What is expected in the development of NEAR?

NEAR is moving forward with two major goals for 2026:

1. Grow the NEAR Intents Ecosystem – Expanding cross-chain activity by connecting more blockchains to boost user adoption and transaction fees.
2. Develop Confidential Computing Technology – Building privacy-focused tools to support secure AI and decentralized finance (DeFi) applications.

In-Depth Look

1. Growing the NEAR Intents Ecosystem (2026)

What it is: NEAR Intents is a technology layer that simplifies interactions across different blockchains. So far, it has handled over $6 billion in transactions involving more than 120 digital assets. The NEAR Infrastructure Committee has identified expanding this system as a top priority for 2026, aiming to add more blockchains and increase transaction volume and fees.

Why it matters: Expanding NEAR Intents means more people and projects will use the NEAR network, which increases the demand for NEAR tokens through transaction fees. This growth supports the network’s long-term value. However, NEAR faces strong competition from other cross-chain platforms, so execution will be key.

2. Developing Confidential Computing Technology (2026)

What it is: NEAR plans to enhance its confidential computing capabilities, which protect user privacy by enabling secure and private data processing. This includes technologies like Chain Signatures that allow AI programs and DeFi transactions to operate securely and privately.

Why it matters: This puts NEAR at the forefront of combining blockchain with AI and privacy, areas expected to grow rapidly. It could attract developers focused on privacy-sensitive applications. However, this technology is complex and may take time to fully develop.

Summary

In 2026, NEAR is shifting from building basic infrastructure to scaling two key innovations: the cross-chain Intents layer and the confidential computing stack. The big question is how quickly these technical advances will lead to real economic growth and increased use of the NEAR network.

What updates are there in the NEAR code base?

NEAR Protocol (NEAR) has recently made major improvements to boost its network speed and support more users by upgrading its technology for handling transactions and connecting with other blockchains.

1. Nearcore 2.5.0 with Resharding V3 (March 2025) – Updated how the network splits and manages data, allowing it to process many more transactions at once and get ready for future growth.
2. Nightshade 2.0 & Stateless Validation (May 2025) – Made the network four times faster and lowered the hardware needed for validators, encouraging more people to help run the network and leading to more developer activity.
3. Shard Expansion from 8 to 9 Shards (Q3 2025) – Increased the network’s capacity by 12.5% to handle more transactions as usage grows, especially from cross-chain applications.

Deep Dive

1. Nearcore 2.5.0 with Resharding V3 (March 2025)

What happened: This important update changed how NEAR divides its network into smaller parts called shards, improving how these shards work together. It introduced a new system called Resharding V3 that dynamically balances the workload across shards and added a scheduler to better manage data flow between them. Validators and nodes needed more memory (64GB RAM) temporarily during the upgrade, and transaction processing was sped up by running tasks in parallel.

Why it matters: This upgrade sets the stage for NEAR to handle many more users and apps at the same time without slowing down. It’s a key step toward NEAR’s goal of being a fast, scalable blockchain that’s easy to use.
(Release 2.5.0 · near/nearcore)

2. Nightshade 2.0 & Stateless Validation (May 2025)

What happened: NEAR improved its sharding technology with Nightshade 2.0, increasing transaction speed by four times. It also introduced stateless validation, which lets validators secure the network without storing the entire blockchain history. This lowers hardware requirements and makes it easier for more people to become validators. These changes helped boost daily smart contract deployments by five times.

Why it matters: Faster and cheaper transactions attract more developers to build on NEAR, which grows the network’s ecosystem and usefulness. Making it easier to become a validator also helps keep the network decentralized and secure.
(NEAR Protocol Sees Developer Activity Surge Amid Breakthrough Upgrades)

3. Shard Expansion from 8 to 9 Shards (Q3 2025)

What happened: NEAR increased the number of shards from 8 to 9, boosting the network’s capacity to process transactions by 12.5%. This helps the network handle more activity, especially from cross-chain applications that connect NEAR with other blockchains.

Why it matters: This steady upgrade ensures NEAR can keep scaling smoothly as more users and apps join, preventing slowdowns and maintaining good performance.
(NEAR Protocol Closes Q3 Strong with $3.3B Market Cap and Rising Cross-Chain Volume)

Conclusion

NEAR Protocol’s recent updates focus on making its sharded blockchain faster, more scalable, and easier to support by validators. These improvements strengthen NEAR’s position as a competitive Layer-1 blockchain. The next steps in optimizing sharding will be key to how NEAR continues to stand out in the blockchain space.

