Sunday 4 October 2026
Afternoon EditionRSS
ZOTPAPER

News without the noise

ZOTPAPER
Crypto

Bitwise launches first US spot NEAR ETF as token surges

The fund, trading on NYSE Arca, offers direct exposure to NEAR and will stake a significant portion of its holdings

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time1 min
Bitwise has launched the first US spot exchange-traded product tracking NEAR, the token of the NEAR Protocol, giving investors direct exposure through a fund that began trading on NYSE Arca.

Crypto asset manager Bitwise has launched the first US spot exchange-traded product tracking NEAR, giving investors exposure to the token through a fund trading on NYSE Arca.

The Bitwise NEAR ETF, trading under the ticker NRR, carries a 0.75% management fee and will hold NEAR directly, with Bitwise intending to stake a significant portion of the fund’s tokens.

The launch comes as activity on NEAR Intents, the network’s cross-chain transaction protocol, has increased sharply, with volume rising to more than $32 billion compared with less than $1 billion a year ago, according to Bitwise.

Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan told Cointelegraph that the firm sees AI agents as a g

§

Analysis

Why This Matters

  • Provides mainstream investors with a regulated, traditional-brokerage way to gain exposure to NEAR without directly holding the cryptocurrency.
  • The fund's staking component could generate yield for investors, a feature not available in many crypto ETFs.
  • NEAR's price surge and rising protocol activity may attract more institutional interest in the ecosystem.

Background

NEAR Protocol is a blockchain platform designed for usability and scalability, often used for decentralized applications. The launch of a spot ETF marks a milestone for the token, similar to earlier products for Bitcoin and Ethereum. Bitwise is a known issuer of crypto-related exchange-traded products.

Key Perspectives

Bitwise: The firm positions the ETF as a way to offer regulated exposure to NEAR's growth, particularly citing rising activity on NEAR Intents and interest in AI agents. Investors: The ETF provides a simple, liquid vehicle to bet on NEAR's price without managing wallets or keys, with the added potential yield from staking. Critics/Skeptics: Crypto ETFs can carry risks including market volatility, regulatory uncertainty, and the potential for the fund's staking activities to introduce additional operational complexities.

What to Watch

  • Trading volume and inflows into the NRR ETF in its first weeks as a gauge of investor demand.
  • Regulatory developments around staking in ETFs, as this remains a novel feature.
  • NEAR's price and network activity, particularly the continued growth of NEAR Intents.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

How we workReport an errorSubscribe