Near Protocol (NEAR) Price: NEAR Explodes 80% in a Week — Is $5 Next?

TLDR

• NEAR surged nearly 80% in seven days, trading around $4.29 on Monday
• NEAR Intents recorded $29.3 billion in cumulative volume, with $842 million in the past week
• NEAR Intents TVL crossed $207 million, though live data later showed it near $189 million
• Near Protocol added confidential perpetual futures trading via Hyperliquid integration
• Bitcoin’s rise above $86,000 provided a broader tailwind for altcoin gains including NEAR

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NEAR Protocol’s native token posted one of its strongest weekly performances in months, gaining nearly 80% over seven days to trade at around $4.29 on Monday, according to CoinGecko. That compares to a roughly 6% rise in total crypto market cap over the same period.

NEAR climbed from around $2.20 in recent weeks, breaking a multiyear descending trendline and reclaiming the $3.50 resistance level. The 24-hour gain alone stood at around 22% at the time of writing.

Bitcoin crossing $86,000 — its highest level since January — helped lift broader market sentiment. Ethereum climbed above $2,760 and XRP moved to around $1.50. Total crypto market cap reached approximately $2.93 trillion. Spot Bitcoin ETF inflows and forced short liquidations added to upward pressure across the market.

NEAR Intents Volume and TVL Growth

NEAR Intents, which lets users request cross-chain swaps with market makers competing to fill them, hit $29.3 billion in cumulative volume. Weekly volume on the platform reached $842 million.

TVL on NEAR Intents was reported to have crossed $207 million, though live DefiLlama data later placed it closer to $189 million, reflecting the volatility of deposited values.

NEAR is extending beyond being an L1.

It introduced Confidential Perps, connecting Hyperliquid with NEAR Intents’ cross-chain routes.

Meanwhile, on-chain TVL reached $180M (+57% in 30 days), while volume hit $5.48B.

So, What is @NEARProtocol building? 👇 pic.twitter.com/QTgqbqPN5R

— CertiK Skynet (@CertiKCommunity) September 22, 2026

Bitwise research analyst Camran Khosravi noted that Near and Zcash are “complements,” saying Near gives ZEC holders confidential cross-chain infrastructure and access to liquidity. He also pointed out that NEAR Intents’ TVL can rise when the price of ZEC already held in the system increases, even without new deposits coming in.

Privacy-focused Zcash wallet ZODL ranked as the third-largest referral source by volume on NEAR Intents over a recent 24-hour period, generating around $3.8 million across 458 transactions. A single ZEC swap worth roughly $613,000 was among the largest transactions recorded.

Privacy Features and Incentive Program

Near Protocol expanded its privacy features last Thursday, making deposits and withdrawals for perpetual futures trading on near.com confidential by default. The feature hides the link between a trader’s funding wallet and their Hyperliquid trading account.

Confidential TVL on near.com crossed $70 million, triggering the first snapshot under the NEAR@3.33 incentive program. The program allocated 333,333 milestone tokens, which unlock and convert to NEAR when its three-day volume-weighted average price hits at least $3.33.

$NEAR: We Remain Actively Long

NEAR has staged a powerful vertical rally, gaining roughly 92% from its local accumulation range and briefly testing a local peak at $4.45.

Buyer dominance is clear — the token surged effortlessly above a dense cluster of moving averages, which… pic.twitter.com/DFUU8mOhYr

— River Of Neurons (@RiverOfNeurons) September 22, 2026

Crypto analyst River Of Neurons said on X that NEAR “staged a powerful vertical rally, gaining roughly 92% from its local accumulation range,” briefly testing a local peak at $4.45. They added that volume confirmed “aggressive interest from large funds and whales” and that holding the $4 level is now critical for the move to continue.

Short-term resistance sits between $4.20 and $4.40. The daily RSI recently topped 63, approaching overbought territory, while the MACD remains in bullish territory. Support levels are at $3.80–$3.90 and the previous breakout zone of $3.30–$3.50.