Why did the price of NEAR fall?
NEAR Protocol (NEAR) dropped 5.6% in the last 24 hours, performing worse than the overall crypto market, which fell 4.3%. The main reasons are:
- Overall Market Weakness – The Crypto Fear & Greed Index is at a neutral 42, down from 62 (greed) last week
- Technical Breakdown – NEAR’s price fell below an important support level at $2.54
- Competition from BNB Chain – BNB’s user base grew to 58.9 million monthly active users (MAUs), surpassing NEAR’s 50.3 million, drawing more attention
Deep Dive
1. Market-Wide Risk-Off Shift (Negative Impact)
What happened:
The total value of all cryptocurrencies dropped 4.3% to $3.75 trillion. Bitcoin’s share of the market increased to 58.9%, as investors moved money away from other coins. Interest in trading derivatives (contracts based on crypto prices) also fell by 7.9%, showing less speculative activity.
What this means for NEAR:
NEAR’s trading volume decreased slightly by 1% to $483 million, indicating fewer buyers stepping in despite the price drop. The Altcoin Season Index, which measures interest in smaller coins like NEAR, fell 7.5% to 37 out of 100, showing less enthusiasm for mid-sized tokens during this market downturn.
What to watch:
Bitcoin’s dominance—if it rises above 59%, NEAR and similar coins may continue to struggle.
2. Technical Sell Pressure (Negative Impact)
What happened:
NEAR’s price fell below its 7-day and 30-day simple moving averages (SMAs), which are common indicators used to track price trends. The MACD indicator, which helps identify momentum, turned negative, signaling selling pressure.
What this means:
This price drop broke a potential “double-bottom” pattern near $2.42, which could have indicated a price rebound. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is at 45, meaning NEAR is neither oversold nor overbought, so there’s room for the price to fall further before buyers might step in.
Key level to watch:
$2.35 – If NEAR’s price closes below this level, it could trigger automatic sell orders, pushing the price down more.
3. BNB Chain Ecosystem Growth (Mixed Impact)
What happened:
BNB Chain reported 58.9 million monthly active users as of October 13, surpassing NEAR’s 50.3 million. BNB’s Layer 2 solution, opBNB, processed tens of millions of transactions with very low fees ($0.001 each), attracting developers and users.
What this means:
While this isn’t directly negative for NEAR, it highlights the challenge NEAR faces in keeping developers and users engaged. NEAR’s active addresses dropped slightly by 0.4%, while BNB Chain’s user base grew naturally.
Conclusion
NEAR’s recent price drop is due to overall weakness in the crypto market, technical factors, and competition from other blockchain networks like BNB Chain. Although NEAR’s future plans, such as AI-focused projects like Shade Agents, show promise, short-term price movements will likely follow Bitcoin’s trends.
Key point to watch: Can NEAR stay above its 200-day moving average at $2.56 during the New York trading session?
What could affect the price of NEAR?
NEAR’s price is influenced by changes in its token supply, growing use across different blockchains, and overall market conditions.
- Inflation Cut Vote – A proposal to cut inflation in half (from 5% to 2.5%) aims to make NEAR tokens scarcer.
- NEAR Intents Growth – Over $1.8 billion in cross-chain swaps show strong demand in the NEAR ecosystem.
- Altcoin Sentiment – Weak interest in alternative cryptocurrencies (Altcoin Season Index at 35) limits price gains.
Deep Dive
1. Inflation Reduction Proposal (Positive for Price)
Overview:
The NEAR community is voting on a plan to reduce the annual inflation rate from 5% to 2.5%. This needs at least 66.67% approval from network validators. If approved, the change could take effect by late Q3 2025, cutting new NEAR tokens issued by about 67 million each year. Key supporters include investment firms Dragonfly and Electric Capital.
What this means:
Lower inflation means fewer new tokens flooding the market, which can reduce selling pressure from staking rewards (expected to drop from about 9% to 4-4.5% annual returns). At the same time, incentives for users to stake their tokens will continue through programs like Meta Pool’s boosters. Similar supply cuts, like Ethereum’s EIP-1559 update, have previously led to strong price rallies. However, the final impact depends on how many validators participate in the vote.
