NEAR Protocol has launched an integrated blockchain and AI infrastructure stack, combining cross-chain execution, confidential transactions and hardware-secured AI agents. The releases, unveiled at NEARCON in San Francisco, position NEAR as a unified commerce layer for autonomous markets rather than just a high-performance blockchain. Key launches include NEAR Intents, a super-app connecting over 35 blockchains through a single account, and Confidential Intents for restricted-visibility transactions. IronClaw, an open-source AI agent runtime, deploys agents inside encrypted enclaves, whilst a Confidential GPU Marketplace enables secure enterprise AI workloads. Nightshade 3.0, NEAR's protocol upgrade, enables scaling beyond one million transactions per second whilst adding protocol-level privacy. The platform has introduced automated revenue-sharing mechanisms, with over $1 million in $NEAR buybacks already completed.

NEAR Protocol launches crypto super app for unified finance. Key insights: * NEAR protocol introduced a super app designed to unify multi-chain crypto activity. * The platform emphasizes simplified UX and enhanced user confidentiality. * The launch reflects a broader trend toward integrated, all-in-one crypto ecosystems. NEAR Protocol has just formally unveiled its much-billed one-stop platform. The aim of the foundation is to resolve fragmented liquidity in the Web3 ecosystem. This is a new launch that operates as an all-encompassing crypto super app. It connects the disconnected blockchain networks. The site incorporates social and decentralized finance (DeFi). It also has superior artificial intelligence capabilities. Users are now able to operate multi-chain assets via one interface. This does not require the use of several wallets or complicated seed phrases. Near Protocol redefining UX with the crypto super app. As per the new update, Near Protocol aims to eliminate the friction that has traditionally made cryptocurrency difficult for average consumers. Separate wallets, cautious private key handling, and manual management of gas fees - the nominal amounts paid to process transactions on a network - are usually necessary for managing assets across different blockchains. Numerous digital assets, such as Bitcoin, stablecoins, NFTs, and other tokens, are supported by the app. Without the need for an account or identity verification, users can exchange assets over more than 35 networks at speeds that the initiative claims are similar to centralised exchanges. One significant difference from sites like Coinbase or Binance, where users must register and submit to identity checks before trading, is that it has a permissionless structure. Confidentiality is one of the pillars of this Near Protocol update. The platform brings on board encrypted private transactions. The aspect helps in safeguarding confidential financial information. Analysts are of the view that this will appeal to institutional investors. Large trades are frequently required by high-net-worth users to be provided with a higher level of privacy. The rise of the crypto super app in global finance. The industry is moving towards an integrated ecosystem. Retail investors are frequently confused by fragmented dApps. This Near Protocol crypto super app facilitates the whole onboarding process. It is more of a modern fintech device than a regular wallet. AI agents in the app reveal insights, identify risks, and promote relevant financial tools based on the user's activities. Crucially, each action is authorised by the user before it is carried out. The approach uses AI to lessen the cognitive load of managing assets across a fragmented environment while maintaining human oversight. One of the more technically significant features of Near Protocol is what the team refers to as confidential mode. Blockchain transactions are, by default, open to the public. Anyone can use a block explorer to view transaction history and wallet balances. Although transparency is a fundamental characteristic of public blockchains, it poses a practical challenge for daily use. Confidential mode maintains the privacy of trades, transfers, and balances within the network's security framework. According to NEAR, this makes the wallet better suited for people, companies, and AI agents who must conduct transactions without disclosing private financial information or trading tactics to competitors. Technical price analysis: NEAR price gains momentum. NEAR price currently traded at $0.97, touching the October 2023 low after a long, painful descent. The NEAR price is now trading below the key moving averages, and the previous support zone has flipped into resistance, confirming weakness in the short term. If NEAR price fails to reclaim the broken trendline quickly, continuation to the downside becomes the higher-probability scenario. A clean rejection on any bounce would further validate the breakdown, while only a strong reclaim of the structure would invalidate this bearish outlook for NEAR. Relative Strength Index (RSI) is at 33.855. This value indicates that there is a bearish movement. Disclaimer. The contents of this page are intended for general informational purposes and do not constitute financial, investment, or any other form of advice. Investing in or trading crypto assets carries the risk of financial loss. The forecasted data (also called "price prediction") on this page are subject to change without notice and are not guaranteed to be accurate.

