Should You Buy NEAR Protocol in 2025?

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At HelloSafe, our expert has been closely monitoring the development of the NEAR Protocol cryptocurrency for over three years. Every month, hundreds of thousands of users in the Philippines rely on us to analyze market trends and identify the best investment opportunities. Our analyses are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice. In line with our ethical guidelines, HelloSafe has never purchased NEAR Protocol nor received any compensation from entities associated with its ecosystem.

NEAR Protocol in brief

How much does 1 NEAR Protocol cost?

The price of NEAR Protocol is up this week. As of today, NEAR trades at approximately ₱137.75, with a 24-hour gain of 5.10% but a 7-day dip of -8.72%. NEAR’s market cap stands around ₱167.36 billion, ranking it #25 among cryptocurrencies, and its 3-month average daily trading volume hovers near ₱5.05 billion. The circulating supply is 1,220,927,735 NEAR, representing about 0.37% dominance of the total crypto market. Given recent price swings, NEAR remains a dynamic option for PH investors seeking both innovation and exposure to the rapidly evolving crypto sector.

Our comprehensive review of the NEAR Protocol cryptocurrency

Have NEAR Protocol’s latest trends, on-chain indicators, technical signals, and market data—combined by our proprietary algorithms—unveiled a unique window of opportunity? Over the past three years, NEAR’s evolution has been marked by volatility, but also deep innovation and accelerating ecosystem growth. So, why could NEAR Protocol emerge in 2025 as a strategic entry point in the burgeoning AI-powered smart contract and Layer-1 blockchain landscape?

Recent Performance and Market Context

Price Performance Overview

NEAR Protocol currently trades at $2.43 USD (as of June 8, 2025), with a market capitalization of $2.95 billion USD and a 24h trading volume approaching $91 million. NEAR’s price action in the last twelve months revealed heightened volatility—oscillating between $2.20 and $2.60—which resulted in a notable recovery from earlier cycle lows.

• Year-to-date lows tested market conviction, but have since been met with buyers reclaiming the $2.40 zone.
• 24h (+5.1%) and weekly performance (-8.7% from 7-day high) reflect continued choppiness, yet also healthy signs of market activity and speculation.
• Average daily volume for the past three months stands robust at $100-150 million USD, underlining continued investor interest and liquidity.

Recent Positive Developments

The first half of 2025 has snowballed with ecosystem milestones for NEAR:

• Mainnet upgrades (Versions 74-76) now deliver 600ms block times and finality in under 1.2 seconds—raising network efficiency to industry-leading levels.
• NEAR Dev launched as an independent organization, doubling down on developer engagement and onboarding.
• The protocol’s AI pivot garnered global attention, highlighted by integration talks at Nvidia’s GPU Technology Conference and product-level releases like user-owned AI infrastructure.
• Ongoing efforts in Chain Abstraction and Chain Signatures bolster NEAR’s mission to streamline user operations and facilitate seamless multi-chain experiences.

Macro & Sector Context

The global crypto environment in mid-2025 is cautiously optimistic:

• Renewed risk appetite as regulatory clarity improves in core U.S. and Asian markets.
• Institutional interest in asset-backed and AI-powered protocols remains high, while DeFi and NFT verticals experience healthy capital rotation.
• Layer-1 competition heats up, but NEAR’s focus on AI-native design and ultra-fast execution highlights a differentiated approach—serving as a potential hedge against technological fatigue of legacy networks.

Technical Analysis

Key Indicators

• RSI (14-day): At 47.56, NEAR sits just below the neutral zone; this sub-50 reading indicates bearish pressure, but also the increasing likelihood of a reversal should momentum shift.
• MACD: Currently in bearish territory, though with decreasing negative divergence recently—hinting at possible stabilization.
• Moving Averages: NEAR’s price has just dipped under the 200-day MA, a crucial inflection point commonly watched for trend pivots; the 20- and 50-day MAs act as nearby resistance zones.

