NEAR is one of the projects worth keeping a close eye on in the current cycle. It’s not just an AI story—there are also real changes happening in the protocol’s economics.
🔥 What really matters now:
🔹 1. NEAR Intents — a key growth driver
The protocol is developing infrastructure for exchanging assets across different blockchains. According to the team, the total transaction volume on NEAR Intents has exceeded $20 billion. The more real-world usage it gets, the greater its potential to generate fee revenue.
🔹 2. Token buybacks
In 2026, NEAR activated a mechanism for receiving protocol revenue, part of which is used to buy back NEAR through near.com. If volumes and revenue continue to grow, this could become an important source of demand for the token.
🔹 3. AI and the economy of autonomous agents
NEAR is developing infrastructure for AI agents that can interact with markets and perform operations on behalf of users. If this area achieves widespread adoption, the project could benefit from a new source of demand.
🔹 4. Potential reduction in emissions
On October 7, 2026, a proposal was made to lower NEAR’s target emission rate from 2.5% to 1.6% over 24 months. Important: this proposal is still under consideration and is not a confirmed change to the tokenomics.
📈 What could drive growth?
• Increased NEAR Intents volumes and fee revenue.
• Growing demand for infrastructure for AI agents.
• Increased token purchases through the buyback mechanism.
• Improving altcoin market conditions and capital inflows.
⚠️ The main risk: even strong fundamentals don’t guarantee a price increase. In early October, NEAR Intents suffered an exploit involving approximately $3.8 million. The vulnerability was fixed and the funds were returned, but user trust and infrastructure security remain critically important.
🎯 My takeaway: NEAR is an interesting bet on the intersection of blockchain, cross-chain transactions, and AI. The key bullish signal isn’t bold claims, but sustained growth in volumes, revenue, and real demand for the token.
Don’t buy based on expectations alone. Keep an eye on the metrics, price action, and confirmation of key levels.
Not financial advice. Cryptocurrencies are high-risk assets.