Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Key Takeaways NEAR Intents platform has facilitated more than $23 billion in cross-chain transaction volume spanning 30+ blockchain networks Compared to major competitors like Ethereum, Solana, and BNB Chain, NEAR’s DeFi ecosystem remains underdeveloped Token inflation has been reduced significantly from 5% annually to approximately 2.5% Daily fee generation remains minimal, placing token valuation dependency on speculative future adoption Disconnect exists between product ecosystem expansion and actual NEAR token value accrual NEAR Protocol operates as a proof-of-stake blockchain network designed to support smart contract functionality and decentralized applications. The project was co-founded by Illia Polosukhin and Alexander Skidanov, engineers with extensive experience in artificial intelligence and distributed computing systems.

NEAR Price Currently, the platform emphasizes “chain abstraction” as its primary strategic direction. This approach aims to enable seamless multi-blockchain interactions for users without requiring them to navigate bridges, manage multiple gas tokens, or operate different wallet infrastructures. NEAR’s technology manages these complexities behind the scenes.

This strategic positioning provides NEAR with more distinctive market differentiation compared to numerous Layer 1 competitors that primarily emphasize transaction throughput or cost efficiency.

The TD Sequential called the last move on $NEAR.

A sell signal on July 21 was followed by an 8.34% decline. Now, the indicator has flipped to a buy signal, pointing to a potential rebound. pic.twitter.com/VK5bffMLaL

— Ali Charts (@alicharts) July 23, 2026

The most compelling element of NEAR’s current ecosystem is the NEAR Intents functionality. This system allows users to specify desired transaction outcomes — such as exchanging an Ethereum-based token for a Solana asset — while market makers competitively execute the transaction to deliver optimal pricing.

According to official data, the Intents platform has processed over $23 billion in cumulative transaction volume. The infrastructure operates across more than 30 different blockchain networks, facilitates trades for over 100 digital assets, and integrates with leading cryptocurrency wallets and platforms.

These metrics demonstrate genuine product adoption, which stands out favorably in a cryptocurrency landscape where numerous projects remain largely theoretical.

Fee Generation Remains Disproportionate to Market Valuation NEAR’s primary blockchain infrastructure handles several hundred thousand transactions each day and maintains tens of thousands of daily active participants. However, its decentralized finance ecosystem significantly trails behind Ethereum, Solana, and BNB Chain in size and activity.

Both total value locked in DeFi protocols and stablecoin circulation on NEAR represent only a minor percentage of the network’s multi-billion dollar market capitalization. Additionally, daily transaction fee revenue remains minimal, indicating that current token pricing reflects primarily speculative expectations about future expansion rather than present economic activity.

While this pattern is typical among emerging blockchain platforms, it establishes a high bar for NEAR to demonstrate sustained value creation.

From a tokenomics perspective, NEAR has implemented meaningful improvements. The annual token emission rate has decreased from 5% to roughly 2.5% of circulating supply. Additionally, a percentage of network fees undergoes burning, creating a deflationary mechanism to counterbalance inflation.

However, current fee generation volumes remain insufficient for the burning mechanism to create substantial deflationary pressure. Token holders who choose not to stake their assets experience gradual dilution as newly minted tokens enter the circulating supply.

Understanding the Value Accrual Problem The fundamental concern facing NEAR investors is whether ecosystem expansion will translate into increased token demand.

The NEAR Intents platform can continue expanding without necessarily generating proportional NEAR token demand. Transaction fees on the NEAR network are intentionally minimal, and revenues from other services may flow to ecosystem partners, liquidity providers, or development funds rather than directly benefiting token holders.

This structure creates a potential misalignment between product market success and token appreciation. The investment thesis would strengthen considerably if revenue mechanisms were redesigned to channel more value toward NEAR token buybacks, burning programs, or staking rewards through transparent and systematic processes.

The current situation presents a paradox: NEAR facilitates $23 billion in cross-chain transaction volume through its Intents infrastructure while its DeFi total value locked remains a small fraction of its overall market capitalization.

NEAR Protocol Deploys NIST-Approved Post-Quantum SigningNEAR Protocol has activated quantum-safe signing on mainnet as part of network upgrade 2.13, making it one of the first Layer-1 blockchains to ship a NIST-approved post-quantum signature scheme in a live production environment. The upgrade adds quantum-safe signing through the NIST-approved FIPS-204 (ML-DSA) scheme alongside dynamic resharding, a scalability enhancement that enables the protocol to automatically scale as network demand grows.

The team chose FIPS-204 (ML-DSA, formerly known as CRYSTALS-Dilithium), a lattice-based digital signature algorithm formally standardized by NIST in August 2024 as part of the agency's first batch of post-quantum cryptography standards. The upgrade allows account holders to migrate to post-quantum cryptography through a single on-chain transaction without transferring assets or changing account addresses.

The urgency behind the move is hard to ignore. Google's Quantum AI team has published research on the risk to cryptocurrency directly, with an estimated $470 billion of Bitcoin at risk. A U.S. executive order issued in June 2026 also requires federal agencies to transition high-value systems to post-quantum cryptography by the end of the decade, with digital signature migration scheduled for completion by 2031.

Automatic Resharding Removes a Key BottleneckThe second major component of the 2.13 upgrade addresses scalability. NEAR's sharded architecture previously scaled horizontally by adding shards, but each addition required a full protocol upgrade involving weeks of validator coordination, a vote, and a staged rollout. Dynamic resharding now enables the network to automatically scale by splitting shards without validator votes or manual upgrades.

On blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum, addresses are derived from keypairs tied to breakable cryptography, so migrating to a new signing scheme means migrating the address itself. NEAR accounts are decoupled from cryptography: since mainnet launched in 2020, NEAR has used human-readable account IDs controlled through rotatable access keys, not bound to a single keypair. This architectural choice is what makes the migration comparatively straightforward for NEAR users.

NEAR is also actively working with hardware and software wallet builders, including Ledger, on bringing post-quantum support to the market.

Sources:
NEAR Protocol Official Press Release via PR Newswire
Crypto Times: NEAR Launches Quantum-Safe Mainnet Upgrade With Resharding
CoinTrust: NEAR Activates Quantum-Resistant Security

Aurora suffered a full outage of the mainnet, which stopped block production and smart contracts. The outage is a clear demonstration of a massive contraction in the capitalization of the project by 99 percent since 2022. Aurora suffered a full outage of the mainnet in the early hours of July 20, 2026, following the unexpected halt of block production at 2:16:11 a.m. UTC, as reported by Onchain Lens. This caused an immediate interruption of transactions and smart contract executions on the network.

Aurora acts as a compatible Ethereum Virtual Machine layer running on NEAR Protocol. It allows developers to launch Solidity-based smart contracts and gain the advantages of low transaction fees and increased throughput. The platform has secured investment from top venture capitals such as Pantera Capital, Electric Capital, and Dragonfly Capital, which contributed $12 million to Aurora’s fundraising process. While many projects were impacted by the downtime, Aurora’s team chose to remain silent regarding the issue for several hours following the crash.

Aurora’s project has failed to release a detailed technical statement about what caused the crash and a timeframe for when the network will be back up and running. Due to the lack of information released by Aurora, the platform’s operations were paused, leaving developers and users in suspense while all blockchain activity on Aurora was suspended.

Aurora Experiences Operational Difficulties The current outage suffered by Aurora is part of a growing trend of diminished activity in the NEAR-based scaling ecosystem. As per DefiLlama, the total value of funds locked on Aurora was close to $2.5 billion during the crypto market cycle of 2022. The number of funds since then has dropped by more than 99%, dropping to around $4.65 million.

The long period of low liquidity has made it such that there have been fewer users in the ecosystem at the time of the surprising shutdown of the mainnet. Unlike other outages experienced in major blockchain ecosystems, the outage experienced by Aurora received little response from the greater crypto market, demonstrating the diminished market presence of the platform.

Next Comes the Task of Rebuilding Confidence As Aurora’s development team has not yet offered a solution for the network outage and recovery timeline, developers and users keep watching the status of the network and evaluating the risks involved. Block production, root cause analysis, and proper communication will be essential to rebuild confidence.

Highlighted Crypto News:

Allbridge Suspends Core Protocol After $1.65M Solana Flash Loan Exploit

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Following a more than 100% increase in derivatives market flows, Near Protocol (NEAR) is exhibiting renewed activity, indicating that traders are once again preparing for a bigger move. Fresh capital entering futures markets may indicate that volatility is about to return, even though NEAR has spent the last few weeks consolidating following its explosive rally in May and June. 

Liquidity is growingRecent futures flow data shows that NEAR saw a net inflow of about $1.7 million during the four-hour period, which is a 242% increase. With net inflows of $1.78 million and growth of more than 200%, the eight-hour period also remained steadily positive. When traders start opening new positions ahead of expected market movement, such spikes usually signify increased speculative interest.

NEAR/USDT Chart by TradingViewWhen combined with growing open interest across major exchanges, the derivatives picture becomes even more intriguing. Despite a recent slowdown in spot market volume, open interest remains high, and Binance, Bybit, and MEXC continue to dominate NEAR trading activity. When traders prepare for a directional breakout during accumulation phases, this divergence frequently appears. 

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Near might be stuckTechnically speaking, NEAR is still stuck between important moving averages and is currently trading at about $1.93. After failing to maintain a move above the $2.00-$2.10 range, where the 50-day moving average continues to serve as resistance, the asset recently lost momentum. Bulls, however, continue to have a significant advantage because the price is still above the 100-day and 200-day trend indicators in the $1.80-$1.85 range. 

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The chart also shows that, in contrast to the extreme fluctuations observed in May and June, volatility has considerably decreased. Sharp directional movements have historically followed such contraction periods. This indecision is reflected in the Relative Strength Index near 48, which is essentially in neutral territory and allows for either bullish or bearish expansion. 

Regaining $2.05 would probably give bulls fresh momentum and possibly pave the way for the $2.30-$2.50 range. On the downside, losing support at $1.80 would render the existing recovery structure invalid and put NEAR at greater risk of a retracement. 

NEAR appears to be entering a phase where the next volatility expansion could happen sooner rather than later, as futures flows have accelerated by more than 100% while the price remains compressed. Traders are already positioning themselves for it.

@NEARProtocol says its token buyback program is accelerating, with Intents fees increasingly outpacing new issuance. The mechanism is straightforward: 100% of fees generated through NEAR Intents are used to purchase $NEAR directly on the open market, creating buy pressure that scales with transaction volume. Cumulative Intents volume has now passed $22 billion, and the capture rate has climbed from roughly 12% over its lifetime to near 30% in the past week alone.

Two Structural Changes Set the Stage Two protocol upgrades have made the deflation thesis credible. On October 30, 2025, NEAR's inflation rate was permanently reduced from 5% to 2.5%, cutting annual issuance roughly in half and compressing the volume required to reach net deflation by the same amount. Then on February 23, 2026, the fee conversion mechanism activated for the first time, routing all NEAR Intents fees into $NEAR purchases.