Supports, Resistance, and Momentum

• Key Support: $2.25-$2.40: This price band has repeatedly acted as a springboard for bullish rebounds—any sustained defense here may signal renewed accumulation.
• Resistance Levels: $2.50-$2.60: A break above this ceiling would likely unleash technical buying and signal a return to medium-term uptrend.
• Structural Outlook: With price compressing near support and momentum indicators showing signs of exhaustion, scenario probabilities favor an upcoming volatility spike—potentially to the upside if broader crypto sentiment remains constructive.
• Technical pivot points like $2.26 should be closely monitored for early trend confirmation.

Fundamental Analysis

Growing Adoption and Ecosystem Expansion

NEAR Protocol’s fundamental proposition has strengthened meaningfully in 2025:

• Adoption: More dApps launch on NEAR, particularly in AI, DeFi, and cross-chain verticals—driven by a frictionless onboarding experience and compatibility with MetaMask.
• Strategic Partnerships: New collaborations with gaming and DeFi platforms expand NEAR’s use cases beyond simple smart contracts, capturing more value per active user.
• Ecosystem Metrics: Network performance measures (sub-1.2 second finality, 600ms blocks) continue to attract activity, while the active developer count grows post-NEAR Dev spin-off.

Attractive Valuation Metrics

• Market Cap/Fully Diluted Value: At $2.95B, NEAR trades at a discount to peak Layer-1 valuations seen across the sector, providing what appears to be favorable entry relative to its innovation cadence.
• TVL Momentum: While DeFi TVL on NEAR is still emerging compared to Ethereum or Solana, YoY growth exceeds 40%, signaling an underappreciated expansion.
• Supply Dynamics: With over 1.22B tokens in circulation (close to 97% of supply), dilution concerns are minimal, supporting price stability.

Structural Advantages

• Next-gen Sharding: NEAR’s use of advanced sharding unlocks true scalability, lower fees, and a developer experience rarely matched among top Layer-1 protocols.
• AI-First Architecture: Unlike many rivals, NEAR is built natively to support decentralized AI modules—a critical differentiator as AI blockchains become mainstream.
• Environmental Commitment: NEAR’s carbon-neutral status caters to both institutional mandates and environmentally conscious retail.
• Vibrant Community: Backing from Andreessen Horowitz and expansion through community DAOs foster sustained network growth and governance resilience.

Volume and Liquidity

• Sustained trading volumes ($90-150M daily) reflect sticky liquidity and confidence.
• Order book depth on leading exchanges like Binance and Coinbase emphasizes minimal slippage—enabling both retail and institutional position sizing.
• Competitive capitalization places NEAR in the top 30 crypto assets, underpinning its relevance and visibility.

Catalysts and Positive Outlook

Protocol and Ecosystem Growth

• DeFi/NFT Expansion: Ongoing onboarding of DeFi platforms and NFT marketplaces boosts usage and cross-chain liquidity.
• Major Protocol Updates: The 2025 roadmap foresees updates that will lift capacity and security, possibly acting as triggers for renewed investor interest.
• AI & Automation Catalysts: Implementation of user-owned AI tools and Chain Signatures, together with ecosystem grants, create avenues for explosive new use cases.

Regulatory/Institutional Factors

• Regulatory Neutrality: The Swiss foundation and DAO structure ensure global compliance and flexibility, maintaining open doors for U.S., European, and Asian investors.
• Institutional Recognition: High-profile partnerships and VC involvement (notably a16z) act as confidence multipliers for conservative capital allocators.

Forward-Looking Triggers

• Layer-1 “AI Wars”: As enterprise and retail look for scalable AI infrastructure, NEAR’s AI-centric design may serve as a demand magnet.
• Upcoming network upgrades in Q3/Q4 2025 and strategic announcements expected at flagship crypto conferences could act as short-term catalysts.

