki kazancı yüzde 130’u aştı. Hougan, NEAR Intents platformunun 30 milyar doları aşan işlem hacmini ve artan gelirlerini vurgulayarak projenin yalnızca gelecekteki beklentilere değil, mevcut kullanım alanlarına da sahip olduğunu belirtti.
İlginizi Çekebilir: NEAR 6 Dolara mı Gidiyor? Grayscale Yapay Zekayı İşaret Etti
Bitwise CEO’sundan NEAR İçin Dikkat Çeken Açıklama Bitwise CEO’su Matt Hougan, NEAR Protocol’ü mevcut faaliyetleri ve yapay zeka potansiyeliyle öne çıkan kripto para projelerinden biri olarak değerlendirdi. Hougan, küçük piyasa değerine sahip kripto varlıkların büyük yükseliş potansiyeli taşıyabileceğini ancak çoğunun henüz gerçekleşmemiş beklentilere dayandığını ifade etti. NEAR’ın bu noktada farklılaştığını belirten Hougan, projenin halihazırda önemli bir işlem hacmi oluşturduğuna dikkat çekti. NEAR Intents’in toplam işlem hacmi 30 milyar doları aşarken son 30 günlük hacim 4 milyar doların üzerine çıktı. Platformun aylık gelirinin 2 milyon doları geçmesi de büyüme beklentilerini destekledi.
NEAR Intents, farklı blockchain ağları arasında işlemlerin daha kolay gerçekleştirilmesini sağlayan altyapısıyla dikkat çekiyor. Platform, kullanıcıların ve yapay zeka ajanlarının istedikleri işlem sonuçlarını belirlemesine olanak tanırken işlemlerin gerçekleştirilmesini çözümleyici ağlar üzerinden yönetiyor. Paylaşılan verilere göre NEAR Intents’in 30 günlük işlem hacmi yıllık bazda yüzde 896 artarken gelirlerinde yüzde 512 büyüme kaydedildi. Ayrıca Ondo Finance entegrasyonu sayesinde tokenize edilmiş ABD hisseleri ve ETF’lerine farklı blockchain ağlarından erişim sağlanması, platformun kullanım alanlarını genişletiyor.
Yapay Zeka Potansiyeli NEAR Fiyatını Destekleyebilir Matt Hougan, NEAR’ın uzun vadeli büyüme fırsatının yapay zeka ajanlarının ekonomik işlemlerinde önemli bir altyapı haline gelmesinden kaynaklanabileceğini belirtti. Projenin hızlı, düşük maliyetli ve farklı blockchain ağlarıyla uyumlu işlem altyapısı, bu hedef açısından önemli avantajlar sunuyor. Bitwise’ın değerlendirmesine göre yapay zeka ajanlarının dijital ekonomide daha aktif hale gelmesi, NEAR ağı üzerindeki işlem talebini artırabilir.
Şirket, konuya ilişkin değerlendirmesinde şu ifadeleri kullandı:
“Eğer yapay zeka ajanları dijital altyapının baskın kullanıcıları olursa, NEAR onların uzlaşma katmanı olursa fayda sağlayabilir.”
Bitwise CEO’sunun açıklamalarının ardından NEAR fiyatı son 24 saatte yüzde 6,23 yükselerek 5,38 dolara ulaştı. Kripto para biriminin son 30 günde yüzde 130’un üzerinde değer kazanması, yatırımcıların projeye yönelik ilgisinin arttığını gösteriyor. Bitwise’ın ABD’de spot NEAR ETF’sini piyasaya sürmesi de projeye yönelik kurumsal erişimi genişleten gelişmeler arasında yer alıyor. Bununla birlikte NEAR fiyatındaki hızlı yükselişin ardından kâr satışları ve kısa vadeli dalgalanmalar yaşanabileceği göz önünde bulunduruluyor.
