Near Protocol Price Forecast: Why NEAR Could Hit $3 Soon

Highlights:

• Near Protocol is making higher lows in a bullish channel
• Rally driven by excitement around Near Protocol’s AI potential 
• NEAR could soon hit $3 if current momentum continues

Near Protocol (NEAR) has joined the growing list of cryptocurrencies that are rocketing even as the broader market remains quiet. Near Protocol has today rallied by 23.45% to trade at $2.33. NEAR’s trading volumes have also shot up during the day.

At the time of writing, NEAR trading volumes stood at $660.2 million, up by 263.24% in the day. This surge in trading volumes, alongside the price, is an indicator that bullish momentum is intensifying. It suggests a scenario where NEAR could be headed significantly higher in the short to medium term. Several factors support the ongoing NEAR rally, which could trigger even more gains in the short to medium term.

Partnership With OceanPal Gives NEAR Strong Footing In AI

One of them is the announcement of a new partnership that is expected to further position NEAR in the AI space. The Near Foundation recently announced its partnership with OceanPal to create a new AI initiative called SovereignAI. The partnership is backed by $120 million in private capital.

Besides the large capital injection, the primary goal of the partnership is to build an AI infrastructure that is anchored on the Near Protocol. This infrastructure can then serve as the foundation for universal AI applications.

Nasdaq-listed OceanPal raises $120M to launch a $NEAR token treasury company, planning to acquire up to 10% of NEAR's token supply.

Bullish for @NEARProtocol pic.twitter.com/b2MXMo9ZDU

— Wax (@waxnear) October 30, 2025

Near Protocol is positioning itself as the go-to platform for anyone looking to build AI agents and other applications. Given that AI is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world today, this partnership is expected to increase the intrinsic value of NEAR significantly over time. By extension, Near Protocol could send NEAR Protocol to new highs as FOMO around the potential the partnership gives it builds up. 

NEAR Improving Tokenomics Add to Bullish Momentum

Besides the excitement surrounding the AI partnership, investors are also increasingly drawn to NEAR’s tokenomics. The Near community recently passed a vote to halve block emissions. The goal is to cut annual emissions from 5% to 2.5%. This is a significant development, considering that a slowdown in emissions could alter the dynamics of supply and demand. Such could send NEAR to new highs, especially now that demand is growing.

NEAR has successfully completed its halving upgrade on mainnet.

This upgrade reduces the maximum annual inflation rate of NEAR Protocol from 5% to 2.5%, ushering in an era of more sustainable tokenomics and strengthening incentive alignment across the NEAR ecosystem. pic.twitter.com/KUGpUOyPeX

— NEAR Protocol (@NEARProtocol) October 30, 2025

Analysts Increasingly Bullish On NEAR

Near’s breakout has also triggered technical analysts to start giving bullish projections for the short to medium term. According to an analysis by one of the top cryptocurrency exchanges, NEAR is forming a reversal pattern on the long-term charts. The analysis points out that if the price breaks above $2, a bull run to new highs could follow.

Now that NEAR is trading at over $2 and gaining, such analysis could trigger FOMO and send the price to new highs. Such views from analysts also come at a time when the macroeconomic environment is becoming increasingly favorable to crypto. 

The market condition is far from good
But try to stay on the winning side, stop fighting the trend.$NEAR shows significant resistance, that's no coincidence. Zec leads and Near will follow that's obvious now pic.twitter.com/uJO7FlV3pN

— StarLord🍴🧙🏻‍♂️| BIP-420 🐱 (@StarlordNft) November 7, 2025

For instance, while cryptocurrency prices have yet to respond, interest rates have decreased, and the Federal Reserve is ending Quantitative tightening. Trade tensions have also eased between the US and China after the meeting between Trump and Xi in South Korea. All these point to an increasingly risk-on environment that usually favors the cryptocurrency market. Once the market responds to these changes, NEAR could rally to new highs. 

Technical Analysis – NEAR Making Higher Lows In A Bullish Channel

NEAR has been in a strong bull trend for the last 24 hours. In this period, it has been making higher lows, an indicator that every dip is being bought up. If bulls sustain this momentum, then a rally to $3 could be on the horizon.

On the other hand, if there is a correction during the day, the key level to watch is the $2.19 intraday support. A correction through this support could send NEAR below $2 in the short term. Of these two scenarios, the odds are higher for a rally to $3, given the AI hype surrounding NEAR.