NEAR issues approximately 32.2 million tokens annually. Two mechanisms work against that issuance: base-layer gas fees follow a 70/30 split, with 70% permanently burned by the protocol, while Intents fees go entirely toward open-market buybacks. Halved inflation plus active buybacks via the Intents fee switch create a structurally different supply-demand dynamic than what existed a year ago.

The Threshold Is Real, but Not Yet Crossed At current prices and the 2026 channel-mix-weighted fee rate, the deflationary threshold sits at approximately $177 million in daily Intents volume. The current 90-day average sits at $77 million per day, meaning volume needs to roughly double to cross the deflationary threshold.

The math is not static. As NEAR's price rises, each token purchased via the Intents fee mechanism absorbs more dollar-denominated issuance, meaning price appreciation actively lowers the barrier to deflation in token terms. On an Intents-adjusted basis, NEAR's price-to-sales ratio is approximately 28x, versus Ethereum at 194x and Solana at 40x. That gap has drawn attention from analysts who argue the token is structurally underpriced relative to its fee generation.

The trajectory is real. Whether daily Intents volume can double from here, and hold there, is the question that will determine whether the deflation story moves from thesis to fact.

Sources:
Crypto Briefing: NEAR Protocol targets AI-driven commerce with new products and tokenomics improvements
NEAR Foundation: Supporting Community Proposals to Upgrade NEAR Tokenomics
SVRN: NEAR Protocol 2026: Investment Case, Tokenomics and Deflation Threshold

NEAR Protocol (NEAR) price is up 2% on Tuesday, testing the breakout of its 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $1.95. On-chain data show early signs of a deflationary mechanism, with the capture rate rising to 30% over 30 days and 24% of revenue being shifted toward buybacks. A 7% jump in NEAR futures Open Interest and a positive funding rate reflect retail support amid a near-term recovery phase.

Technically, NEAR must sustain a daily close above its 50-day EMA at $1.95 to extend its recovery toward $2.54.

Early signs of deflationary tokenomicsNEAR Intents, a new transaction primitive on NEAR Protocol, has increased revenue per similar transaction volume, indicating greater efficiency and fueling its buyback program. Typically, an increase in buybacks leads to greater demand for the token due to thinner supply and improved sentiment.

In a recent X post, NEAR Protocol announced that its all-time trading volume surpassed $22 billion, with lifetime revenue of $4.05 million. However, the capture rate – the share of NEAR captured as revenue – has jumped 30% over the last 30 days, with Net Revenue Yield (NRY) rising over 4% in June, up from around 1.50% in April. This increase in NRY suggests a higher percentage of revenue generated from swap volume, reaffirming the heightened revenue associated with Intents efficiency. 

In addition, 24% of captured revenue feeds the buyback flow over the last 30 days, indicating early signs of a deflationary start. 

On the retail side, CoinGlass data show that NEAR futures Open Interest (OI) is up 7% to $431.67 million over the last 24 hours, indicating a surge in the notional value of active positions. The positional buildup shows a bullish bias, with the funding rate at 0.0101% on Tuesday, indicating buyers are willing to hold long positions at a premium.

NEAR on-chain data.

NEAR derivatives data. Source: CoinGlassWill NEAR price rise above $2?NEAR Protocol shows a steady recovery on Tuesday, inching closer to the $2.00 mark. The recovery is testing a breakout of a crucial resistance barrier, which includes the overhead trendline near the 50-day EMA at $1.95 and the 50% retracement at $1.96, measured over the $1.24-$3.08 upswing. A decisive close above the zone could test the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement level at $2.54, projecting an upside potential of roughly 20%.

Momentum stays supportive, with the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) rising above its signal line with renewed positive histograms, as the Relative Strength Index (RSI) rises toward to the neutral 50 mark, hinting at room for further upside move.

NEAR/USDT daily price chart.On the downside, initial support is seen at the reclaimed support trendline level near $1.87, reinforced by the 200-day EMA at $1.79.

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)

Key Highlights Table of Contents

Key HighlightsLeading AI Cryptocurrency Tokens for 2025Bittensor (TAO)Near Protocol (NEAR)Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET)Render Network (RENDER)Akash Network (AKT)Is AI Crypto Investment Worthwhile? Bittensor (TAO) incentivizes participants in a decentralized machine learning ecosystem through token rewards NEAR Protocol (NEAR) develops AI-focused infrastructure on a high-speed, cost-efficient Layer 1 network Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET) consolidates several AI blockchain initiatives into a unified platform Render Network (RENDER) delivers a distributed GPU marketplace supporting AI and rendering workloads Akash Network (AKT) creates decentralized cloud infrastructure competing with conventional hosting services Leading AI Cryptocurrency Tokens for 2025 The intersection of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology is transforming digital asset markets. An expanding array of cryptocurrency ventures now integrate AI capabilities with distributed ledger systems, opening fresh investment avenues. Below are five notable AI-centered digital currencies deserving attention.

Bittensor (TAO) Bittensor has emerged as a premier AI-driven cryptocurrency initiative. This platform enables developers and academics to supply machine learning algorithms to a distributed network. Participants receive TAO token compensation proportional to their contributions’ utility.

Bittensor (TAO) Price The appetite for artificial intelligence computation keeps expanding. Bittensor presents an open-source counterpart to proprietary AI infrastructure controlled by major technology corporations. While the token experiences volatility, numerous investors recognize its extended-horizon promise.