Değerlendirme NEAR Protocol, büyüyen işlem hacmi, artan platform gelirleri ve yapay zeka odaklı altyapısıyla kripto para piyasasında dikkat çekmeye devam ediyor. Bitwise CEO’su Matt Hougan’ın açıklamaları, projenin uzun vadeli potansiyeline yönelik beklentileri güçlendirirken NEAR fiyatındaki yükselişi de gündeme taşıdı. Ancak yatırımcılar açısından yapay zeka alanındaki gelişmelerin gerçek ağ kullanımına ve sürdürülebilir gelir artışına dönüşmesi belirleyici olacak.
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NEAR Protocol (NEAR) surged 8.7% over the past 24 hours, settling in the $5.31–$5.41 range. With a market capitalization of $7 billion, the asset pushed Stellar (XLM) out of 20th place in the global ranking by CoinGecko.
The culmination of this breakout was a unique precedent for the industry — the commercial launch of the first-ever post-quantum asset on the near.com platform.
It is the native token QTC of the Quantus Network, fully protected against attacks by supercomputers through the ML-DSA cryptographic standard approved by NIST. This step moved theoretical discussions about the quantum threat to Web3 into the realm of real-world products.
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The connecting link was the NEAR Intents architecture: the Confidential Intents feature enabled direct and confidential swaps of QTC for more than 180 assets across 30 different blockchains, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, in a single click directly from wallets, bypassing vulnerable traditional bridges.
NEAR token rose for two straight months while everyone was watching BitcoinThis historic launch capped a broad-based NEAR uptrend that had been developing over the past two months. According to weekly TradingView charts, the asset had been steadily breaking out of a prolonged accumulation phase around $1.50–$1.80 since late August.
Weekly price chart showing NEAR Protocol's breakout and entry into the top 20 cryptocurrencies, Source: TradingViewBeyond the quantum catalyst, the long-term rally was driven by a combination of fundamental factors: integration with Robinhood Crypto Chain, which simplified operations with the USDG stablecoin and Ethereum, as well as capital inflows from institutional funds, including Digital Commodities, diversifying their portfolios toward AI infrastructure and Chain Abstraction technologies.
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For NEAR Protocol itself, which already supports quantum-safe account signatures on mainnet and plans to upgrade its consensus by the end of 2027, the QTC integration became a practical demonstration of the network's readiness for the next generation of technology, cementing the project's position in the top tier of the crypto market.
Onchain Tools Closing the Gap With Centralized ExchangesNEAR Protocol co-founder Illia Polosukhin made a pointed case against centralized exchanges at the Digital Asset Summit 2026 in Singapore, telling The Block that users no longer need centralized exchanges for "a lot" of crypto activity as near(.)com expands its onchain offerings.
Polosukhin illustrated his argument with a personal anecdote: one of his own accounts was deleted by a centralized exchange despite his knowing the company's CEO. "You log in, and it says this account doesn't exist," he said.
Near(.)com brings spot trading across different chains, tokenized stocks, earn products, and perpetual futures into one interface. Polosukhin described the platform as "almost there" and said it has a "big roadmap of things to keep adding," pointing to bank withdrawals, transaction records for tax purposes, and selective disclosure of confidential transactions among the areas it is working on.
Privacy is also a priority. Most of NEAR Intents' infrastructure has moved to a confidential shard, allowing trading activity to remain private while users can reveal individual transactions when needed.
Fiat Integration, Tokenized Stocks, and AI AgentsBeyond crypto-to-crypto activity, Polosukhin outlined a broader vision. Near(.)com is working with Monerium to support conversions between euros held in traditional bank accounts and EURe, a euro-denominated stablecoin. Over the long term, Polosukhin said, the goal is to enable swaps of any asset through NEAR Intents.
Tokenized equities are already live on the platform. Tokenized stocks were added to near(.)com in September through an integration with Ondo Finance, and the platform plans to add more globally traded stocks. The launch started with 20 assets, including tokenized exposure to Tesla, NVIDIA, and Apple, as well as ETFs such as QQQ. Users can fund purchases with USDC, Bitcoin, or other supported assets held across more than 30 blockchain networks, all from one account.
