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Bitcoin price reclaims $35K — Will ATOM, UNI, NEAR and AXS rally next?

Bitcoin recaptured a key price level and a handful of altcoins look poised to breakout.

The S&P 500 Index soared 5.85% last week, its best performance since November 2022. A large part of the gains were fuelled by expectations that the Federal Reserve will not hike rates anymore. 

In comparison, Bitcoin (BTC) had a much muted performance with a rise of approximately 2%. However, a positive sign for cryptocurrency investors is that a risk on sentiment is likely to benefit the crypto space.

Crypto market data daily view. Source: Coin360

Bitcoin’s rise attracted investments in several beaten-down altcoins, which are rising from their long-term slumber. If Bitcoin does not collapse, the recovery may spread to coins that have still not participated in the rise.

Even as Bitcoin enters a range, select altcoins are showing signs of moving higher. Let’s look at the charts of the top-5 cryptocurrencies that may extend their rally in the next few days.

Bitcoin price analysis

Bitcoin continues to trade near the $35,000 resistance and the price action of the past few days has formed an ascending channel pattern. After a sharp rally, a tight ascending channel is generally considered a negative sign.

BTC/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

If the price turns down and skids below the channel, it may tempt several aggressive traders to book profits. That may pull the price to the 20-day exponential moving average ($33,033). A strong rebound off this level will suggest that the bulls remain in command. They will then again try to thrust the price above $36,000 and resume the uptrend.

On the contrary, if the price turns down and breaks below the 20-day EMA, the BTC/USDT pair could plunge to the strong support zone between $32,400 and $31,000. The bulls are expected to defend this zone with all their might because a break below it will tilt the advantage in favor of the bears.

BTC/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: TradingView

The pair has been gradually rising inside the ascending channel pattern but the negative divergence on the relative strength index (RSI) suggests that the bullish momentum may be weakening. If bulls want to retain control, they will have to kick the price above the channel. If they manage to do that, the pair may rally to $40,000.

Meanwhile, the bears are likely to have other plans. They will try to sink the price below the channel and gain the upper hand. If they are successful, the pair may tumble to $32,400.

Cosmos price analysis

Cosmos (ATOM) rose above the $7.60 resistance on Oct. 30, which completed a double bottom pattern. The bulls successfully defended the breakout level between Nov. 1-3.

ATOM/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

Buyers propelled the price above $8.25 on Nov. 5, indicating the resumption of the uptrend. The pattern target from the breakout of the bullish setup is $8.91. This level may act as a barrier but if crossed, the ATOM/USDT pair could run up to $10.

The important support to watch on the downside is $7.60. If bears pull the price below this level, it will suggest aggressive selling at higher levels. The pair may then dump to the 50-day SMA ($7.07).

ATOM/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: TradingView

The 4-hour chart shows that the price rose above the nearby resistance of $8.20, signaling a minor advantage to the buyers. If bulls maintain the price above $8.20, the pair is likely to start the next leg of the up-move to $8.91.

Contrarily, if the price turns down and breaks below the 20-EMA, it will suggest that the markets have rejected the higher levels. That may lead to long liquidation and pull the price to the strong support at $7.60.

Uniswap price analysis

Uniswap (UNI) reached the overhead resistance of $5 on Nov. 2 but the bulls could not overcome the obstacle.

UNI/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

A minor positive in favor of the bulls is that they have not ceded ground to the bears. The moving averages have completed a bullish crossover and the RSI is in the positive zone, indicating that the bulls have the upper hand. If buyers propel the price above $5, the UNI/USDT pair could rise to $6 and thereafter to $6.40.

Contrary to this assumption, if the price turns down from $5, it will suggest that the bears continue to defend the level with vigor. That may pull the price down to the 20-day EMA ($4.36), which remains the key level for the bulls to defend if they want to maintain their advantage.

UNI/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: TradingView

Buyers maintained the price above the 20-EMA but they could not overcome the roadblock at $5. This indicates that the bears have not given up and are attempting to get back in the game. A break and close below the 20-EMA will further strengthen the bears. The pair may then slump to $4.50.

On the other hand, if the price turns up from the 20-EMA with force, it will indicate that the bulls continue to buy on dips. That increases the likelihood of a break above the overhead resistance of $5. If that happens, the pair may climb to $5.50.

