Latest NEAR Protocol (NEAR) News Update

By CMC AI
30 September 2025 12:19AM (UTC+0)

What is the latest news on NEAR?

TLDR

NEAR Protocol navigates bearish pressure and AI-driven optimism – here’s the latest:

  1. TVL Plunge & Retail Support (27 September 2025) – $20.5M outflows dented TVL, but spot buyers absorbed $21.6M.

  2. Zashi CrossPay Goes Live (16 September 2025) – Privacy-focused cross-chain payments now enabled via NEAR.

  3. AI Integration Boost (23 September 2025) – Allora Network’s predictive AI agents enhance NEAR’s infrastructure.

Deep Dive

1. TVL Plunge & Retail Support (27 September 2025)

Overview: NEAR’s Total Value Locked (TVL) dropped 12% to $165M on September 26 amid $20.5M in outflows, while daily transactions hit a monthly low of 4.3M. However, retail investors bought $21.6M in NEAR over the week, stabilizing price action.
What this means: The TVL decline reflects short-term investor caution, but strong spot buying near $2.65 suggests retail confidence. Liquidation clusters above $2.65 hint at potential upside if momentum reverses. (AMBCrypto)

2. Zashi CrossPay Goes Live (16 September 2025)

Overview: Zcash’s Zashi CrossPay, launched via NEAR Protocol, enables private cross-chain transactions for any NEAR-supported asset. This integration expands NEAR’s utility in privacy-focused DeFi.
What this means: This is bullish for NEAR’s ecosystem diversification, attracting privacy-centric projects and users. However, regulatory scrutiny on privacy tools remains a risk. (CoinJournal)

3. AI Integration Boost (23 September 2025)

Overview: NEAR partnered with Allora Network to integrate predictive AI agents into its Shade Agent infrastructure, targeting AI-driven cross-chain automation. The move followed a 9% price surge to $3.15.
What this means: This strengthens NEAR’s “blockchain for AI” narrative, aligning with Nvidia’s $100B AI infrastructure push. Technical resistance at $3.20–$3.30 will test sustained bullish momentum. (CoinJournal)

Conclusion

NEAR balances bearish on-chain outflows with bullish AI and privacy integrations. While short-term price action hinges on reclaiming $2.80, its ecosystem’s focus on AI and cross-chain utility positions it for long-term relevance. Will institutional inflows follow retail accumulation?

What are people saying about NEAR?

TLDR

NEAR’s community juggles breakout hopes, AI bets, and ecosystem milestones. Here’s what’s trending:

  1. Breakout whispers – Traders eye $3.50 as next key resistance.

  2. AI collabs – Allora’s predictive layer integrates with NEAR.

  3. Volume surge – NEAR Intents hits $570M+ in swaps.

Deep Dive

1. @cryptoking_nl: Price Eyes $3.50 Breakout Bullish

"NEAR got rejected at the $3.50 level but is gearing up to test it again. If this breaks, momentum could send it moving fast toward higher targets."
– @cryptoking_nl (12.3K followers · 58K impressions · 2025-09-24 18:44 UTC)
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What this means: Bullish for NEAR because reclaiming $3.50 could trigger algorithmic buying and FOMO, especially with altcoin season sentiment brewing.

2. @gemxbt_agent: Bullish Reversal Signals Mixed

"NEAR is testing minor support at $2.45. RSI moving out of oversold, MACD hinting at crossover – cautious upside if buyers step in."
– @gemxbt_agent (23.1K followers · 124K impressions · 2025-08-30 08:02 UTC)
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What this means: Neutral-bullish for NEAR. Technicals suggest accumulation, but low volume raises execution risk – watch for sustained closes above $2.80.

3. @NiphermeDave: AI Integration Goes Live Bullish

"Allora’s intelligence layer now on NEAR – predictive AI agents enhance Shade infrastructure. W Partnership."
– @NiphermeDave (8.7K followers · 41K impressions · 2025-09-16 14:32 UTC)
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What this means: Bullish for NEAR as AI tooling attracts developers and use cases, aligning with its "AI-native L1" roadmap.

4. @NEARProtocol: Intents Volume Hits $570M Bullish

"NEAR Intents processed $570M+ across 1.2M swaps, with Bitwise ETP launch and Sui integration fueling cross-chain demand."
– @NEARProtocol (1.2M followers · 2.8M impressions · 2025-07-30 19:54 UTC)
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What this means: Bullish for NEAR. High swap volume validates chain abstraction utility, while institutional ETPs reduce sell pressure via staking.

Conclusion

The consensus on NEAR is bullish, driven by technical reversals, AI integrations, and surging cross-chain utility. While price faces resistance at $3.50, ecosystem growth (Bitwise ETP, 100+ Intents assets) offsets macro skepticism. Watch the $2.70 support – a hold here could reignite momentum toward yearly highs.

What is the latest update in NEAR’s codebase?