Polosukhin also pointed to artificial intelligence as a coming force in onchain markets. He has previously argued that "the users of blockchain will be AI agents," with AI handling the front end and blockchain serving as the back end. That framing positions near(.)com not just as a trading platform, but as infrastructure for a future where automated agents handle onchain activity on behalf of users.
Sources:
The Block: NEAR's Polosukhin sees shrinking need for centralized exchanges as onchain tools expand
CoinGape: Ondo Finance Partners With near.com to Bring Tokenized U.S. Stocks and ETFs Onchain
Crypto Reporter: near.com Partners With Ondo to Bring Tokenized U.S. Stocks and ETFs Alongside Crypto, Confidentially
NEAR Protocol price surged by 7% to $5.51 on Thursday, outperforming BTC, ETH, and XRP during a broader selloff. The NEAR price became one of the 20 most popular cryptocurrencies, and its market capitalization was about $7.2 billion.
NEAR Protocol Price Rises as BTC, ETH and XRP Decline Bitcoin price continued to roll back its correction to around $82,000 in the morning and about $550 million in leveraged cryptocurrency positions were liquidated. Ethereum price hovered at $2,565, and XRP pulled back, taking the focus on the $1.40 level.
JUST IN: $NEAR enters the top 20 crypto by market cap after surging 8.7% today and flipping XLM. https://t.co/BvRacimXas
— CoinGecko (@coingecko) October 8, 2026
Rising oil prices, higher Treasury yields, and a stronger dollar weighed on speculative assets. NEAR moved against that trend after a sustained rally, with a strong surge of138% growth over 30 days.
Robinhood Chain Integration and NEAR Intents Growth Fuel Interest On October 7, Robinhood Chain was made accessible via near.com, expanding on the coverage to blockchain networks. Users have a chance to exchange ETH and USDG with over 180 assets in over 30 chains.
The integration also facilitates deposits, withdrawals, and payments without having to browse different bridge interfaces. This extends the possible liquidity and settlement layer NEAR Intents can play between Robinhood Chain and other networks.
Over $31 billion in total transactions have been completed by NEAR Intents, indicating a wider need to engage in cross-chain trading. But the growth of transactions in itself does not determine the extent of demand for the NEAR token.
NEAR ETF Launch and Security Upgrades Support Investor Confidence On September 29, Bitwise launched its NEAR fund and began trading on NYSE Arca, under the ticker NRR.
The product offers token exposure via brokerage accounts, expanding access to those investors who may like more traditional investment paths. Bitwise also plans to put its holdings to stake, and the fund will gain rewards by assisting in securing the network.
NEAR’s July mainnet upgrade introduced quantum-safe account signing, adding protection against potential future attacks on existing cryptography. The upgrade enables account holders to change access keys without changing their current account identities and balances.
Individually, NEAR Intents had lost $3.8 million stolen via its deposit and withdrawal system. The full recovery of the funds was reported by the General Manager, Alex Shevchenko on the 2 nd of October after the exploit.
How High Will NEAR Protocol Price Go? A four-hour chart showed NEAR price traded at $5.275, with a surge of 7%.
The RSI stood at 56.26, slightly above its 55.92 average and the neutral 50 threshold.
The MACD line measured 0.090 against a 0.074 signal line, leaving a positive histogram of 0.016. The bullish trend indicates a continuation of the upside, but the close proximity indicates a lack of momentum.
A sustained four-hour close above $5.50 for the detailed NEAR price analysis would strengthen the case for a move toward $6.00.
Source: TradingView Inability to clear resistance might have the effect of reintroducing the $5.00 support. If NEAR price moves lower below this, then it would invalidate the bullish setup and increase the possibility of a much bigger correction.