NEAR unveils Confidential Intents to enable privacy-first execution for cross-chain transactions. Published: February 25, 2026 at 3:24 am Updated: February 25, 2026 at 3:24 am Edited and fact-checked: February 25, 2026 at 3:24 am NEAR has launched Confidential Intents, a privacy-focused feature on a dedicated private shard that enables secure, compliance-ready, and confidential cross-chain DeFi transactions for individuals, institutions, and enterprises. Layer 1 blockchain NEAR announced the launch of Confidential Intents, a new feature designed to provide restricted visibility for users managing cross-chain positions. The solution targets a broad spectrum of participants, including institutional investors, enterprises, and advanced decentralized finance (DeFi) users. Built on a NEAR private shard, Confidential Intents introduces a confidentiality layer that enables compliance-aware DeFi workflows while maintaining cryptographically secure execution. While existing zero-knowledge (ZK) privacy systems offer cryptographic confidentiality, they typically support a limited range of operations and require client-side state synchronization. Confidential Intents, in contrast, allows users to toggle between a Main Account and a Confidential Account, enabling privacy on demand across transfers, deposits, and withdrawals, with support for swaps expected in future updates. This approach aims to prevent issues such as miner extractable value (MEV) exploitation, frontrunning, strategy copying, and forced liquidations caused by visible positions. The feature is designed to accommodate a wide array of privacy-first use cases. For individual DeFi participants, it protects retail traders from sandwich attacks and allows larger holders to move significant positions without signaling intent. Institutions can use Confidential Intents to shield transactions from frontrunning and MEV, maintain confidentiality of positions, and enable selective disclosure with auditable execution. Enterprises can leverage the system for confidential payroll, treasury, and supply chain operations, keeping sensitive financial data such as salaries, vendor payments, liquidity positions, and negotiated rates off the public ledger. Developers and applications benefit from confidential asset management across multiple chains, private inputs for sealed-bid mechanisms, and concealed state for inventory or game logic operations. Confidential Intents to deliver institutional-grade, compliance-ready privacy for cross-chain DeFi. Confidential Intents operates on a dedicated NEAR private shard, a separate execution environment maintained by a decentralized set of permissioned validators and connected to the NEAR mainnet via a trusted execution environment (TEE)-based bridge. Transactions initiated through near.com or integrated third-party applications execute within this private shard, ensuring that deposits, transfers, and swaps remain confidential. Users retain the ability to move assets between public and confidential accounts or withdraw to external chains, without the need for client-side ZK proof generation, complex wallet configurations, or state synchronization. The system preserves a user experience comparable to standard public transactions while maintaining cryptographic integrity and compliance. Unlike mixing services or post-hoc anonymization solutions, Confidential Intents integrates privacy directly into the execution layer. It also supports selective disclosure and auditable execution, allowing institutions to meet regulatory requirements without exposing sensitive position data to public networks. By providing confidential execution comparable to centralized exchanges, the feature seeks to facilitate institutional-grade transaction flow on DeFi platforms, expanding the potential for on-chain volume while maintaining discretion. This approach positions Confidential Intents as a bridge between fully transparent DeFi ecosystems and fully opaque privacy chains, enabling scalable, secure, and privacy-conscious participation in cross-chain decentralized finance. Disclaimer. In line with the Trust Project guidelines, please note that the information provided on this page is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other form of advice. It is important to only invest what you can afford to lose and to seek independent financial advice if you have any doubts. For further information, Mpost Media Group suggest referring to the terms and conditions as well as the help and support pages provided by the issuer or advertiser. MetaversePost is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice. Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance. Alisa Davidson Hot Stories by Alisa Davidson February 25, 2026 by Alisa Davidson February 25, 2026 by Alisa Davidson February 24, 2026 by Alisa Davidson February 24, 2026 by Alisa Davidson February 25, 2026 by Alisa Davidson February 25, 2026 by Alisa Davidson February 24, 2026 by Alisa Davidson February 24, 2026 Education Lifestyle News Report Technology February 25, 2026 News Report Technology February 25, 2026 Hack Seasons Opinion Business Lifestyle Technology February 24, 2026 Business News Report Technology February 24, 2026