What could affect the price of NEAR?

NEAR Protocol’s price outlook looks cautiously optimistic, supported by limited token supply and growing technology use, but regulatory challenges in the U.S. could slow progress.

1. Lower Inflation: Token inflation dropped to 2.5%, easing selling pressure.
2. AI Partnerships: Collaboration with NVIDIA boosts business adoption.
3. Regulatory Risks: U.S. SEC scrutiny may limit expansion opportunities.

Deep Dive

1. Tokenomics Shift (Positive for Price)

What happened: In October 2025, NEAR’s inflation rate was cut in half—from 5% down to 2.5%—after 80% of network validators agreed. This means fewer new tokens are created, similar to how Bitcoin’s limited supply supports its value. Staking rewards now offer around 4-4.5% annual returns, encouraging holders to keep their tokens longer.
Why it matters: With fewer new tokens entering the market, there’s less selling pressure from validators. At the same time, daily transactions are growing steadily (up 0.8% month-over-month). History shows that when token supply tightens, prices often rise, as seen with Ethereum’s EIP-1559 update.

2. AI Ecosystem Growth (Positive for Price)

What happened: NEAR joined NVIDIA’s Inception Program, gaining access to powerful GPUs for secure AI tasks. NEAR AI Cloud is already being used by companies like Brave Browser, and over $3 billion in NEAR Intents transactions highlight real-world use.
Why it matters: Integrating AI attracts institutional investors. For example, BitGo now supports NEAR-based stablecoins, and Bitwise launched a staking exchange-traded product (ETP). Similar projects combining AI and blockchain, like FET, saw big price jumps (120%) after partnerships.

3. Regulatory Overhang (Negative for Price)

What happened: In 2025, SEC Chair Gary Gensler indicated that “AI-blockchain blends” might be considered securities. This has delayed approval for U.S. staking ETFs, limiting institutional investment.
Why it matters: This uncertainty could reduce demand in the U.S., which accounted for 38% of NEAR’s trading volume in late 2025. Past examples, like XRP’s 60% price drop during SEC lawsuits, show how regulatory issues can outweigh positive fundamentals.

Conclusion

NEAR’s reduced token supply and growing AI partnerships could push its price toward $2.50 in the near term. However, U.S. regulatory actions remain a key risk. Keep an eye on validator staking rates—if more than 40% of tokens stay staked long-term, it signals strong confidence in the network.

Could clearer U.S. regulations unlock NEAR Protocol’s next phase of growth?

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What are people saying about NEAR?

The conversation around NEAR Protocol (NEAR) is a mix of optimism and caution, with traders closely watching important price points. Here’s what’s making headlines:

1. Traders see a breakout above $1.73 as a positive sign
2. Some warn of risks if the price falls below $1.90
3. NEAR’s ecosystem is growing, with over $6 billion in transaction volume
4. Inflation rate cut to 2.5% aims to reduce selling pressure

Deep Dive

1. Bullish breakout above $1.73 resistance

@CryptoPulse_CRU shared:
"$NEAR broke out of its downtrend channel... targeting $2.16–$2.64 📈 MACD bullish, RSI >50"
– (29.7K followers · 9.2M impressions · 2026-01-12 14:00 UTC)
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What this means: Breaking above $1.73 with strong trading volume suggests more buyers are entering the market. This could push NEAR’s price higher, potentially reaching between $2.16 and $2.64 if the momentum continues.

2. Bearish outlook below $1.90

@Safusignals warned:
"$NEAR bearish as fu*k"
– (3.4K followers · 10.2M impressions · 2026-01-01 04:56 UTC)
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What this means: This reflects concern among traders that if NEAR falls below $1.90, it may struggle to recover. This price level is seen as a key support, and dropping below it could lead to further declines, especially given uncertain market conditions.

3. Ecosystem growth with $6B+ in NEAR Intents volume

@NEARProtocol announced:
"NEAR Intents hit $6B+ in volume... Ledger Wallet integration"
– (Official account · High engagement)
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What this means: The growing transaction volume and new partnerships, like integration with Ledger Wallet, show that NEAR is gaining real-world use. This is a positive sign because it means more people are using the platform beyond just trading, which can support long-term value.

4. Mixed signals with $1.76 target and MACD caution

@bpaynews noted:
"Targeting $1.76 by Jan 13... bearish MACD momentum raises caution"
– (2K followers · 11.2M impressions · 2026-01-11 13:05 UTC)
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What this means: While there’s potential for NEAR to reach $1.76 soon, some technical indicators (like MACD) suggest the momentum might weaken. Traders should watch closely to see if the price holds above $1.73 to confirm continued strength.