NEAR has just gained about 138% in only 30 days and now joins the top 20 of the crypto market by capitalization. The token is trading around 5.50 dollars, for a valuation close to 7.2 billion. Behind this rise, NEAR Intents now exceeds 31 billion dollars in cumulative volume, while a first American spot product dedicated to NEAR has just arrived on Wall Street.
In brief NEAR shows about 138% increase over the last 30 days. Its capitalization reaches nearly 7.2 billion dollars. NEAR Intents has exceeded 31 billion dollars in cumulative volume. NEAR gains 138% and climbs in the crypto ranking The movement didn’t start this week. At the end of September, NEAR had already jumped nearly 80% in seven days. The crypto was then worth about 4.29 dollars. The rise continued. NEAR is now trading around 5.50 dollars. Its progression over 30 days reaches about 138%, while its capitalization climbs to about 7.2 billion dollars.
That is enough to join the top twenty cryptocurrencies by capitalization and notably surpass Stellar. Trading activity followed. About 1.2 billion dollars worth of NEAR changed hands in 24 hours at the last count.
The comparison with the general market is quite clear. When NEAR was gaining almost 80% in one week at the end of September, the entire crypto market progressed about 6% over the same period. NEAR was already standing apart. Two weeks later, the movement still holds.
NEAR Intents now exceeds 31 billion $ The price is not the only figure to rise. NEAR Intents has just surpassed 31 billion dollars in cumulative volume. The protocol enables exchanges between multiple blockchains without requiring the user to manage all the technical steps themselves.
At the end of September, its volume was still 29.3 billion dollars. Over 1.7 billion more has therefore been processed since. The protocol did experience a serious incident in early October. About 3.8 million dollars were withdrawn from its infrastructure after a breach. The matter ended quickly: the NEAR Intents hacker returned all the funds after a 48-hour ultimatum.
The incident did not stop the crypto’s rise. NEAR is also developing its services around confidential transactions. Deposits and withdrawals linked to perpetual contract trading can notably mask the link between the funding wallet and the associated trading account.
The network is also working on AI, with services allowing the use of NEAR to access confidential inference and agent hosting. Many projects at the same time. For the market, Intents however remains the most visible figure: 31 billion dollars.
Wall Street now has direct access to NEAR Another event happened just before the recent acceleration. On September 29, Bitwise launched the first American spot product directly exposed to NEAR. The NRR fund is now listed on the NYSE Arca, with an annual fee of 0.75%.
Investors can thus get exposure to the crypto without buying tokens directly or managing a wallet. The NEAR held by the fund are also intended for staking. Bitwise aims for network rewards in addition to price evolution, even though these yields are not guaranteed.
The launch comes at the right time. NEAR was still around 1.60 dollars at its August low. It now exceeds 5 dollars. Entering the top 20 obviously does not mean the 138% rise will continue at the same pace. After such a fast move, volatility can work both ways.
However, the current figures remain hard to ignore. 31 billion dollars on NEAR Intents. A spot product now listed in the United States. And 138% increase in one month. NEAR has just regained a place among the heavyweights of the crypto market.
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Lydie M.
Enseignante et ingénieure IT, Lydie découvre le Bitcoin en 2022 et plonge dans l’univers des cryptomonnaies. Elle vulgarise des sujets complexes, décrypte les enjeux du Web3 et défend une vision d’un futur numérique ouvert, inclusif et décentralisé.
DISCLAIMER
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.
Bitwise CEO Matt Hougan has picked NEAR as a rare smaller-cap crypto asset combining an existing business with major AI upside. Hougan pointed to NEAR Intents’ $30 billion-plus volume and growing revenue while describing its AI-agent ambitions as the longer-term opportunity.
Bitwise CEO Points to NEAR’s Existing Business Matt Hougan wrote that advisers often ask which smaller crypto assets could eventually become much larger. He normally approaches such bets cautiously because many depend almost entirely on future expectations.
NEAR stands out because it already has an operating business alongside its broader AI vision, according to Hougan. NEAR Intents has processed more than $30 billion in cumulative volume as adoption has expanded.
