NEAR Price Surges 30% as Bulls Target $4

NEAR Protocol (NEAR) price surged about 30% within 24 hours on September 18, climbing as high as $3.54 as trading volume and ecosystem activity accelerated. The rally briefly pushed NEAR to its highest level in nearly a year and extended its recent gains to more than 100%, significantly outperforming Bitcoin and Ethereum over the comparable period.

One major catalyst behind the NEAR price rally was growth in the network’s confidential finance ecosystem. Total value locked in Confidential Intents surpassed $70 million, signaling stronger adoption and liquidity. The milestone also activated the [email protected] rewards program, with its first account snapshot completed on September 15.

Under the initiative, 333,333 tokens will be distributed to eligible participants. However, the rewards remain locked until NEAR maintains a three-day volume-weighted average price of at least $3.33, potentially encouraging participants to hold tokens while the threshold is tested.

Demand received another boost from NEAR’s confidential perpetual trading integration with Hyperliquid. The service allows traders to access more than 50 perpetual markets while keeping position sizes, entry points and trading activity private. Deposits are supported across more than 35 blockchains through NEAR Intents, while Hyperliquid handles derivatives execution. Traders can access leverage of up to 40x.

Market momentum has strengthened alongside these developments. NEAR climbed from $2.34 to roughly $3.45 in three days before extending above $3.50, while trading volume jumped more than 120%. Recent activity also generated approximately $5.01 million in fee income.

Improving broader crypto market sentiment following the Federal Reserve’s September policy decision also supported the move, with Bitcoin approaching $77,000 and altcoins advancing.

Technically, NEAR faces immediate resistance near $3.60. A sustained breakout could bring $4 into focus, followed by $4.50 if bullish momentum persists. The MACD remains positive, with the main line at 0.270 versus the signal line at 0.163, while the positive histogram indicates continued upward momentum.