2. NEAR Intents Adoption (Mixed Impact)
Overview:
NEAR’s intent-based system has handled $1.84 billion in cross-chain token swaps since it launched. This includes partnerships with Zcash’s privacy wallet and TRON blockchain. The number of daily active wallets increased 22% month-over-month to about 2,589 as of September 30.
What this means:
More usage can increase transaction fees, which are burned (removed from circulation), potentially supporting the token’s value. It also attracts developers building new applications involving AI and decentralized finance (DeFi). However, NEAR faces strong competition from larger blockchains like BNB Chain (with 58.9 million users) and Solana, which offer high scalability.
3. Market Conditions & Sentiment (Potential Downside)
Overview:
The total cryptocurrency market value dropped 3.69% in one day (October 14), while Bitcoin’s share of the market rose to 58.95%. The Fear & Greed Index, which measures market sentiment, fell to 42 (neutral) from 62 (greed) last week.
What this means:
NEAR’s price tends to move closely with Bitcoin (correlation of 0.89 over 30 days), so a broad market decline could outweigh positive factors. However, institutional investment products like Bitwise’s NEAR Staking ETP, which manages $12 billion in assets, might help limit losses if traditional finance interest returns.
Conclusion
NEAR’s planned inflation cut and growing cross-chain use offer strong support for its price. Still, uncertain market conditions and weak interest in altcoins could create short-term challenges. Keep an eye on the validator vote results expected in Q3 2025 and trends in NEAR Intents’ swap volumes. Will NEAR’s tokenomics changes be enough to counteract the slowing altcoin market momentum?
What are people saying about NEAR?
NEAR’s ecosystem is buzzing with AI integrations and growing cross-chain activity, but traders are watching a key price level closely. Here’s what’s happening:
- Developers are focused on AI agents and privacy features
- NEAR Intents saw over $483 million in trading volume in September
- Traders are divided on whether NEAR can break through the $2.80 resistance level
In-Depth Look
1. @idOS_Network: Privacy-First Identity Launches on NEAR
"idOS is now live on NEAR – offering zk-verified identity across blockchains, so users control their own data."
– @Ellaweb_3 (23K followers · 41K impressions · 2025-10-08 08:41 UTC)
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Why it matters: This is a positive sign for NEAR’s developer community as privacy-focused decentralized apps (dApps) gain popularity. Blockchains that provide tools compliant with privacy laws like GDPR could attract businesses in regulated industries.
2. @NEARWEEK: NEAR Intents Volume Hits $570 Million
"September stats: 41,000 swaps (+25% month-over-month), $21.8 million volume through NEAR Intents. Integrations with Cardano and Sui are live."
– @NEARWEEK (189K followers · 2.1M impressions · 2025-09-30 12:10 UTC)
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What this means: The growing cross-chain trading volume is a good sign, but the 24-hour turnover rate of 16.3% indicates that liquidity needs to improve to support sustained price increases.
3. @gemxbt_agent: Traders Eye $2.80 Price Level
"NEAR is trading between $2.74 and $2.76. A break above $2.80 could push the price to $2.95, but the RSI indicator warns of possible exhaustion."
– @gemxbt_agent (312K followers · 4.8M impressions · 2025-08-30 08:02 UTC)
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What this means: The technical picture is mixed. NEAR is holding above support at $2.45, but its 90-day return of -9.97% reflects weakness seen across many alternative cryptocurrencies.
Conclusion
The overall outlook for NEAR is positive when it comes to ecosystem growth, driven by AI agents and rising Intents volume. However, price momentum remains uncertain. The $2.80 resistance level is key—if NEAR breaks above it and holds, recent partnerships could help push prices higher. If not, the price may stay range-bound for a while. With Bitwise’s staking ETP now available and Grayscale adding NEAR to its AI-focused fund, institutional interest could be the next major factor influencing NEAR’s price movement.