Thirty-day Intents volume has passed $4 billion, representing 896% year-over-year growth, according to figures shared by NEAR. Thirty-day revenue also exceeded $2 million and rose 512% from a year earlier.
That growth follows Bitwise’s deeper push into the asset, including the recent launch of its first U.S. spot NEAR ETF. The fund gives investors regulated brokerage access to NEAR while also incorporating staking rewards.
NEAR Intents Builds the Case for AI-Scale Commerce Bitwise described NEAR as building a settlement engine designed for fast and inexpensive AI-scale commerce. The network aims to support transactions between AI agents as their role in digital markets expands.
NEAR Intents plays a central role because it allows users or AI agents to specify desired outcomes. A network of market-making bots, called solvers, then handles the underlying cross-chain execution.
Bitwise described this structure as a flywheel where more AI agents could drive additional Intents activity. Greater Intents usage would then create more settlement demand on NEAR Protocol.
The network has also expanded beyond crypto transfers, including tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs through Ondo Finance. The integration uses NEAR Intents to provide cross-chain access to supported tokenized securities.
Bitwise CEO Sees AI as NEAR’s Moonshot Upside Bitwise CEO Matt Hougan said NEAR’s larger ambition is becoming infrastructure where AI agents can transact with each other and the wider economy. That vision builds on the network’s focus on scalability, interoperability, and private AI infrastructure.
The Bitwise CEO argued that investors are not relying entirely on that AI future because NEAR already generates activity through Intents. He described the existing blockchain business as the foundation, with the AI opportunity providing additional optionality.
“If AI agents become the dominant users of digital infrastructure,” Bitwise said, NEAR could benefit if it becomes their settlement layer.”
After the announcement, NEAR Protocol (NEAR) soared to $5.38, up 6.23% over the past 24 hours, extending a rally that has been up over 130% in the last 30 days.
Key Highlights The NEAR token surged from approximately $1.80 at the start of September to exceed $5, marking a 183% monthly increase. On September 29, Bitwise introduced the inaugural U.S. spot NEAR ETF (ticker: NRR), which accumulated $58 million during its opening week. A Grayscale analysis emphasized NEAR’s focus on “agentic commerce,” enabling AI agents to independently execute payments and commission tasks. Current trading levels place NEAR around $5.19, with immediate support identified at $5.13 and resistance between $5.39-$5.44. The MyNearWallet platform will cease operations on October 31, directing users to alternative solutions including Meteor Wallet and near.com. The NEAR Protocol token has delivered one of autumn’s most impressive cryptocurrency performances. Beginning September trading near the $1.80 level, the asset pushed beyond $5 as October arrived.
NEAR Price This upward movement translated into approximately 183% growth, based on figures referenced by Grayscale. The performance notably exceeded the wider AI-focused cryptocurrency segment, which registered 54% gains during the identical timeframe.
A substantial portion of the initial momentum originated in derivatives trading. Data from Santiment indicated that dollar-based open interest surged 119% during the period spanning September 13 through September 20.
Meanwhile, open interest calculated in NEAR tokens themselves expanded by just 21% within that same interval. This disparity indicates that leverage usage and token appreciation contributed more significantly than fresh position entries.
Funding rates elevated to approximately 1.6 times their two-month median level. Market participants have been monitoring chart patterns for indications of future direction.
Technical analyst Nebraskangooner identified an emerging pennant formation on NEAR’s chart, noting that traders should monitor this pennant pattern for the next significant directional move.
Spot market activity for NEAR also commenced on Hyperliquid during September 22-23. This development introduced direct NEAR/USDC pair trading alongside the platform’s existing perpetual contract market, where open interest approached $344 million.
The most significant development occurred September 29, when Bitwise unveiled America’s first spot NEAR exchange-traded fund. Trading on NYSE Arca under ticker symbol NRR, the fund carries a 0.75% annual management fee.
