NEAR Protocol Surges 4% Amid Institutional Activity and Ecosystem Expansion

NEAR Protocol delivered a standout performance during the 24-hour trading window from August 3 at 15:00 to August 4 at 14:00, rallying 4.20% from $2.43 to $2.53. This price action was driven by a sharp uptick in trading activity, notably during the final hour when volume spiked to 2.7 million tokens—more than double the daily average. The rally underscores growing institutional interest, evidenced by consistent high-volume accumulation zones and a decisive breakout that breached several key resistance levels. Contributing to NEAR’s momentum was fresh progress in its ecosystem. Aurora Labs showcased five early-stage startups from its Aurora Blocks Incubator, each building EVM-compatible Virtual Chains powered by NEAR’s infrastructure. These initiatives signal a maturing development pipeline and increasing demand for scalable, interoperable blockchain solutions anchored in the NEAR ecosystem. Meanwhile, Subzero Labs emerged from stealth with a $20 million funding round led by Pantera Capital. The team, featuring former NEAR contributors, is developing Rialo—a network poised to deepen the protocol’s infrastructure layer. Technical indicators reinforced NEAR’s bullish tilt, particularly in the final hour of trading, where the token climbed 1.80% from $2.48 to $2.53. A sharp move at 13:35 from $2.48 to $2.50 on robust volume catalyzed a breakout above successive resistance points, ending in a surge past $2.53 just minutes before the session close. With strong support now confirmed at $2.47 and high-volume resistance at $2.53, the market appears primed for a near-term continuation toward the $2.55–$2.60 price band. Technical Analysis Breakdown Price delivered a robust 4.20% advance from $2.43 to $2.53 throughout the 24-hour session from 3 August 15:00 to 4 August 14:00. Total trading range expanded to $0.11 representing 4.48% intraday volatility. Notable breakout materialized at 4 August 00:00 with price movement from $2.45 to $2.50. Outstanding volume of 1,892,255 tokens documented, substantially above the 24-hour average of 1,299,394. Solid high-volume resistance confirmed at $2.50 with reliable support at $2.47. Concluding hour advance to $2.52 on volume of 2,717,159 tokens, exceeding double the typical average. Supplementary 1.80% gain throughout final 60 minutes from 4 August 13:08 to 14:07. Decisive breakout at 13:35 with price surge from $2.48 to $2.50 on 124,249 tokens volume. Sequential resistance levels overcome at $2.50, $2.51, and $2.52. Ultimate advance to $2.53 between 14:03-14:05 on volume surpassing 100,000 tokens per minute. Prospective continuation objectives identified toward $2.55-$2.60 zone. Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards . For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy .