Felix Pinkston
Jul 16, 2025 01:17
NEAR Protocol gains traction with bullish momentum, surging adoption, and scaling ambitions. Market eyes $3, supported by technical indicators and major ecosystem developments.
1. Executive Summary
NEAR Protocol (NEAR) has attracted significant market attention, fueled by positive ecosystem developments and bullish price action. Recent adoption milestones, including 46 million monthly active users and inclusion in Grayscale’s Decentralized AI Fund, highlight NEAR’s growing influence in the blockchain space. With a current price of $2.69 and a cautiously optimistic market sentiment, NEAR is striving to break key resistance levels at $2.70 and $3.00.
2. Recent Market Developments
The past week has been eventful for NEAR Protocol, with both bullish and bearish signals shaping its market performance:
Bullish Momentum:
Grayscale and Bitwise Adoption (July 9): Grayscale added NEAR to its Decentralized AI Fund with a 28.41% allocation, supported by Bitwise launching a NEAR Staking ETP on Deutsche Börse Xetra. These moves triggered European and institutional interest, causing a 7.6% rally.
User Growth (July 11): NEAR’s monthly active users surged to 46 million, solidifying its position as the second most-used Layer 1 blockchain.
Scalability Goals (July 10): NEAR unveiled its goal of achieving 1 million transactions per second (TPS) for AI-driven applications, emphasizing its commitment to innovation.
Price Rally (July 7): NEAR breached the $2.19 resistance level, supported by a 61% trading volume spike.
Bearish Pressure:
Market Volatility (July 13): Despite bullish developments, market-wide volatility led to a 4.95% weekly decline, closing at $2.49.
Security Incident (July 11): A potential $10M exploit in DeFi protocols linked to NEAR was averted, underscoring security priorities but potentially dampening investor confidence.
Overall, NEAR’s ecosystem developments have bolstered its long-term prospects, while price action reflects short-term volatility.
3. Technical Analysis
NEAR Protocol’s technical indicators reveal a cautiously bullish outlook:
Current Price: $2.69 (+5.86% in the last 24 hours).
Moving Averages:
Trading above the 7-day SMA ($2.57) and 20-day SMA ($2.32), indicating short-term bullish momentum.
However, the 200-day SMA ($3.07) remains a key resistance level, reflecting a longer-term bearish trend.
Momentum Indicators:
RSI(14): 67.18, nearing overbought territory, signaling strong buying pressure.
MACD: Positive at 0.0985, with a bullish histogram of 0.0584.
Stochastic Oscillator: %K at 99.00, suggesting overbought conditions.
Bollinger Bands:
Price nearing the upper band ($2.71), indicating potential resistance.
Key levels to watch:- Resistance: $2.70 (short-term), $2.99 (key upside target).- Support: $2.02 and $1.79.
4. Trading Strategy and Signals
Given NEAR’s current momentum, traders may adopt the following strategies:
Bullish Entry: A breakout above $2.70 with high trading volume could confirm a move towards $3.00.
Take Profit: Consider booking profits around $2.99-$3.00 due to overbought technical indicators.
Risk Management: Place stop-loss orders below $2.49 to mitigate downside risks.
5. Price Predictions and Outlook
NEAR Protocol’s price trajectory appears bullish in the short term, supported by ecosystem growth and technical indicators:
Short-Term Target: $3.00, contingent on sustained buying momentum and favorable market conditions.
Medium-Term Outlook: NEAR’s scalability ambitions and increasing adoption could drive prices towards $3.50-$4.00 in Q3 2025, assuming broader market stability.
Long-Term Potential: Achieving 1 million TPS and deeper AI integration could position NEAR among the top Layer 1 blockchains, potentially revisiting its 52-week high of $8.02.
6. Risk Analysis
Despite its bullish potential, NEAR faces several risks:
Market Volatility: Broader crypto market fluctuations could hinder NEAR’s upward momentum.
Overbought Conditions: RSI and Stochastic indicators suggest a potential short-term correction.
Security Concerns: While the recent exploit was averted, any future vulnerabilities could impact investor confidence.
7. Conclusion
NEAR Protocol is at a pivotal moment, with strong ecosystem developments and bullish market sentiment setting the stage for potential price gains. While short-term risks persist, NEAR’s scalability goals and adoption milestones underscore its long-term growth prospects. Traders should monitor key resistance levels and technical indicators, as a breakout above $2.70 could pave the way for a rally towards $3.00 and beyond.
Image source: Shutterstock