Investment Strategies by Horizon

Short-term (<12 months)

• Technical rebounds near support ($2.25-$2.40) offer calculated entry points for tactical traders if momentum shifts.
• Pre-upgrade positioning before anticipated protocol releases can capture sentiment-driven upside.

Medium-term (12-36 months)

• Hold-through-upgrades: The next major protocol innovations could reprice NEAR’s fundamentals, making “buy and hold” an attractive posture for those willing to endure cyclical volatility.
• Capture DeFi/AI growth: As NEAR’s share of DeFi TVL and AI dApp usage increases, value accrual to NEAR tokens appears likely.

Long-term (>36 months)

• Betting on AI-native blockchains: With few credible AI-first Layer-1s at scale, NEAR’s compounding network effects and real-world integrations may lead to significant market share gains.
• Portfolio Diversification: For institutionals and sophisticated investors, NEAR serves both as a Layer-1 hedge and an AI infrastructure play.

Tactical Consideration

Accumulation on technical pullbacks—especially in advance of protocol milestones—positions investors well for reactivity to positive news cycles.

5-Year NEAR Protocol Price Projection Table

Is It the Right Time to Consider NEAR Protocol?

All key metrics collectively suggest that NEAR Protocol, at current valuation levels, represents an excellent opportunity for forward-looking investors seeking exposure to AI-powered blockchain infrastructure. The intersection of robust fundamentals, improving technical posture near multi-month supports, and a steadily expanding developer and user base justifies renewed interest. NEAR Protocol’s roadmap—characterized by major integrations, an AI-native architecture, and market-leading sharding—could well be the catalyst for a new bullish phase.

As the Layer-1 and AI blockchain segments experience increasing institutional focus, NEAR’s differentiated position, innovative technical features, and expanding liquidity profile make it a serious contender for dynamic portfolio construction. In sum, while volatility is intrinsic to all digital assets, NEAR Protocol has demonstrated resilience and vision, making it a project to watch closely as 2025 and beyond unfold.

NEAR Protocol remains a high-volatility cryptocurrency that offers excellent opportunities for dynamic investment, though it requires disciplined risk management. The recent acceleration in price confirms NEAR’s capability to deliver swift and substantial moves, and the macro environment encourages a selective but confident approach. The key technical levels to monitor are $2.25 as immediate support and $2.60 as major resistance. The forthcoming protocol upgrade slated for Q3/Q4 2025 could prove to be the pivotal catalyst for NEAR’s next phase of development.

How to buy NEAR Protocol?

It’s simple and secure to buy NEAR Protocol (NEAR) online in the Philippines using a regulated platform. Investors have two main options: purchase NEAR tokens directly for real ownership (called spot trading or “buy and hold”), or trade NEAR via CFDs (Contracts for Difference) to speculate on price movements without actually holding the tokens. Both approaches are accessible from PH, and each comes with distinct benefits and risks. To help you select the right fit, you’ll find a comparison of popular crypto platforms and their specific conditions further down on this page.

Spot Purchase

Spot purchase means you buy NEAR tokens directly and truly own them. Your coins are stored in a personal crypto wallet (provided by the platform or one you control). Fees usually include a fixed commission per transaction, charged in Philippine Peso (PHP), and sometimes a small variable trading fee.

Important information

Example:
If NEAR Protocol is trading at $2.43 USD per token (about ₱140 PHP, exchange rate 1 USD = 57.5 PHP), and you invest ₱57,500 PHP (about $1,000 USD), you can buy roughly 410 NEAR tokens after accounting for a transaction fee of approximately ₱300 PHP (about $5 USD).
If the price of NEAR rises by 10%, your portfolio is now worth about ₱63,250 PHP—giving you a gross profit of ₱5,750 PHP (+10% on your investment).

Trading via CFD

CFD trading lets you speculate on NEAR Protocol’s price without actually owning the coins. Instead, you enter a contract with a broker to capture the price difference. Fees typically consist of a spread (the gap between buy/sell prices) and an overnight financing charge if you keep the position for more than one day.