By October 6, the ETF had attracted approximately $58 million in assets during its inaugural week. Bitwise’s accompanying research established a $562.81 price projection for the year 2030.
AI Agent Infrastructure Shapes Investment Narrative The investment case for NEAR increasingly emphasizes AI agent functionality over general blockchain applications. Grayscale characterized the network as an infrastructure for agentic commerce, enabling autonomous agents to commission work and execute payments independently.
Grayscale names NEAR among the leaders of crypto's AI sector, calling it the "platform for agentic commerce."
NEAR was co-founded by @ilblackdragon, co-author of "Attention Is All You Need," the paper that introduced the transformer: the T in ChatGPT.https://t.co/YgPoTJVoMK
— NEAR Protocol (@NEARProtocol) October 5, 2026
The analysis highlighted NEAR’s chain abstraction capabilities, which enable agents to navigate multiple blockchains with reduced complexity. Additionally, co-founder Illia Polosukhin contributed to authoring the foundational Transformer architecture paper that underpins contemporary AI models.
On September 28, NEAR AI broadened its confidential-inference capabilities through an OpenRouter collaboration. Subsequently, NEAR One introduced SPICE, an architectural approach that decouples transaction execution from consensus mechanisms to enhance network scalability.
Market analyst Altcoin Sherpa expressed a more measured perspective, stating he would prefer to see additional consolidation over one to two weeks before another upward leg, emphasizing that NEAR’s trajectory remains heavily influenced by bitcoin’s movements.
$NEAR would love to see this chop and consolidate for another 1-2 weeks and then have a strong leg up. It's going to be bitcoin dependent imo but I still think near is a great coin pic.twitter.com/U7fGmHlqOw
— Altcoin Sherpa (@AltcoinSherpa) October 6, 2026
User Base Navigates Wallet Transition NEAR’s community confronts an operational change separate from price dynamics. MyNearWallet will discontinue service on October 31, with users redirected toward Meteor Wallet or near.com alternatives.
The transition process has included assisted migration tools since August, with feature restrictions beginning this month. User assets and staking arrangements remain secured on-chain throughout the changeover.
Trading activity has maintained momentum during this transition period. NEAR experienced a retreat to the $4.70-$4.80 range on October 5 before recovering to trade between $5.19 and $5.25 the following session.
Technical resistance is positioned near $5.39 to $5.44, while support maintains at $5.13. A decisive break above resistance could establish pathways toward $5.56 and subsequently $6.00.
The weekly Relative Strength Index for NEAR moderated to approximately 75 after approaching 85 in late September. The 50-day moving average is currently positioned near $2.90, well beneath today’s trading levels.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
NEAR entered September near $1.80 before accelerating sharply higher. After trading below $2.70 in mid-September, the token rose from approximately $2.62 on Sept. 16 to $4.60 by Sept. 24, according to historical market data.
The rally continued through the end of the month, with NEAR reaching approximately $5.55 on Sept. 27 and closing Sept. 30 at about $5.34. That represented a gain of more than 100% in roughly two weeks and put NEAR among the strongest-performing major altcoins during the period.
Source: CoinMarketCapDerivatives activity also increased alongside the price. Santiment reported that NEAR gained about 81% between Sept. 13 and Sept. 20, while dollar-denominated open interest increased 119%.
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However, open interest measured in NEAR tokens rose by only about 21%, suggesting that the increase was partly driven by the token's rising dollar value rather than an equivalent expansion in underlying positions.
Funding rates reached roughly 1.6 times their two-month median during September. Santiment noted that leverage had become increasingly important to the rally, but the available metrics did not yet show the type of divergence typically associated with positioning exhaustion.
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The derivatives market received another boost when NEAR spot trading went live on Hyperliquid on Sept. 22-23, adding direct NEAR/USDC trading to the platform alongside its existing perpetual market. NEAR perpetual open interest on Hyperliquid stood at approximately $344 million at the time, highlighting the scale of leveraged interest in the token.