Near Protocol (NEAR) Near Protocol operates as a scalable Layer 1 blockchain network that has pivoted toward artificial intelligence initiatives. This venture has committed resources to AI-centric infrastructure and developer toolsets for creating AI-enhanced decentralized applications.

NEAR delivers rapid transaction processing and minimal transaction costs, making it appealing for AI application creators. Should artificial intelligence continue propelling blockchain adoption, Near stands well-positioned to capitalize on this trajectory.

Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET) The Artificial Superintelligence Alliance consolidates multiple AI blockchain projects within a single comprehensive framework. Its mission involves establishing a network enabling autonomous AI agents to interact and execute functions without dependence on centralized infrastructure.

This initiative has captured investor interest through its ambitious scope and strategic vision. While implementation challenges exist, it maintains status as one of the most substantial and prominent AI ecosystems within cryptocurrency markets.

Render Network (RENDER) Developing AI models demands substantial computational resources. Render Network tackles this challenge by operating a decentralized exchange where participants can access idle GPU processing capacity from network contributors.

Initially launched as a rendering solution for visual content creators, the platform has broadened its scope to accommodate AI computing tasks amid surging graphics processor demand. Render Network bridges those requiring computational power with providers willing to monetize their hardware.

Akash Network (AKT) Akash Network functions as a distributed cloud infrastructure platform. Software developers can secure processing capacity through an open marketplace, frequently at more competitive rates than conventional cloud vendors including Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud Platform.

As artificial intelligence enterprises require additional computational infrastructure, decentralized solutions like Akash are attracting increased recognition. Though currently modest relative to entrenched cloud providers, the project has witnessed rising investor engagement.

Is AI Crypto Investment Worthwhile? AI-focused cryptocurrency ventures present elevated risk profiles compared to more mature digital assets. Numerous projects remain in nascent developmental phases, competitive pressures are substantial, and market dynamics can transform rapidly.

Long-term-oriented investors should prioritize projects demonstrating practical applications, sustained development activity, and expanding user adoption. Pursuing speculative short-term price fluctuations within this sector has proven historically hazardous.

The fusion of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology will likely persist as a dominant trend throughout upcoming years. Bittensor, Near Protocol, Artificial Superintelligence Alliance, Render Network, and Akash Network represent projects constructing foundational infrastructure for this emerging landscape.

NEAR Protocol just rewrote its economic rulebook. The protocol’s on-chain governance body, House of Stake, passed proposal HSP-027 between June 20 and 27, 2026, voting to eliminate the developer gas rebate entirely. Starting with a nearcore upgrade expected around August 2026, every eligible execution fee on the network will be burned rather than partially returned to smart-contract owners.

NEAR co-founder Illia Polosukhin confirmed the vote’s outcome, endorsing the shift toward full fee burns as a step in the right direction for the NEAR token’s long-term economics.

What was the rebate, and why kill it now? The 30% developer gas rebate let smart-contract owners reclaim a slice of the gas fees their contracts generated. The average rebate per contract fell from roughly 27.6 NEAR in June 2025 to just 1 to 5 NEAR per month by 2026.

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Proposal HSP-027, authored by NEAR One’s Anton Astafiev, made the case that the rebate had diluted to the point of irrelevance. No significant dissent was recorded during the discussion period.

The implementation timeline is tied to the nearcore v2.14 upgrade, currently scheduled for around August 2026. Until that upgrade ships, the existing rebate mechanics remain in place.

The deflationary mechanics behind the vote Under the old model, 30% of eligible execution fees were recycled back to contract developers. Under the new model, those same fees get burned, permanently removing NEAR from circulation.

What this means for developers and investors For developers currently building on NEAR, if your dApp was accounting for gas rebates as any part of its revenue model, that line item disappears when nearcore v2.14 ships. For most projects, 1 to 5 NEAR per month was barely worth the accounting overhead. The governance proposal acknowledged this, with the community framing the change as a push toward more sustainable business models.

HSP-027 passed without significant opposition. Watch the August nearcore v2.14 upgrade closely, as the on-chain burn data in the weeks following implementation will be the first real-world test of how much additional supply pressure the rebate removal generates.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Key Takeaways NEAR Protocol focuses on “chain abstraction” technology that eliminates blockchain complexity for end users The NEAR Intents framework enables users to specify desired outcomes while solvers compete to execute requests On-chain metrics show genuine usage, though activity levels remain moderate relative to leading blockchain platforms Token economics have strengthened through reduced inflation and enhanced fee structures, despite lacking a fixed supply ceiling Competitive landscape extends beyond traditional Layer 1 blockchains to include middleware solutions and wallet providers NEAR Protocol has positioned itself distinctly from the typical high-throughput blockchain narrative. Rather than emphasizing speed and low costs alone, the platform concentrates on chain abstraction — enabling seamless interaction across multiple blockchain networks without exposing users to underlying technical complexity.

NEAR Price This positioning establishes a unique value proposition that differentiates NEAR from conventional Layer 1 competitors.

The fundamental challenge NEAR addresses is blockchain ecosystem fragmentation. Users currently navigate disparate networks, each requiring specific wallets, bridging solutions, and infrastructure. NEAR’s approach aims to abstract away this complexity for both users and application developers.

Understanding the NEAR Intents Architecture Central to this abstraction vision is the NEAR Intents mechanism. Rather than requiring users to manually orchestrate cross-chain asset movements, the system allows users to declare their desired end state. Solvers then compete to deliver optimal execution pathways.

