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- NEAR surged 11.56% over the last 24 hours, fueled by AI integration and Nightshade 2.0 upgrade, outperforming broader market momentum.
- Bitwise projects NEAR could hit $155.85, a 7,000% surge, if roadmap execution cements it as an AI-native blockchain hub.
NEAR Protocol has recorded an 11.56% surge in the past 24 hours, placing it among the top three gainers today.
Compared to the overall crypto market, which only saw a slight 1.81% increase in the week, NEAR’s achievement is clearly much more striking. Moreover, the trend over the past month has also remained positive, with a 30.75% increase.
This surge has led many to re-evaluate the project, which has recently been actively promoting itself as an AI-friendly blockchain.
NEAR Powers Up with AI and Nightshade 2.0
A fresh catalyst arrived on September 16, 2025, when a partnership with Allora Network introduced a decentralized AI layer into the “Shade Agent” framework.
The goal is to provide predictive analytics for various decentralized applications (dApps). In this way, NEAR seeks to strengthen its position as a blockchain ready to host various artificial intelligence-based solutions.
But that’s not all; another major step was taken earlier with the Nightshade 2.0 upgrade on August 18. This upgrade reduced annual inflation from 5% to 2.5%, optimized sharding to handle up to 10,000 transactions per second (TPS), and introduced Chain Signatures as a cross-chain tool.
The results showed up quickly, with weekly active users climbing to 16 million and overtaking Solana, marking a clear shift in competitiveness.
Furthermore, CNF reported last July that NEAR introduced DCML, a system that enables AI workloads to run securely within trusted enclaves.
With DCML, users can privately fine-tune models, verify results, and still earn revenue from model access without losing data ownership. This mechanism addresses the need for privacy in an era where personal data is often a vulnerable commodity.
Furthermore, Bitwise has also provided financial infrastructure support by launching the NEAR Staking ETP on the Xetra exchange in early July. This product is designed with institutional-grade staking and cold custody integration.
Investors can enjoy a net return of 5.5% per year from staking with no lock-ups, plus daily liquidity. This kind of facility certainly opens the door wider for institutions looking to participate in the NEAR ecosystem without the hassle of managing crypto assets traditionally.
Bitwise Shocks Market With 7,000% Price Forecast
What’s fueling the excitement is Bitwise’s latest prediction. They’ve set a seemingly wild target: the price of NEAR could climb to $155.85, or more than 7,000% from its current level.
Analyst Renksi confirms this view by stating that if the roadmap is executed as planned, NEAR has the potential to become a hub for AI agents, intent routing, and automated transactions. This statement certainly raises the question: is such a large prediction realistic or just wishful thinking?
Bitwise just dropped a wild target, $NEAR at $155.85
If @NEARProtocol nails its roadmap, it could become the hub for AI agents, intent routing, and automated transactions
This isnt just speculation, its a glimpse into the future thats getting closer every day right? pic.twitter.com/XkWSo307yB
— Renksi (@renksieth) September 18, 2025
However, considering the steps already taken, from AI integration and infrastructure strengthening to financial products targeting institutions, this vision of the future doesn’t sound too far-fetched.
Renksi even stated, “This isn’t mere speculation, but rather a glimpse of a future that’s getting closer every day.”