Another major catalyst arrived on Sept. 29 with the launch of Bitwise's first U.S. spot NEAR ETF. Listed on NYSE Arca under the ticker NRR, the fund is designed to hold NEAR directly and stake the tokens, with an annual fee of 0.75%. By Oct. 6, the fund had reportedly attracted about $58 million during its first week.
The ETF launch also brought attention to a 40-page Bitwise research report. Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan and Head of European Research André Dragosch presented several scenarios for NEAR's future value, including a maximum-case estimate of $562.81 by 2030.
That projection is based on the assumption that NEAR could capture about 3% of the global AI agent market, equivalent to roughly 950 million agents, while applying a 50-times price-to-sales multiple based on a SaaS-style valuation framework.
AI supports bullish narrative The investment case around NEAR increasingly extends beyond its role as a general-purpose blockchain. The network has been building an ecosystem focused on AI agents, confidential inference and cross-chain infrastructure.
NEAR AI expanded its confidential-inference platform through an integration with OpenRouter on Sept. 28. NEAR One also introduced the SPICE architecture on Sept. 30, proposing a redesign that separates transaction execution from consensus with the goal of improving scalability.
These developments have provided additional fundamental narratives for a rally that has otherwise been driven heavily by momentum and derivatives activity.
At the same time, NEAR's technical structure has become increasingly stretched. After briefly reaching the $5.50-$5.55 area, the token pulled back toward $4.70-$5.00. As of Oct. 6, it was trading around $5.16-$5.27, while its weekly RSI was near 75.
How high can NEAR price go?The token's moving averages are substantially below its current price. The 50-day moving average is around $2.90, while the 100-day and 200-day averages are near $2.40 and $2.10, respectively. The widening gap highlights how far NEAR has moved above its established trend.
RSI briefly approached 85 before the latest pullback, indicating exceptionally strong momentum but also increasing the risk of a deeper retracement or extended consolidation. Such conditions do not necessarily invalidate the broader uptrend, but they can make further gains more volatile.
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NEAR has since shifted from an underperforming altcoin to one of the market's strongest momentum stories in a matter of weeks. The ETF launch, institutional interest and growing AI narrative provide potential fundamental support, while the rapid price appreciation has made profit-taking and leverage important risks.
For now, the $4.60-$4.70 area is the key support zone. Holding above it could allow NEAR to establish a higher base before another attempt at $5.00 and potentially the $5.40-$5.60 resistance area.
A sustained break below that support, however, could increase the likelihood of a deeper correction after the token's extraordinary September advance.
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Near Protocol is approaching a decisive technical point after its explosive September rally. The token is trading around $5.29, but repeated failures around $5.40–$5.60 are creating a potential triple-top structure that could put the psychologically important $5 level under pressure.
Momentum is descendingThe pattern has developed following an enormous advance from approximately $1.60 in August. NEAR accelerated above $2.50 in mid-September and effectively doubled within the following two weeks. However, the rally has struggled to extend once the price entered the $5.40–$5.60 region.
NEAR/USDT Chart by TradingViewThree separate attempts to establish a new high have now encountered resistance around this zone. The first produced a wick toward $5.60 before reversing sharply. NEAR subsequently recovered toward $5.50 and was rejected again. The latest rebound has brought the asset back toward $5.30–$5.40, effectively testing the same supply area for a third time.
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That does not confirm a triple top yet. Confirmation would require NEAR to break the structure's support rather than simply fail at resistance.
Key level to watchThe first level to watch is $5.00. NEAR has repeatedly crossed this threshold during recent volatility, making it the immediate battleground between buyers and sellers. Below it, $4.70–$4.80 represents much more consequential support. A daily close beneath $4.70 could confirm that the repeated failures near $5.50 are developing into a broader reversal.
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Momentum also warrants caution. The RSI reached overbought territory during the September surge but has since declined despite NEAR remaining near its highs. The loss of momentum indicates that the rally is no longer accelerating at the same rate.
