NEAR Enters Crypto Top 20 as Intents Volume Grows

NEAR’s cryptocurrency entered the top 20 by market capitalization on October 8, reaching a valuation of about $7.2 billion and moving just ahead of Stellar, according to CoinGecko data. The token’s rise coincided with growing use of NEAR Intents, a cross-chain trading protocol, though the reports identify no confirmed catalyst for the price rally. NEAR was trading around $5.50 on October 8 after gaining sharply over the previous month. Reports put the 30-day increase at roughly 138%, with some describing it as about 140%. Those figures are rounded descriptions of the same period. The rally lifted NEAR above Stellar, whose market capitalization was reported near $7 billion. Rankings and prices can change as market values move. NEAR Intents had processed more than $31 billion in cumulative transaction volume, according to its public explorer. The protocol’s official site later showed more than $33 billion across 35 chains. The totals reflect readings at different times. NEAR Intents lets users request transactions between blockchain networks, while market-making bots known as solvers compete to execute them.