What could affect the price of NEAR?

NEAR’s price outlook depends on its success in shifting toward AI infrastructure while facing ongoing technical resistance.

1. Inflation Cut in Half – In October 2025, NEAR reduced its annual inflation rate from 5% to 2.5%, which lowers the amount of new tokens entering the market and could help support its value over time.
2. AI & Intents Growth – NEAR is positioning itself as the platform for AI agents, with its Intents system handling over $6 billion in transactions—a key factor for future growth.
3. Technical Resistance – NEAR’s price is currently facing resistance around $1.31 to $1.45. It needs to break through this range to confirm a sustained upward trend.

In-Depth Analysis

1. Inflation Reduction (Positive for Price)

In October 2025, NEAR implemented a major upgrade that cut its annual token inflation rate from 5% to about 2.5% (NEAR Protocol). This means fewer new tokens are created each year, similar to Bitcoin’s halving events. By limiting new supply, this change aims to reduce selling pressure from staking rewards and improve the overall token economy.

Why it matters: Lower inflation means NEAR tokens become scarcer over time. If demand for the network stays steady or grows, this scarcity can help support higher prices in the medium to long term.

2. AI Focus & Ecosystem Expansion (Potential Upside with Risks)

NEAR’s co-founder has highlighted that AI agents will likely become the main users of blockchain networks, with NEAR serving as the backend settlement layer (CoinDesk). The NEAR Intents platform, which enables cross-chain token swaps, has already processed over $6 billion in volume and supports more than 120 assets (NEAR Protocol).

Why it matters: This AI-driven growth story could attract more developers and investors, potentially increasing NEAR’s value. However, competition is strong—Ethereum and others are also working on AI-blockchain solutions—and the success of this vision depends on how quickly AI adoption grows.

3. Price Resistance & Market Sentiment (Short-Term Challenges)

Despite a recent 13% weekly gain, NEAR faces immediate price resistance near $1.31 (the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement level) and a stronger resistance zone between $1.40 and $1.45. The 200-day moving average at $1.98 is an even bigger hurdle ahead. Additionally, large traders (whales) are showing mixed positions, with both long and short futures trades happening simultaneously (Crypto Whale Trades & News).

Why it matters: These technical barriers and mixed market signals could cause short-term price volatility and limit upward momentum. The overall market sentiment remains cautious, with the Fear & Greed Index at 24, indicating fear among investors.

Summary

NEAR’s price outlook balances a positive structural change—lower inflation—with the challenge of overcoming key technical resistance amid cautious market sentiment. For investors, this suggests patience is needed. The protocol’s improvements set a strong foundation, but it may take time for the price to fully reflect these changes.

The big question remains: Will the growing volume on the Intents platform and increased AI adoption provide enough momentum to push NEAR decisively above the $1.45 resistance level?

What is the latest news about NEAR?

NEAR Protocol (NEAR) is gaining attention with a major privacy upgrade and a bold vision for AI integration, even though its price has been lagging in a selective market. Here’s the latest update:

1. Confidential Intents Launch (March 5, 2026) – NEAR’s price jumped 13.5% after introducing private cross-chain DeFi transactions, a significant technical improvement.
2. Co-founder’s AI Agent Vision (March 3, 2026) – Illia Polosukhin, NEAR’s co-founder, shared his view that AI will become the main user of blockchain technology, making it “invisible” to everyday users.
3. Price Underperformance in Selective Rally (March 5, 2026) – NEAR’s price dropped 5.55% as investors shifted funds to other mid-cap tokens, showing short-term market weakness.

Deep Dive

1. Confidential Intents Launch (March 5, 2026)

What happened: NEAR’s price rose 13.5% to $1.35 after launching “Confidential Intents,” a feature that allows users to make private DeFi transactions across different blockchains. This means users can swap assets without revealing sensitive wallet information or transaction amounts on the blockchain. NEAR says this opens up “privacy-first” use cases for institutions and developers.

Why it matters: Privacy is a big concern in decentralized finance (DeFi), and this upgrade directly addresses that. It could attract new users, especially institutions and high-net-worth individuals who value confidentiality. The strong price reaction shows the market sees this as a real technical breakthrough, not just hype. However, for the momentum to last, NEAR needs to show actual user adoption following this launch.
(Source: CryptoNewsLand)

2. Co-founder’s AI Agent Vision (March 3, 2026)

What happened: In an interview, NEAR co-founder Illia Polosukhin explained his vision where AI agents become the main users of blockchain networks. He criticized the current focus on meme coins and said blockchain’s real role is to act as a secure, neutral backend for AI-to-AI economies. This includes handling payments, managing assets, and governing autonomously.

