NEAR Price Surges 100% in Two Weeks Amid AI Agent Frenzy

The NEAR Protocol has more than doubled in value over the past two weeks, driven by surging market interest in AI agents and its expansion into agentic AI applications.

NEAR is a Layer-1 blockchain built for decentralized applications (dApps) and AI-driven agent economies. It uses the proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism, similar to Ethereum, but processes transactions much faster due to its parallel 'shard' architecture.

The bulls believe NEAR can be valued for its utility rather than scarcity, as its supply is steadily increasing. However, it still faces stiff competition from larger blockchains like Solana, and its recent parabolic move was likely driven by market hype about AI agents.