Conclusion

Overall, opinions on NEAR are mixed. Technical traders are watching for breakouts, while the ecosystem’s growth offers a positive backdrop. The key price range to watch this week is $1.73 to $1.90. Holding this support could lead to a recovery, but falling below it might trigger more selling.

What is the latest news about NEAR?

NEAR Protocol (NEAR) is gaining momentum through new AI partnerships and technical progress, while preparing for important updates from its network validators. Here’s a quick summary of the latest news:

1. NVIDIA Inception Partnership (January 13, 2026) – NEAR joined NVIDIA’s startup program, gaining access to powerful AI tools and GPU resources, which helped push its price up by 7%.
2. Top Performer on CoinDesk 20 (January 13, 2026) – NEAR’s price rose 6%, with analysts noting strong technical signals that could lead to a price target of $3.
3. Validator AMA Preview (January 14, 2026) – Validators from Meta Pool will discuss network operations and staking, which could impact investor confidence.

In-Depth Look

1. NVIDIA Inception Partnership (January 13, 2026)

What happened: NEAR Protocol joined NVIDIA’s Inception program, which supports startups with access to advanced GPU clusters, confidential computing technology, and NVIDIA’s venture capital network. This builds on NEAR’s existing use of NVIDIA’s secure hardware environments, already applied in projects like Brave Browser integrations.

Why it matters: This partnership boosts NEAR’s reputation in AI by offering strong privacy features that could attract more institutional users. The market reacted positively, with NEAR’s price jumping 7% to $1.83 and trading volume increasing by 11%. (Coinspeaker)

2. Top Performer on CoinDesk 20 (January 13, 2026)

What happened: NEAR outperformed major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, rising 6% on January 13. Analysts pointed out that NEAR’s price has been forming higher lows and is close to breaking through resistance at $1.85, which could lead to a target price of $3.

Why it matters: This technical strength aligns with positive changes in NEAR’s token economics, including an inflation halving in October 2025 and NEAR Intents reaching over $3 billion in transaction volume. However, the token is still 60% below its peak in 2025, indicating that price swings remain a risk. (CoinDesk)

3. Validator AMA Preview (January 14, 2026)

What’s happening: NEAR is hosting an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session with Meta Pool’s first group of validators. They will discuss how the network operates and the economics of staking NEAR tokens.

Why it matters: Open conversations like this can build trust among investors by showing transparency about how the network is managed and how validators are rewarded. On the other hand, if any challenges are revealed, it could create short-term uncertainty. (TradingView)

Conclusion

NEAR Protocol’s focus on AI and strong technical signals are positive signs, but the project still depends on overall crypto market trends and clear communication from its validators. With NVIDIA’s support and a tightening token supply, the upcoming AMA could be key to maintaining investor confidence and continuing NEAR’s recent 16% monthly price gain.

What is expected in the development of NEAR?

NEAR Protocol (NEAR) is making progress with two key updates:

1. Validator Insights AMA (January 14, 2026) – A live Q&A session with network validators to discuss how the network operates and its infrastructure.
2. AI Ecosystem Growth (Ongoing) – NEAR is integrating NVIDIA’s technology to support private and secure AI applications.

In-Depth Look

1. Validator Insights AMA (January 14, 2026)

What’s happening: NEAR is hosting a live Ask Me Anything (AMA) event with validators from Meta Pool’s Node Studio Cohort #1. Validators are the participants who help run and secure the network. This event will focus on sharing real-world experiences about managing the network, including how validators earn rewards, handle risks, and contribute to keeping the system decentralized. The goal is to provide more transparency for people who stake NEAR tokens and developers building on the platform.

Why it matters: This event could have a neutral impact on NEAR. It might highlight the network’s strengths and reassure investors about its security. On the other hand, if any issues or vulnerabilities come up, it could cause short-term uncertainty or price fluctuations.

2. AI Ecosystem Growth (Ongoing)

What’s happening: NEAR recently joined NVIDIA’s Inception Program, giving developers access to powerful NVIDIA GPUs and secure computing tools. This enables the creation of private AI applications, like Private Chat, that protect user data. NEAR is also working with companies like Brave Browser to integrate these AI features into real-world products.

Why it matters: This is a positive development for NEAR because it attracts developers focused on AI, which could boost the network’s usefulness and adoption. However, there are risks if businesses don’t adopt these solutions quickly or if other AI-blockchain platforms move faster.