Why it matters: This is a big strategic shift for NEAR. Instead of competing on transaction speed alone, NEAR aims to be the trusted platform powering AI-driven economies. If this vision takes hold, it could attract more developers and businesses over time. However, this is a long-term idea and not yet a source of revenue.
(Source: CoinDesk)

3. Price Underperformance in Selective Rally (March 5, 2026)

What happened: While some cryptocurrencies rallied, NEAR’s price fell 5.55% to $1.27. Investors moved money into a few select mid-cap tokens related to exchanges and DeFi, showing cautious and selective trading.

Why it matters: This short-term price drop signals that despite NEAR’s positive developments, it struggled to attract investment in a risk-averse market. It highlights how market sentiment and liquidity flows can outweigh technical progress in the near term. For NEAR to bounce back, it needs to show steady on-chain activity or capture a strong narrative that drives consistent buying.
(Source: Crypto.news)

Conclusion

NEAR is pushing forward with a two-pronged strategy: improving its technology with privacy features and promoting a futuristic AI-driven use case. However, it faces short-term challenges as the market remains cautious. The key question is whether real-world use of Confidential Intents will boost adoption enough to support its ambitious AI vision and help NEAR break through current resistance levels.

What are people saying about NEAR?

Social conversations around NEAR Protocol (NEAR) show a mix of hopeful excitement about AI and privacy features, alongside cautious technical signals from traders watching key price levels. Here’s the latest:

1. NEAR’s official account highlights a strong AI and privacy angle with its new Confidential Intents feature.
2. Analysts are divided—some expect a price breakout above $1.40, while others see ongoing bearish trends.
3. Many are puzzled by NEAR’s rapid user growth not yet reflecting in its price movement.

Deep Dive

1. @NEARProtocol: AI and Privacy Narrative Boost (Bullish)

"private AI is NEAR"
– @NEARProtocol (1.8M followers · Aug 5, 2025)
View original post
What this means: This is a positive sign for NEAR because it connects the platform’s latest development—Confidential Intents—to popular trends in AI and data privacy. This could attract more developers and users to the network.

2. @PumpSwapAlpha: Technical Consolidation at Key Levels (Mixed)

"NEAR Protocol Analysis $NEAR - With NEAR trading $1.15, the chart shows defined near-term support around $1.05 and resistance near $1.30–$1.35."
– @PumpSwapAlpha (40.2K followers · Feb 5, 2026)
View original post
What this means: This is a neutral to slightly negative outlook. The price is holding near support but faces resistance around $1.30–$1.35. Trading volume is thinning, suggesting investors are cautious. A clear move above $1.35 would be needed to signal stronger momentum.

3. @CryptoJournaal: Fundamentals vs. Price Disconnect (Bearish)

"NEAR Protocol ($NEAR) remains in a prolonged bearish trend... weak bullish volume indicates limited accumulation."
– @CryptoJournaal (33.7K followers · Jan 20, 2026)
View original post
What this means: This is a negative signal. Despite NEAR’s strong fundamental growth, the price remains weak with little buying interest. This suggests that the market hasn’t yet recognized or rewarded NEAR’s progress.

Conclusion

The outlook for NEAR is mixed. On one hand, the project is making strong strides in AI integration and cross-chain capabilities. On the other, the price action remains cautious and technically bearish. Keep an eye on whether NEAR can close above the $1.40–$1.44 resistance zone, which would be a key sign that positive developments are finally driving a sustained price breakout.

Why did the price of NEAR fall?

NEAR Protocol (NEAR) has dropped 3.59% to $1.24 in the last 24 hours, mainly following a broader market sell-off. This decline is largely due to increased risk aversion caused by rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran, along with outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs. The price movement reflects NEAR’s strong correlation with Bitcoin rather than any specific issues with the coin itself.

1. Main cause: Overall market risk-off sentiment, with Bitcoin down 4.78% amid geopolitical concerns and ETF outflows.
2. Additional factors: NEAR fell below key moving averages, and trading volume dropped by 26.5%, signaling weak buying interest.
3. Short-term outlook: If NEAR stays above $1.22, it may stabilize; falling below that could lead to a test of $1.15. To regain momentum, NEAR needs to rise back above the 30-day simple moving average near $1.28.

