Bitwise Launches U.S. Spot NEAR ETF Amid Token Rally

Bitwise Asset Management has launched its first U.S.-based spot exchange-traded fund (ETF) tied to NEAR Protocol, a blockchain for decentralized applications. The new product, listed on NYSE Arca under the ticker NRR, offers investors direct exposure to NEAR and staking benefits with a 0.75% management fee.

The launch comes as NEAR has experienced significant growth in recent months, with its price surging by over 167% to $4.94 within the past month, according to CoinGecko data. Activity on NEAR Intents, the network's cross-chain transaction protocol, has also increased dramatically, reaching more than $32 billion from under $1 billion a year earlier.

Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan stated that his firm has been working on a U.S. NEAR ETF since launching its European counterpart in June 2025. He noted that the team sees AI agents as a growing use case for the network and has already observed signs of agents using NEAR, although most current activity remains human-driven.