BREAKING: NEAR Protocol Surges 21.6% to $1.18 in 24-Hour Rally

NEAR Protocol (NEAR) has experienced a dramatic 21.6% price surge in the past 24 hours, climbing to $1.18 as of February 26, 2026, with trading volume surpassing $301 million.

The layer-1 blockchain protocol’s market capitalization has increased by $264.4 million to reach $1.51 billion, positioning NEAR at rank #54 among all cryptocurrencies. The token touched an intraday high of $1.25 before settling at current levels.

Price Movement Details

NEAR opened the 24-hour period at approximately $0.97 and surged to $1.18, representing a gain of $0.21 per token. The price action comes after the token hit a 24-hour low of $0.967, marking a near 29% swing from bottom to top within the trading period.

Trading volume of $301.6 million indicates significant market participation, suggesting strong institutional and retail interest driving the rally. The volume represents approximately 20% of NEAR’s total market capitalization, demonstrating robust liquidity conditions.

Weekly and Monthly Context

The current surge extends NEAR’s weekly gains to 15.8%, indicating sustained bullish momentum over the past seven days. However, the token remains down 19.6% over the past 30 days, suggesting this rally may represent a recovery from recent losses rather than a continuation of longer-term upward trends.

NEAR’s circulating supply stands at 1.29 billion tokens, with a fully diluted valuation matching its current market cap at approximately $1.51 billion, indicating no significant token unlock overhang in the immediate future.

Market Performance Analysis

The token currently trades 94.2% below its all-time high of $20.44 reached in January 2022, but maintains a 122.6% gain from its all-time low of $0.53 recorded in November 2020.

Short-term price momentum shows some cooling, with NEAR down 1.3% in the past hour, potentially indicating profit-taking after the rapid ascent. The 24-hour high of $1.25 may serve as immediate resistance if buying pressure resumes.

What Traders Should Watch

Market participants should monitor whether NEAR can maintain support above the $1.18 level and whether trading volume sustains above $300 million. A break above $1.25 could signal continuation toward higher resistance levels, while failure to hold $1.18 might trigger profit-taking back toward the $1.00 psychological level.

The significant 21% market cap increase in 24 hours warrants attention to potential catalysts, including protocol developments, partnership announcements, or broader market sector rotation into layer-1 blockchain platforms.