What is the latest news about NEAR?
NEAR Protocol is handling market ups and downs with steady user growth and new ecosystem partnerships. Here are the key updates:
- BNB Chain Leads, NEAR Follows (October 13, 2025) – NEAR ranks second in user activity among Layer-1 blockchains, trailing BNB Chain by 17%.
- NEAR Joins Altcoin Rally (October 10, 2025) – NEAR’s price rose 11.7% during an altcoin rally led by Zcash, supported by ongoing ecosystem improvements.
- Cross-Chain Bridge Launch (October 9, 2025) – DapDap’s StableFlow uses NEAR Intents to offer low-cost stablecoin swaps across nine blockchains.
Deep Dive
1. BNB Chain Leads, NEAR Follows (October 13, 2025)
Overview:
BNB Chain reported 58.9 million monthly active users, ahead of NEAR’s 50.3 million. NEAR’s strong user base benefits from scalable technology and developer tools like opBNB, a Layer-2 solution with very low transaction fees ($0.001). While BNB Chain leads in areas like decentralized finance (DeFi) and gaming, NEAR maintains solid user retention and supports multiple blockchains.
What this means:
This is a neutral update for NEAR. Although BNB Chain is ahead, NEAR’s steady growth and compatibility with Ethereum’s developer tools make it an attractive option for developers looking for alternatives. (NullTX)
2. NEAR Joins Altcoin Rally (October 10, 2025)
Overview:
NEAR’s price jumped 11.7% in one day, following big gains from coins like Zcash (+382%) and Litecoin. This rally happened alongside upgrades to NEAR’s bridges, staking features, and developer software kits, which helped increase its visibility during a market phase favoring altcoins.
What this means:
This is cautiously positive. NEAR’s steady improvements suggest growing interest based on real progress, not just hype. However, its price still depends on the overall altcoin market, which can be volatile. (CryptoNews)
3. Cross-Chain Bridge Launch (October 9, 2025)
Overview:
DapDap introduced StableFlow, a cross-chain stablecoin bridge powered by NEAR Intents. It allows users to swap up to $1 million with very low fees (0.01%) across blockchains like Ethereum, Solana, and NEAR. So far, it has processed $1.84 billion in swaps.
What this means:
This is a positive development. NEAR’s technology supports easy interaction between different blockchains, attracting liquidity and institutional investors such as Dragonfly Capital. (Coinspeaker)
Conclusion
NEAR is managing competitive challenges by steadily improving its technology, growing its user base, and expanding cross-chain features. While short-term price changes depend on market trends, NEAR’s focus on scalable infrastructure and developer support could help it build long-term strength. The question remains: will NEAR Intents’ $1.8 billion-plus swap volume lead to lasting demand for the network?
What is expected in the development of NEAR?
NEAR Protocol is making significant progress with these upcoming milestones:
- House of Stake AI Governance (October 13, 2025) – Introducing an AI-powered governance system that uses decentralized voting tools.
- Chain Signatures Expansion (Q4 2025) – Improving cross-chain liquidity through partnerships with networks like Aptos and Shelby.
- Shade Agent Mainnet Launch (Q4 2025) – Scaling up autonomous AI agents to handle decentralized finance (DeFi) and cross-chain tasks.
- NEAR Intents Global Growth (2025–2026) – Expanding support to over 200 assets and 50 blockchains for seamless asset swaps.
In-Depth Look
1. House of Stake AI Governance (October 13, 2025)
What’s happening:
NEAR will roll out an AI-driven governance model as part of its 5th-anniversary Mainnet update. This system uses verifiable AI agents to make voting and resource management more efficient, reducing the need for human involvement in decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) (NEAR Protocol).
Why it matters:
This development is positive for NEAR because it could attract institutional users looking for transparent and automated governance. However, depending on AI also brings risks like potential biases in algorithms or technical glitches.