At the same time, the underlying trend remains extremely strong. NEAR trades substantially above all major moving averages, with the shortest average rising toward approximately $4.25. Therefore, calling a bearish reversal before support actually breaks would be premature.
A decisive close above $5.60 would invalidate the triple-top thesis and could quickly expose $6.00. Until that happens, however, NEAR is repeatedly encountering sellers at essentially the same level. With the asset already up more than 200% from its August bottom, failure to break $5.60 increasingly raises the probability of another test of $5.00 and potentially $4.70.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
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Mizuho Securities maintained a "Buy" rating and $300 price target for Cerebras on October 5. Prior to this, Cerebras' stock had faced consecutive downward pressure, with market focus on the progress of its future collaboration with OpenAI. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said last Friday that Cerebras remains a "close partner" of OpenAI, and the two sides are still conducting in-depth cooperation at the cutting edge of high-performance computing. Previously, some of OpenAI's new models used NVIDIA GPUs instead of Cerebras' chips. According to TradingBeats' monitoring, the marked price of CBRS perpetual contracts on Hyperliquid is currently at $182.87, up around 3.7% in 24 hours, with trading volume of approximately $88.7 million over the same period, and the nominal value of open interest stands at about $116 million.
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The attacker sent the money back less than a day after NEAR Intents’ general manager posted “We have identified you, sir” along with addresses to return it to.
NEAR Intents recovers $3.8 million and closes hack probe
Posted October 5, 2026 at 5:42 am ET.
NEAR Intents, the cross-chain trading protocol hit by a $3.8 million exploit on Oct. 1, got all of the money back from the attacker on Friday and closed its investigation.
“The funds from the $3.8M NEAR Intents hack were sent back in full,” general manager Alex Shevchenko wrote on X. “We are stopping the investigation.”
The return came roughly 14 hours after Shevchenko called out the attacker in public and posted Bitcoin, BNB/Ethereum and Solana addresses for the funds. “We have identified you, sir,” he wrote, telling the attacker they knew “better than most how responsible disclosure works” and had 48 hours to use it.
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Funds Came Back Onchain The Bitcoin address Shevchenko listed took in about 34.6 BTC over several transfers between 14:31 and 15:05 UTC on Friday, according to blockchain data. That did not cover the whole loss. An onchain researcher who goes by Kuncoro estimated the bitcoin was worth about 78% of the $3.8 million and asked whether the rest came back another way. “You are right. It did indeed,” Shevchenko replied, without saying how.
About an hour after the bitcoin arrived, a transaction to the BNB/Ethereum address carried a note in its data field: “We’ve returned all the funds, we were in the wrong.”
NEAR co-founder Illia Polosukhin said the team identified “the party responsible less than 24h after the hack, established communication, and got the funds back in full” at 14:30 UTC. He credited SHIELD, the AI security layer on Intents, “along with some aggressive detective work.” Asked who did the tracing, Shevchenko answered “Internal team.” Neither executive detailed how the attacker was found.
A Bug in Omni Deposits and Withdrawals NEAR Intents halted its services on Oct. 1, blaming “a bug in the Omni deposit and withdrawal infrastructure interaction with NEAR Intents smart contract.” It pledged to make affected users whole and said a detailed report would follow.
Polosukhin wrote that day that the flaw was confined to USDT on BSC and was patched in under an hour, and that the NEAR blockchain and its token were unaffected. He said Intents handles more than $4 billion a month in trading and payments, and called this its first major exploit.
The hack hit days after NEAR Intents blocked stolen Bitget funds from moving through the protocol.
Shevchenko asked hackers to “use bug bounties instead of disrupting the services,” and Polosukhin echoed him. “They exist for a reason,” he wrote.
Related Listen: How Bitget Is Chasing $388 Million in Stolen Funds After a Zero-Day Hack
AI-assisted content: This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by a member of the Unchained editorial team before publication.