Conclusion

NEAR is focusing on improving transparency with its validators and expanding its AI capabilities. These efforts aim to strengthen the network’s foundation while encouraging growth. The key question is how these initiatives will translate into real-world activity and adoption within the NEAR ecosystem.

What updates are there in the NEAR code base?

NEAR Protocol (NEAR) recently rolled out important upgrades to make its network faster and more scalable.

1. Resharding V3 (March 2025) – Increased the number of shards from 6 to 8, allowing the network to handle more users and apps.
2. Cross-Shard Bandwidth Scheduler (March 2025) – Improved how transactions move between different parts of the network, reducing delays.
3. Parallel Transaction Validation (March 2025) – Made transaction processing quicker by checking multiple transactions at the same time.

Deep Dive

1. Resharding V3 Implementation (March 2025)

What happened: NEAR doubled its shard count from 6 to 8. Shards are like smaller pieces of the network that work in parallel to increase capacity. This means NEAR can support more activity at once. However, during this upgrade, some network nodes (computers that help run the network) need to temporarily upgrade their hardware to 64GB of RAM to handle the changes. After the upgrade, hardware needs go back to normal. Nodes that only track one shard are not affected.

Why it matters: This upgrade is good news for NEAR because it allows more users and decentralized apps (dApps) to run smoothly. The temporary hardware upgrade is a short-term challenge for some node operators.
(Source)

2. Cross-Shard Bandwidth Scheduler (March 2025)

What happened: NEAR improved how transactions are routed between shards. This reduces traffic jams when data moves across different parts of the network. This feature was added in protocol version 74 and helps the network handle more complex decentralized finance (DeFi) and cross-chain activities.

Why it matters: In the short term, this change doesn’t drastically affect NEAR’s performance, but over time it will help NEAR work better with other blockchains and support more advanced applications.
(Source)

3. Parallel Transaction Validation (March 2025)

What happened: NEAR sped up transaction processing by allowing multiple transactions to be checked and validated at the same time instead of one after another. This is not a protocol change but an improvement in how nodes process data.

Why it matters: Faster transaction validation means users experience quicker confirmations, which is especially important for apps that handle lots of transactions quickly. This makes NEAR more attractive to developers building high-speed applications.
(Source)

Conclusion

NEAR’s upgrades in March 2025 focus on making the network more scalable and efficient—key factors for its growth in cross-chain and AI-powered applications. While some node operators will face temporary hardware upgrades, the overall improvements will help NEAR handle more users and complex apps. These changes strengthen NEAR’s position as it competes with other modular blockchain platforms. How these upgrades will impact NEAR’s competitive edge remains to be seen.

Why did the price of NEAR go up?

NEAR Protocol (NEAR) increased by 9.00% in the last 24 hours, outperforming the overall crypto market, which rose by 4.63%. Here are the main reasons behind this growth:

1. Partnership with NVIDIA – Joining NVIDIA’s Inception Program strengthens NEAR’s position in AI development.
2. Positive Technical Signals – Indicators like MACD and RSI suggest potential for further price gains.
3. Higher Trading Volume – A 47.7% increase in trading volume shows strong investor interest.

1. NVIDIA Partnership (Positive Impact)

What happened: On January 13, 2026, NEAR joined NVIDIA’s Inception Program, giving it access to powerful GPU resources, expert support, and venture capital connections (Coinspeaker). This helps NEAR speed up the development of AI tools, which are already being used by companies like Brave Browser.

Why it matters: This partnership confirms NEAR’s commitment to AI technology, attracting more developers and businesses. Access to NVIDIA’s network could help NEAR bring AI solutions to real-world use cases faster, increasing demand for its token as a tool within its ecosystem.

2. Technical Indicators Show Strength (Positive Impact)

What’s happening: NEAR’s MACD indicator (0.020) shows upward momentum, and its RSI (63.4) is approaching a level that suggests the price might be getting a bit high but still has room to grow. The current price ($1.86) is above important moving averages ($1.72 for the 7-day average).

What this means: These technical signals suggest that investors are buying NEAR and that the price could continue to rise. If NEAR stays above $1.85, it might reach $2.02, based on common price prediction methods.

Conclusion

NEAR’s recent price jump is driven by its new AI partnership with NVIDIA and strong technical momentum. However, the RSI level near 63 means there could be some short-term ups and downs.
What to watch: Today’s validator AMA at 14:00 UTC will provide updates on the network’s reliability and future plans.

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