Deep Dive

1. NEAR’s High Sensitivity to Market Risk

The main reason for NEAR’s decline is a broad sell-off across cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin dropped 4.78% as geopolitical tensions pushed oil prices higher and increased investor caution (CoinDesk). At the same time, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs experienced $228 million in outflows, which hurt institutional demand (Decrypt). Because NEAR tends to move more sharply than Bitcoin, it followed this downward trend closely.

What this means: NEAR’s price drop is mainly due to investors pulling money out of riskier assets in response to global events, not because of any problems with NEAR itself.

2. Technical Weakness and Low Trading Volume

NEAR’s price fell below its 30-day simple moving average (SMA) of $1.28, turning this level into resistance. The 7-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) is at 37.11, indicating bearish momentum but nearing oversold territory. Trading volume decreased by 26.5%, showing that buyers are not stepping in strongly to support the price.

What this means: The technical setup has weakened, allowing the market-driven sell-off to continue without much buying pressure to stop it.

What to watch: The $1.22 support level is important—it matches recent lows and is where traders often place stop-loss orders.

3. Near-Term Market Outlook

The ongoing geopolitical tensions remain a key factor affecting the market. For NEAR, holding above $1.22 is crucial. If it can climb back above $1.28, the next target could be $1.34. However, if it falls below $1.22, a deeper drop toward $1.15 is possible, where longer-term moving averages provide support.

What this means: The short-term trend is cautiously bearish, and NEAR’s recovery depends on Bitcoin stabilizing.

What to watch: Bitcoin holding steady above $69,000 would likely help prevent further losses in altcoins like NEAR.

Conclusion

Market Outlook: Bearish Pressure
NEAR is currently affected by a broad market downturn, with technical indicators confirming weakness. The key question is whether the overall market sentiment improves before NEAR breaks critical support levels.

Key points to monitor: Can Bitcoin maintain a price above $69,000? Will NEAR’s trading volume increase if it tries to reclaim the $1.28 level?

NEAR Launches Confidential Intents To Curb MEV

NEAR Protocol has introduced a new feature called “confidential intents” designed to keep user order details hidden until after they are finalized. This makes common tactics used by bots, like frontrunning and sandwich attacks, much harder to pull off.

1. Confidential intents allow users to specify their trade goals while keeping sensitive details private until execution, limiting what MEV bots can exploit.
2. This could lead to better trade execution for swaps and other DeFi activities on NEAR, but its success depends on adoption by wallets, decentralized apps (dApps), and validators.
3. Important questions remain about performance impact, how trust and encryption are managed, and whether MEV bots will simply adapt to new strategies instead of disappearing.

Deep Dive

1. What Are Confidential Intents?

NEAR Protocol (NEAR) is a layer 1 blockchain focused on making blockchain use easier and more flexible. Confidential intents fit into this goal.

An “intent” is basically a user’s request, like “swap up to X NEAR for at least Y of token Z,” rather than a fully detailed transaction that everyone can see.

Making these intents “confidential” means using encryption, batching, or private matching so that the details of your trade aren’t visible to others watching the transaction pool (mempool) until after the order is finalized.

In simple terms: For users, it feels like a normal swap, but your exact trade details stay hidden until everything is set in stone.

2. How Confidential Intents Help Reduce MEV

MEV (Miner Extractable Value) refers to bots that watch transactions before they’re confirmed and try to profit by inserting their own trades around yours, often hurting your trade price.

By keeping intents confidential until they’re ordered and confirmed, these bots can’t easily frontrun your trade, sandwich it, or copy it without risk.

If done right, this means more of the price benefit and less slippage stays with you, the user, instead of being taken by bots or validators.

3. Trade-Offs and What to Watch

There are some trade-offs. Adding privacy layers or private matching can slow things down, add complexity, or require new trust models for validators. Also, smart bots might still find ways to profit from public price changes.

Here are three key things to watch:

1. Will major NEAR wallets and DeFi apps start using confidential intents by default?
2. Will transaction fees, speed, or failure rates change compared to regular transactions?
3. Will data show improvements in slippage and trade execution after adoption?

Bottom line: This feature looks promising for fairer trades, but its real impact depends on how widely it’s used on NEAR.

Conclusion

NEAR’s confidential intents are part of a broader push in the crypto world to protect order flow and reduce the most harmful MEV practices.

If the NEAR community adopts this widely and avoids new centralization or trust issues, users could enjoy better, more predictable trade execution compared to the fully public transaction pools used today.