This architecture resembles an internet protocol layer more than conventional blockchain infrastructure. Successful implementation at scale could provide NEAR with meaningful differentiation in an increasingly competitive sector.

Additionally, NEAR has expanded into AI agent infrastructure, developing frameworks that enable autonomous agents to orchestrate multi-chain operations. This strategic direction aligns NEAR with two rapidly growing sectors within cryptocurrency.

Evaluating Token Value Accrual Mechanisms The critical consideration for NEAR token holders centers on whether the platform’s vision translates into token demand. Currently, protocol-level fee generation remains relatively limited. Stablecoin liquidity shows presence but hasn’t achieved dominance. Decentralized exchange volume demonstrates activity without reaching top-tier status.

This distinction matters significantly because sustainable token appreciation typically requires demonstrable, ongoing demand driven by authentic network economic activity.

NEAR’s token economics have evolved positively. While circulating supply remains substantial, inflation rates have decreased, and fee capture mechanisms have improved compared to earlier iterations. However, NEAR lacks Bitcoin’s hard supply cap model. Consequently, long-term demand must originate from genuine platform utilization.

Navigating a Crowded Competitive Environment [[LINK_START_2]]NEAR[[LINK_END_2]] faces competition extending beyond traditional smart contract platforms like Ethereum or Solana. The project competes simultaneously with specialized middleware protocols, solver networks, and wallet infrastructure providers — all addressing similar user experience challenges.

This multi-dimensional competitive landscape creates broader challenges than typical Layer 1 competition. NEAR must succeed across numerous vectors simultaneously.

The token’s already-substantial circulating supply indicates investors aren’t entering at an early-stage valuation. Current market capitalization reflects an established project with expectations already incorporated into pricing.

Presently, NEAR represents a platform with defined product strategy, enhanced token economics, and genuine but moderate blockchain activity.

Multiple networks move at onceIn the span of just two weeks, three major blockchain projects have taken concrete steps toward quantum-resistant infrastructure. @trondao deployed post-quantum signatures on testnet, @NEARProtocol shipped quantum security as part of its 2.13 upgrade, and the $XRP Ledger continued advancing a structured, multi-phase post-quantum roadmap. The moves reflect a broader shift across the industry: networks are no longer waiting for a cryptographic emergency to begin hardening their systems.

NEAR Protocol's upgrade 2.13 adds FIPS-204, a NIST-approved signature scheme built to withstand quantum attacks. NEAR's account model, controlled by rotatable access keys, enables a seamless rotation to quantum-safe signing. The protocol-level upgrade is designed to be transparent to users, meaning NEAR token holders and decentralized application users need take no action.

On the $XRP side, Ripple has introduced a multi-phase roadmap to prepare the XRP Ledger for a post-quantum future, with a target for full readiness by 2028. The approach involves active testing of quantum-resistant cryptography and a hybrid rollout that runs alongside existing systems, with Ripple working alongside Project Eleven to accelerate development including validator testing and early custody prototypes. The roadmap also includes a contingency plan to enable a secure migration to quantum-safe accounts if current standards are compromised before the 2028 target.

Why the urgency now The push responds in part to research from Google Quantum AI suggesting that quantum computers could crack current blockchain cryptography with fewer resources and on a faster timeline than previously estimated, with some scenarios placing a credible threat window as early as 2032. If future quantum computers became capable of breaking current encryption standards, cryptocurrency wallets and blockchain infrastructure could face serious vulnerabilities, and although experts continue debating the timeline, many believe preparation must begin years before such systems become commercially viable.

Zcash's Tachyon upgrade is also targeting quantum readiness, according to CoinDesk Research, adding another major protocol to a list that is growing quickly. The broader crypto industry is grappling with the same problem at different speeds. Algorand integrated post-quantum state proofs as far back as 2022, while Bitcoin's debate remains largely at the discussion stage given the complexity of coordinating protocol changes across a decentralized network with no central team. The pattern is clear: projects with more centralized coordination are moving fastest, while the more decentralized networks face a longer road.

The industry's posture has shifted from reactive to proactive. Waiting for Q-Day, the theoretical moment when quantum computers can break current public-key cryptography, is no longer considered an acceptable strategy for infrastructure built to last decades.

Sources
Ripple: Post-Quantum Readiness on the XRP Ledger
CoinDesk: Ripple wants the XRP Ledger to be quantum-proof by 2028
CryptoWisser: NEAR Protocol Upgrade 2.13 is Live on Testnet

NEAR Protocol Deploys Upgrade 2.13 on TestnetNEAR Protocol ($NEAR) has deployed upgrade 2.13 on testnet, introducing two significant technical changes: post-quantum safe access keys and dynamic resharding. The release marks a concrete step in NEAR's push to future-proof its cryptographic infrastructure ahead of mainnet deployment.

At the core of the security update is the adoption of FIPS 204, also known as ML-DSA (Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Algorithm). The Near One team chose FIPS-204, a lattice-based digital signature algorithm formally standardized by NIST in August 2024 as part of the agency's first batch of post-quantum cryptography standards. ML-DSA was formerly known as CRYSTALS-Dilithium and is designed to be secure against attacks from a cryptographically relevant quantum computer.

NEAR's rotatable access keys are designed to let users shift to quantum-safe signing without changing their account addresses. The upgrade also includes compact key storage and improved epoch sync, reducing overhead for node operators and validators.