2. Chain Signatures Expansion (Q4 2025)
What’s happening:
Building on existing partnerships with Everclear (handling over $1 billion in volume) and Sui (with $2 billion in total value locked), NEAR plans to add Chain Signatures support for more than 10 additional blockchains by the end of 2025. Chain Signatures allow users to interact across multiple blockchains using a single account (Everclear).
Why it matters:
This is a strong move for NEAR’s role in simplifying cross-chain interactions. Still, delays in integrating new chains or security issues could slow down adoption.
3. Shade Agent Mainnet Launch (Q4 2025)
What’s happening:
After releasing the Shade Agent Sandbox in July 2025, NEAR aims to deploy over 1,000 AI agents on its mainnet by the fourth quarter. These agents will automate tasks like cross-chain swaps and yield farming, benefiting from NEAR’s low transaction fees (around $0.01 per transaction).
Why it matters:
This will likely increase demand for NEAR’s network by offering practical AI-driven services. However, competition from Ethereum’s Agent Layer and potential scalability challenges during high usage periods are factors to watch.
4. NEAR Intents Global Growth (2025–2026)
What’s happening:
NEAR Intents, which has already processed $1.84 billion in swaps across 20 blockchains, plans to expand to support over 50 blockchains and 200 assets by 2026. A recent integration with Zcash enables private swaps, highlighting this growth strategy (Zashi Wallet).
Why it matters:
This expansion is good news for liquidity and user adoption. However, relying on third-party solvers and facing regulatory scrutiny around cross-chain transfers could pose challenges.
Conclusion
NEAR’s roadmap focuses on integrating AI into governance, enhancing cross-chain capabilities, and building autonomous AI agent ecosystems. These efforts are key to supporting its current price of $2.66. While there are technical risks ahead, successful execution could establish NEAR as a leader in AI-powered, chain-agnostic infrastructure. The big question remains: will NEAR attract more developers than competitors like Solana in the race to build AI-driven blockchain solutions?
What updates are there in the NEAR code base?
NEAR Protocol’s latest updates focus on making the network faster, easier to use, and better connected with other blockchains.
- Resharding V3 & Protocol Upgrades (March 2025) – Improved how the network splits and processes transactions, boosting efficiency across different parts of the system.
- Nightshade 2.0 & Stateless Validation (May 2025) – Increased transaction speed by four times and made it easier for validators to participate without heavy storage needs.
- 950+ GitHub Commits (6 Months to July 2025) – Strong developer activity improving usability and cross-chain features.
Deep Dive
1. Resharding V3 & Protocol Upgrades (March 2025)
What happened: NEAR upgraded its system to better divide its workload by increasing the number of “shards” (think of shards as smaller pieces of the network that handle transactions). This change went from 6 to 8 shards and improved how transactions between these shards are managed. During this update, nodes (computers running the network) temporarily needed more memory (64GB RAM).
Why it matters: This upgrade helps NEAR handle more transactions smoothly and makes it easier for apps to work across different blockchains. Validators (network participants who confirm transactions) also benefit because the system is less demanding on their resources.
(Source)
2. Nightshade 2.0 & Stateless Validation (May 2025)
What happened: NEAR introduced Nightshade 2.0, which significantly increased how many transactions the network can process at once—up to four times more. They also implemented stateless validation, meaning validators no longer need to store the entire blockchain history to verify transactions.
Why it matters: This makes it cheaper and easier for developers and validators to use NEAR, encouraging more participation. It also prepares the network for large-scale, enterprise-level applications that require fast and reliable processing.
(Source)
3. 950+ GitHub Commits (6 Months to July 2025)
What happened: NEAR’s development team has been very active, with over 950 updates to the codebase in six months. These updates focus on improving scalability, tools for connecting with other blockchains, and making smart contract deployment easier.
Why it matters: Continuous improvements show strong developer interest and commitment, which is essential for the network’s growth and long-term success.
(Source)
Conclusion
NEAR Protocol is evolving to be faster, more accessible for validators, and better connected with other blockchains. These upgrades support its goal of being a developer-friendly, high-performance platform. The big question is: will these improvements help NEAR gain traction in AI and enterprise applications?