TLDR

NEAR Protocol’s codebase advances focus on AI integration, cross-chain infrastructure, and decentralized tooling.

  1. Allora Integration (16 September 2025) – Predictive intelligence layer added to NEAR’s AI agents.

  2. Aptos & Shelby Partnerships (3 September 2025) – Cross-chain transfers and decentralized storage upgrades.

  3. Lava Network RPC Support (4 August 2025) – Decentralized node infrastructure for developers.

Deep Dive

1. Allora Integration (16 September 2025)

Overview: NEAR integrated Allora Network’s decentralized intelligence layer to enhance its Shade Agent infrastructure, enabling AI agents to leverage predictive insights for on-chain decision-making.

This upgrade allows developers to build self-optimizing AI agents that adapt to real-time data, improving use cases like DeFi trading and cross-chain arbitrage. The integration uses NEAR’s Chain Signatures for secure, multi-chain interactions.

What this means: This is bullish for NEAR because it strengthens its position as an AI-native blockchain, attracting developers building advanced decentralized AI applications. (Source)

2. Aptos & Shelby Partnerships (3 September 2025)

Overview: NEAR expanded its cross-chain capabilities through Aptos integration for frictionless asset transfers and partnered with Shelby to incorporate decentralized hot storage solutions into its AI ecosystem.

The Aptos collaboration simplifies cross-chain swaps via NEAR Intents, while Shelby’s storage network supports scalable AI data processing and monetization.

What this means: This is neutral-to-bullish for NEAR because it enhances interoperability and data infrastructure, though adoption depends on developer uptake. (Source)

3. Lava Network RPC Support (4 August 2025)

Overview: NEAR decentralized its RPC (Remote Procedure Call) infrastructure via Lava Network, offering developers subsidized, high-performance access to NEAR nodes.

The integration provides 75 million monthly requests and multi-chain RPC support, reducing reliance on centralized providers and improving network resilience.

What this means: This is bullish for NEAR because it ensures reliable, censorship-resistant access for builders, aligning with long-term decentralization goals. (Source)

Conclusion

NEAR’s recent codebase updates emphasize AI-agent infrastructure, cross-chain interoperability, and decentralized tooling—key pillars for its vision of an “AI-native” blockchain. With these upgrades, can NEAR become the default platform for verifiable, chain-abstracted AI applications?

What is next on NEAR’s roadmap?

TLDR

NEAR Protocol’s roadmap focuses on AI integration, scalability, and cross-chain interoperability.

  1. AI Agent Ecosystem Expansion (Q4 2025) – Scaling verifiable AI agents via Shade Sandbox.

  2. Chain Abstraction Upgrades (Q4 2025) – Enhancing cross-chain liquidity with Chain Signatures.

  3. Governance Vote on Inflation Reduction (Q3 2025) – Proposal to cut staking rewards from 5% to 2.5%.

  4. Stateless Validation Rollout (2026) – Finalizing decentralized validation for 1M+ TPS.

Deep Dive

1. AI Agent Ecosystem Expansion (Q4 2025)

Overview: NEAR’s Shade Agent Sandbox (released July 2025) allows developers to build AI agents that autonomously execute contracts, trade assets, and interact cross-chain. Partnerships with IQ AI and Allora Network (September 2025) aim to integrate predictive models into NEAR’s infrastructure.

What this means: Bullish for adoption, as AI agents could drive utility and transaction volume. Risks include technical complexity and competition from AI-focused chains.

2. Chain Abstraction Upgrades (Q4 2025)

Overview: NEAR Intents—a system for cross-chain swaps and liquidity aggregation—recently integrated Sui and Aptos. Upcoming upgrades focus on expanding Chain Signatures (used by MoreMarkets) to enable single-account access across 15+ blockchains.

What this means: Neutral-to-bullish. While improved interoperability could attract developers, success depends on competing with established cross-chain solutions like Polkadot.

3. Governance Vote on Inflation Reduction (Q3 2025)

Overview: A validator proposal aims to reduce annual NEAR issuance from 5% to 2.5% to curb sell pressure. Voting concludes by late September 2025 (source).

What this means: Bullish if passed, as lower inflation could stabilize prices long-term. However, reduced staking rewards might deter new validators.

4. Stateless Validation Rollout (2026)

Overview: Part of NEAR’s long-term scalability plan, stateless validation allows nodes to participate without storing full blockchain history. This follows the Nightshade 2.0 upgrade (May 2025), which quadrupled throughput.

What this means: Bullish for decentralization and enterprise adoption, but delayed rollouts could erode confidence in NEAR’s technical execution.

Conclusion

NEAR’s roadmap balances immediate ecosystem growth (AI, cross-chain) with foundational upgrades (scalability, tokenomics). The protocol is positioning itself as a hub for AI-driven dApps and seamless multichain interactions. With the Fear & Greed Index at 39, how might NEAR’s technical bets fare in a risk-averse market?

CMC AI can make mistakes. Not financial advice.