Important information

Example:
You open a ₱57,500 PHP ($1,000 USD) position in NEAR CFDs with 5x leverage, giving you ₱287,500 PHP ($5,000 USD) market exposure. If NEAR’s price climbs by 8%, your position grows by 8% × 5 = 40%. You’ve made ₱23,000 PHP (+40% on ₱57,500), minus any spread and overnight costs.

Final Advice

Before investing, compare platform fees, local regulations, and account requirements carefully—as costs and terms can significantly impact your returns. The best method for you depends on your investing experience, strategy, and whether real coin ownership matters to you. For a full side-by-side comparison of platforms to buy or trade NEAR Protocol in the Philippines, check the selection below on this page.

Our 7 tips for buying NEAR Protocol

The latest news from the NEAR Protocol

NEAR Protocol’s ecosystem demonstrated robust development and key technical upgrades during Q1 and early June 2025. The introduction of mainnet upgrades—such as resharding and advanced cross-shard bandwidth scheduling—and the achievement of 600ms block times with 1.2-second finality highlight a clear focus on performance and scalability. These improvements reinforce NEAR’s technical credibility, which is essential as adoption in the Philippines relies on networks that can scale efficiently for rising transaction volumes, especially in fast-evolving industries like gaming and decentralized finance (DeFi).

NEAR’s positioning as an AI-native blockchain continues to strengthen, attracting increasing developer and institutional attention globally and in Southeast Asia. With ongoing advances in user-owned AI infrastructure and the launch of Chain Signatures, NEAR has become visibly attractive for AI and automation-focused projects. This is particularly significant in the Philippines, where the tech ecosystem is rapidly expanding and there is a pronounced governmental and entrepreneurial interest in AI, opening doors for the protocol’s solutions to gain traction in local business automation, smart contracts, and fintech integration.

NEAR Protocol upholds growing accessibility for Filipino investors by maintaining listings on all major international exchanges and compatibility with user-friendly wallets like MetaMask. As regulatory clarity is gradually advancing in the Philippines, the ability to directly purchase and securely store NEAR tokens remains an advantage for both retail and institutional participants. The prevalence of platforms such as Binance and Coinbase—commonly used in the Philippines—ensures local investors have uninterrupted market access, and the climate of increasing crypto taxation oversight highlights the importance of NEAR’s compliance with emerging policies.

Recent market data showcases stability, constructive momentum, and signals potential accumulation zones for local traders. As of June 8, 2025, NEAR trades at $2.43 (up 5.10% in 24 hours) with a robust market capitalization of $2.95 billion. Despite a recent correction to just below the key 200-day moving average and a weekly drop from local highs—reflecting broader market volatility—support zones at $2.25-$2.40 offer potential entry points for investors in PH seeking mid- to long-term growth, especially as the consensus analyst target projects upside towards $3.16.

Strategic alliances and ongoing DeFi and gaming sector expansion enhance NEAR’s relevance to the Philippine market. The protocol’s partnerships with leading gaming platforms and DeFi protocols are relevant for the local context, given the country’s strong play-to-earn and remittance trends. NEAR’s carbon-neutral profile and sharding-based scalability position it favorably among Philippine enterprises seeking sustainable and efficient blockchain solutions, pointing to a positive foundation for both ecosystem and asset growth in the coming quarters.

FAQ

P. Laurore

Finance expert

Co-founder of HelloSafe and holder of a Master's degree in finance, Pauline has recognised expertise in personal finance, which she uses to help users better understand and optimise their financial choices. At HelloSafe, Pauline plays a key role in designing clear, educational content on savings, investments and personal finance. Passionate about financial education, Pauline strives, with every piece of content she oversees, to provide reliable, transparent and unbiased information for independent and informed financial management. To this end, she has tested over 100 trading platforms to help internet users make the right choices.