Dynamic Resharding Removes Need for Governance VotesDynamic resharding means the network can automatically add or remove shards based on demand, rather than operating with a fixed shard count. This removes the need for governance upgrades each time the network needs to scale, allowing $NEAR's infrastructure to respond to load in real time.

The move positions NEAR as an early Layer-1 adopter of post-quantum cryptography, a security-focused protocol update likely to bolster adoption and confidence in the NEAR ecosystem. Mainnet deployment will follow after security audits and coordination with the NEAR community.

The broader context is one of growing urgency. Anton Astafiev, CTO at Near One, warned that the blockchain industry can no longer treat the quantum threat as a distant problem. The upgrade addresses the emerging threat quantum computers pose to current cryptographic standards such as Ed25519 and secp256k1, allowing users to rotate their keys to a quantum-resistant standard in a single transaction.

Sources:
Crypto Times: NEAR Plans Post-Quantum Safe Signing for Q2 2026 Testnet
NIST: First 3 Finalized Post-Quantum Encryption Standards
CoinDesk: Near Protocol to Automate Its Own Growth

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CoinDesk 20 performance update: Bitcoin Cash (BCH) rises 2.1%

TLDR Arizona advanced Senate Bill 1649 to a full House floor vote after clearing the House Rules Committee. The bill would allow the state to create a Digital Assets Strategic Reserve Fund. The proposal permits Arizona to retain seized cryptocurrencies instead of auctioning them. The legislation names XRP, Bitcoin, Monero, NEAR Protocol, and Nano as eligible assets. Lawmakers set criteria to assess adoption levels and transaction activity for reserve assets. Arizona lawmakers advanced Senate Bill 1649 to a full House vote after clearing the House Rules Committee. The proposal would allow Arizona to retain seized digital assets in a state-managed fund. The measure names XRP, Bitcoin, and Monero as eligible assets under defined standards.

Arizona Crypto Reserve Plan Names XRP as Eligible Asset The House Rules Committee approved SB1649 with eight votes in favor. As a result, the bill now heads to the full House for consideration. Lawmakers introduced the measure to create a Digital Assets Strategic Reserve Fund. The proposal allows the state to keep digital assets obtained through forfeiture or surrender. Currently, agencies auction most seized cryptocurrencies.

State Senator Mark Finchem introduced SB1649 earlier this session. The Senate Finance Committee passed the bill with a 4–2–1 vote. Lawmakers set criteria to determine which assets qualify for the reserve. The criteria review adoption rates, annual transaction volume, and ecosystem development. The bill lists XRP, Bitcoin, Monero, NEAR Protocol, and Nano as eligible assets.

The proposal authorizes the State Treasurer to manage the reserve fund. The Treasurer may invest holdings to generate returns for the state. However, the bill requires that investment actions do not increase financial risk. Lawmakers included this provision to guide fund management practices.

If the House approves SB1649, the bill will move to the governor’s desk. The governor may sign the measure into law or veto it. Lawmakers placed the bill on the House calendar following the committee vote.

Bitcoin and Monero Included in Arizona Reserve Framework SB1649 identifies Bitcoin as a primary digital asset for the reserve. Lawmakers also included Monero under the eligibility framework. The bill groups these assets with XRP under a defined fair value threshold. This threshold evaluates economic strength and technical performance.

Under the measure, Arizona may retain cryptocurrencies received through legal processes. Agencies would transfer those assets to the reserve fund instead of auctioning them. The Treasurer would then oversee storage and management of the holdings. Lawmakers structured the bill to formalize how the state handles digital assets.

The legislation forms part of broader digital asset discussions in Arizona. Lawmakers are also considering Senate Bill 1042. That proposal would allow the state to invest up to 10% of public funds in cryptocurrencies. SB1042 remains under review in the state legislature.

At the federal level, digital asset reserves have also entered policy debates. President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. The order also created a broader digital asset stockpile framework. Lawmakers referenced these developments during state discussions.

The House will now determine the fate of SB1649 in a floor vote. If members approve the measure, it will proceed to final executive consideration. The legislative process continues as scheduled in the current session.

In 2021, Forbes magazine published a ranking of the 100 richest people in Ukraine and the 59th place was taken by the crypto entrepreneur from Kharkov, Mykola Udianskyi. His fortune according to the magazine is estimated at $ 180 million. He was one of the first crypto investors in the CIS and today he is the founder of the digital holding Ehold, Bitcoin Ultimatum fork and many other projects.

As a reminder, Mykola acquired LocalTrade in September 2020 after the sale of the Coinsbit exchange in November 2019. Initially, it was planned to transfer LocalTrade under the jurisdiction of Montenegro and repurpose it for futures and OTC transactions, but later the entrepreneur announced the sale of the trading platform. Mykola Udianskyi decided to devote his time to other projects: he focused on the creation of regulated exchanges in the UK and Austria. The entrepreneur’s team is working on the launch of four new exchanges in England and the UAE, Ukraine and Montenegro are next in line this year. In addition, he recently launched the only available regulated exchange in India.

Currently, Mykola’s company is also working on the creation of a Digital Bank, the main feature of which is the simultaneous support of cryptocurrencies and their integration with the traditional banking system. The project is aiming for the implementation of innovative functionality that will make everyday calculations in cryptocurrency as simple as it is now through fiat.

Digital banking is one of the most important development areas in the cryptocurrency industry. Succeeding in this area will combine digital coins with conventional banking, which in turn will erase the line between fiat and cryptocurrencies.

