Arthur Hayes said he dumped his HYPE and NEAR holdings after warning markets may peak before September and AI IPOs could drain liquidity. BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes said he dumped his Hyperliquid (HYPE) and Near Protocol (NEAR) token holdings, reversing course after previously assigning aggressive upside targets to both assets. Hayes cited higher energy prices due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, three forthcoming “mega AI IPOs” by the third quarter of 2026 and predictions that US President Donald Trump would turn “anti-AI” to help Republicans win the US midterm elections. “I think highs in mrkts will happen btw now and September,” wrote Hayes in a Thursday X post, adding that it was “time to take profit.” Read more
NEAR has rebounded from a key historical support zone, reviving a bullish fractal that preceded 2,375% and 900% rallies in previous cycles. NEAR, the native token of the AI- and privacy-focused Near Protocol, has been an outlier in the broader crypto market, outperforming top coins such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) in recent weeks. As of Tuesday, NEAR traded as high as $2.75, marking a nearly 20% rebound in the last 24 hours. In comparison, the crypto market capitalization dropped by 3.7% in the same period. NEAR/USD four-hour chart. Source: TradingView Read more
NEAR is mirroring a 2023–2024 fractal that preceded a 250% rally, hinting at similar upside in 2026 as privacy coin demand grows. Near Protocol's native token, NEAR, has the potential to grow 20x by 2027, according to Arthur Hayes, co-founder of the crypto derivatives exchange BitMEX. Key takeaways: Speaking on The Rollup podcast, Hayes said NEAR’s bullish case rests on NEAR Intents, a feature that lets AI agents move assets privately across blockchains without dealing with bridges, multiple wallets or fragmented liquidity. Read more
NEAR price surges 50% in a week as AI token momentum, Nvidia optimism and network upgrades fuel bullish sentiment. NEAR Protocol (NEAR) displayed strength on Friday, rising 34% over the last 24 hours to $2.32, leading artificial intelligence-based tokens in a rally fueled by NEAR’s network upgrades and NVIDIA's bullish revenue forecast. NEAR is trading 50% higher than its price seven days ago and has gained a whopping 115% over the last 90 days. Key takeaways: Read more
Near One says blockchains may need new ownership verification systems if quantum attacks compromise wallet keys and expose private assets. Blockchain protocols preparing for the quantum computing threat should also consider how to quickly verify ownership on the blockchain if funds are stolen, the development and research team behind the layer-1 NEAR Protocol said. Concerns that quantum computers could eventually break blockchain cryptography have fueled worries about private keys and wallet security, but most of the conversation has focused on preventing such attacks. “We won’t be able to tell if someone running a transaction is the rightful owner of the asset or not,” Near One’s chief technology officer, Anton Astafiev, said on Wednesday, adding that blockchain protocols would be forced to make tough decisions on whether to freeze compromised crypto wallets. Read more
The new company will use NEAR’s blockchain and NVIDIA technology to build privacy-preserving AI infrastructure, while offering exposure to the NEAR token. Nasdaq-listed OceanPal Inc. has raised $120 million through a private investment in public equity deal to launch SovereignAI, a new subsidiary focused on commercializing the NEAR Protocol and developing AI infrastructure. According to a Tuesday announcement, SovereignAI will implement a crypto treasury strategy, with plans to acquire up to 10% of the NEAR (NEAR) token supply. The move, developed in partnership with the NEAR Foundation, makes OceanPal a public vehicle for exposure to the crypto protocol’s native token. OceapPal said the partnership with the NEAR Foundation is based on a shared vision of “universal AI sovereignty.” Read more