New LocalTrade team and contractors The new leadership of Local Trade has pledged to turn blockchain and digital finance into understandable notions and revolutionize this field. The head of the company is CEO Aaron Levi Yahal. The new top manager has vast experience in marketing and has supported many financial and cryptocurrency projects. His many years of practice have proven to us that the projects Aaron had a hand on all ended up achieving excellent results. Perhaps the most famous one is PureFi, where he holds the position of RegTech Strategist. This is a unique protocol (unparallelled in the market) that allows AML technologies to be implemented in DeFi.

Alexandra Buimister is the chief operating officer of the exchange. Alexandra has a very rich portfolio: she has international experience in the fintech and financial sectors, in addition, she is the founder of alternative banking services. Alexandra has experience in leadership positions in many global brands: BCA Research (Euromoney PLC), Forbes Latvia & Finland, Supreme Group, etc.

Aaron’s team has ambitious plans for the future of the LocalTrade exchange. In order to implement them, he turned to the time-tested SPACE IT Blockchain contractors. The latter is a leading IT company from the UAE.

The CEO of LocalTrade is confident in the high-quality execution of the technical component of his own ideas since he has already used the services of SPACE IT Blockchain several times and knows from his own experience what high standards are set within the company.

How to get the most out of DeFi? According to the company’s management, they are planning on not only upgrading the platform, but they also want to create a fundamentally new product, which has no equal in the world. The community’s reaction to this news is overwhelmingly positive, traders can’t wait to test the updated product.

First and foremost, the team will focus on the security and usability of the updated platform. They intend on developing the FinTech industry, as well as integrate DeFi capabilities that will solve the existing problems through blockchain technology.

The implementation of DeFi completely removes intermediaries from the equation and puts smart contracts in their stead, which, in turn, create trusted protocols. In fact, decentralized finance almost completely eliminates the risk of losing funds due to fraudulent activities, since the user conducts all financial transactions through his personal wallet, the private keys of which are only with him.

The boom in decentralized finance came in the summer of 2020. The excitement in this area caused a huge increase in the prices of certain assets: the DeFi token YFI became an absolute record holder, which increased by 1280 times. Therefore, this branch of the digital economy is one of the most promising and important at the moment.

Although the DeFi topic is over a year old, it is still quite difficult to understand, especially for new crypto investors. On the Internet, there are a huge number of investment proposals in plenty of DeFi projects. However, the problem is that the overwhelming majority of market participants cannot conduct an objective analysis of each of them.

In order for non-professional investors to safely invest in this sector, LocalTrade is creating another product – Marketplace. Only verified DeFi projects will be included here, and users will be able to invest in them without restrictions.

DEX’s Launch Towards the end of summer – early fall 2021, the LocalTrade management plans to launch a decentralized exchange (DEX). The fundamental difference between this service and its centralized counterparts is security and a guarantee of complete anonymity.

The fact is that DEX does not collect nor store any user data on its servers (IP addresses, time zone, screen resolution data, and other digital prints). On decentralized exchanges, there is no need to go through the registration process, let alone verification (KYC / AML). And, most importantly, DEX does not store user funds in their wallets, so clients are the rightful owners of their assets.

Disadvantages of DEX Despite the many positive aspects, decentralized exchanges also have a number of disadvantages. Perhaps the primary weakness of DEX is the small selection of trading pairs and the lack of necessary liquidity in the least popular tokens.

Market makers and liquidity pools are responsible for trading cryptocurrencies on decentralized exchanges. In order to add a new trading pair to the exchange, you need to create a smart pool contract and lock in it a certain amount of an asset that provides liquidity.

Unoptimized smart contracts lead to various inconveniences:

long transaction processing time, high commissions, increased likelihood of canceling the transaction without a refund by gwey (applies to DEX on Ethereum). Solving the problem of sub-optimal smart contracts from LocalTrade The LocalTrade team intends to eliminate this deficiency, for this they decided to use the orderbook model. With its help, it will be possible to add new trading pairs without the need to register a separate smart contract for it each time.

For the creation of the DEX protocol, the LocalTrade team focused on optimizing smart contracts, namely, increasing the speed of work and at the same time reducing commission fees. In the near future, performance will be significantly improved by reformatting the system architecture based on Layer-2.

Loss on the course at high volumes Another problem that worries traders is the significant change in the rate during the processing of large volumes. LocalTrade has a solution to this problem as well: Traders will now set the maximum allowable price range themselves.

All of the above sounded like a fairy tale just a year ago, but now it is already a prospect for the near future. If you look at Aaron’s past and follow the further development of his projects, then we can safely say that the grandiose changes to LocalTrade that he talks about are only a matter of time. We just need to be patient and wait for the best blockchain developers to embody the ideas of Aaron Levi Yahal.

Image: Mykola Udianskyi and Binance founder Changpeng Zhao

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Private Transactions Gain Ground on NEAR ProtocolNEAR Protocol's Confidential Intents has crossed $26 million in total value locked, according to data cited by Delphi Digital, as the protocol's privacy layer draws growing adoption across the DeFi ecosystem. Nearly half of all volume on $NEAR's primary trading venue is now routed through private intents, a figure that underlines how quickly the feature has moved from novelty to core infrastructure.

Confidential Intents is built directly into the NEAR Intents cross-chain execution system. Users can toggle between a standard account and a confidential account, opting into privacy across transfers, deposits, and withdrawals while maintaining verifiable on-chain execution. Transaction details including sender addresses, amounts, and routing paths are processed inside a dedicated private shard connected to NEAR's mainnet via a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) bridge, keeping them hidden from public block explorers during execution.

Cross-Chain Reach and the MEV ProblemThe protocol currently supports private transactions across more than 35 blockchains. NEAR Protocol's launch materials described the interface as connecting those chains through a single account, enabling cross-chain swaps, peer-to-peer settlement, and optional confidential flows without manual bridging or routing.

The core problem Confidential Intents addresses is well established in DeFi: public ledgers expose pending transactions to front-runners and MEV bots, which can see order size, timing, and routing before execution and act accordingly. By processing transaction details inside a private shard, the feature removes that visibility window, eliminating MEV extraction, frontrunning, and forced liquidations from visible positions.

The $26 million TVL milestone arrives as NEAR Intents continues to expand its reach. Prior to its recent Brave Wallet integration, NEAR Intents had already executed over 19 million swaps and more than $14 billion in all-time cross-chain volume across 35 blockchains. The Brave Wallet integration, available as of browser version 1.88, brings NEAR Intents to 110 million Brave browser users and makes it the first swap provider in Brave Wallet to unify virtually all of the wallet's supported blockchains, including Bitcoin, Solana, Zcash, Cardano, and EVM-compatible networks.

Sources:
PR Newswire: NEAR Unveils Confidential Cross-Chain Infrastructure
Global Fintech Series: NEAR Intents Expands to Brave Wallet
Brave: Brave Wallet Now Supports NEAR Intents

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June 22, NEAR officially announced its next major protocol upgrade: the SPICE (Separation of Consensus and Execution) proposal, a critical milestone toward Nightshade 3.0. Once fully rolled out, NEAR will cut its block time from 600 milliseconds to 200 milliseconds — a roughly 3x speed improvement, approaching the upper speed limit allowed by physical constraints. At the heart of SPICE is the decoupling of the consensus layer from the execution layer. This lets validators finalize block consensus without waiting for transaction execution, reducing latency and enabling support for more complex, time-intensive transactions. NEAR noted this upgrade will be the largest underlying architecture overhaul since Stateless Validation launched in 2024. Post-implementation, transaction experiences for apps like NEAR Intents and near.com will see notable improvements. Alex Shevchenko, CEO of Defuse Labs, added that NEAR’s final confirmation time is expected to drop to roughly 0.4 seconds — faster than Visa’s standard ~3 seconds — bringing the network’s payment experience close to “instantaneous.” NEAR also highlighted that faster block times are foundational to the AI Agent economy, enabling high-speed payments and complex transactions between autonomous agents, plus the ability to run longer tasks across multiple blocks. Additionally, SPICE will clear the path for Nightshade 3.0, laying the groundwork for future cross-shard atomic execution. The NEAR development team explained this will help mitigate development complexity and potential security vulnerabilities stemming from asynchronous network environments, boosting both the network’s scalability and security.

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OlympusDAO has been hit hard by the recent market selloff and is quickly approaching its all-time low of $163 set over the summer. 

OlympusDAO Enters Freefall Investors are fleeing OlympusDAO.

The decentralized reserve currency protocol is down over 87% from its all-time high achieved in April last year amid a selloff across the market. OlympusDAO’s downward trajectory has accelerated over the last week, shedding 43.5% of its value. The OHM token is down 24.9% in the last 24 hours, currently trading at $183. It’s about 12% away from its all-time low of $163 set during the May 2021 market crash. 

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OHM/USD chart. Source: CoinGecko OlympusDAO was the first crypto project to utilize a circular tokenomic structure to draw in liquidity. Thanks to OlympusDAO’s clever tokenomic mechanism, investors can earn outsized yields for bonding assets and staking the OHM token. This so-called liquidity “flywheel” has proven effective while the market impulse is bullish and has inspired many fork projects such as Wonderland Money. The OlympusDAO frenzy hit a peak in late 2021 as various digital assets soared to new highs, and by November it had hit a $4 billion market cap. 

However, as the May crash and more recent price action have shown, OlympusDAO appears to suffer more than other projects when the market declines. OlympusDAO’s design has attracted criticism from many crypto enthusiasts who liken the project to a Ponzi scheme. This is because Olympus and other such projects need new money to enter the protocol to prop up the incentives for existing investors.  

Other protocols that use a similar tokenomic structure to OlympusDAO have also been hit hard. Wonderland has also experienced similar losses, trading down 34.6% over the past week. On Ethereum, the OlympusDAO-backed fork Redacted Cartel is also bleeding despite almost tripling in value since its launch mid-December. The protocol’s BTRFLY token dropped approximately 34% during the recent dip, but has since partially recovered. 

Since the start of the year, the crypto market has been hard hit after a weak end to 2021. Bitcoin briefly dipped below $40,000 Monday and is down 10% on the week but appears to have found support at current levels. Ethereum has fared worse, seeing a weekly decline of 17%. The second-biggest crypto asset also appears to have stabilized after testing support at $3,000. The latest dip follows the Federal Reserve’s Jan. 5 confirmation that it would hike interest rates, which also shook crypto and stocks. 

However, while most crypto assets are following Bitcoin and Ethereum’s downward trajectory, there are some exceptions. NEAR Protocol, a sharded Layer 1 network, has bounced back from temporary weakness, gaining 17% in the past 24 hours. Elsewhere, the privacy-focused Oasis Protocol has also shown strength, rising 16.5% in the same period. Whether these assets will continue to decouple from the wider market remains to be seen. 

Disclosure: At the time of writing this feature, the author owned ETH, NEAR, and several other cryptocurrencies. 

Disclosure: This article was edited by Timothy Craig. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.