Related: Why is Cardano price up today?

Near Protocol price analysis

Near Protocol (NEAR) has risen sharply in the past few days, indicating that the bulls are attempting a comeback.

NEAR/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

The bears mounted a stiff resistance at $1.63 but an encouraging sign was that the bulls did not allow the price to dip below $1.43. This suggests that the buyers were in no hurry to book profits as they anticipated the rally to continue.

If buyers sustain the price above $1.63, the NEAR/USDT pair could climb to $2. The risk to the up-move is the overbought levels on the RSI. This suggests a possible consolidation or correction in the near term. If the price slips below $1.63 the bears will again try to shove the pair below $1.43.

NEAR/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: TradingView

After consolidating in a tight range between $1.43 and $1.59 for some time, the bulls asserted their supremacy and pushed the price higher. The pair could first reach $1.78 and thereafter attempt a rally to $2.

The rising moving averages indicate advantage to buyers but the overbought levels on the RSI suggest that a consolidation or correction is possible in the short term. A drop below the 20-EMA will be the first sign that the bulls are losing their grip. The pair may then drop to the 50-SMA.

Axie Infinity price analysis

Axie Infinity (AXS) has been in a strong recovery phase for the past several days but the bears have not given up and are selling near $6.

AXS/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

The bears tried to tug the price to the 20-day EMA ($5.11) but the bulls purchased the dips below $5.40 as seen from the long tail on the candlesticks. Buyers are trying to resume the uptrend by pushing the price above $6. If they can pull it off, the AXS/USDT pair could start the northward march to $6.55 and subsequently to $7.

If bulls want to prevent the uptrend, they will have to yank the price below the 20-day EMA. The pair then risks a deeper correction to $4.65.

AXS/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: TradingView

The pair broke above the symmetrical triangle pattern on the 4-hour chart, indicating the resumption of the uptrend. The pair could rise to $6 where the bears may again mount a strong defense.

If the price turns down from this level, the pair may drop to the 20-EMA. A strong bounce off this support will improve the prospects of a rally above $6. The pair may then jump to $6.40. The bears will be back in the driver’s seat if they pull the price below $5.17.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

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India state refiner HPCL to use blockchain to verify purchase orders

Hindustan Petroleum, one of India’s largest oil and gas companies, is launching a blockchain system to enable automated verification of purchase orders.

India’s state-run refiner, Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL), one of India’s largest oil and gas companies, is launching a blockchain system to enable automated verification of purchase orders (POs).

HPCL has partnered with the blockchain software firm Zupple Labs to integrate its blockchain-based digital credentialing technology into the purchase order system, the firms said in a joint announcement.

Called LegitDoc, Zupple Labs’ verification tech enables HPCL to issue digital POs to its vendors without having to manually verify the PO requests. From a third-party verifier’s perspective, the project provides a facility to directly verify the validity of POs in an automated way on the HPCL website.

“The implementation helps to automate the verification of HPCL POs to external parties,” a spokesperson for HPCL told Cointelegraph. “This works by integrating the blockchain system with HPCL’s internal e-PO and generates tamper-evident verifiable POs,” the representative noted, adding:

“These POs will be dispatched to vendors which in turn can be shared with third parties. Any third-party verifier can directly verify these POs on the HPCL vendor portal verification application.”

According to the HPCL spokesperson, the company has been collaborating with Zupple Labs on the blockchain project over the past six months. “HPCL has completed building the blockchain PO system successfully and the same facility will be made official to the vendors within this month,” the representative stated.

Related: Argentinian oil company to start mining crypto with gas power leftovers

The spokesperson said that HPCL has implemented the blockchain-based PO system on both private blockchain and public blockchain.

According to Zupple Labs co-founder and business lead Neil Martis, the PO verification system has involved the implementation of “two parallel blockchains” used as settlement layers, including the public Near blockchain and the private Hyperledger Fabric blockchain. Martis noted that the latter was used as part of HPCL’s Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery strategy. According to Zupple Labs, HPCL issued 3,000 POs via the facility as of mid-October 2023.

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Cricket World Cup to feature Web3 fan app as ICC taps into Near blockchain

The International Cricket Council will leverage Near’s Blockchain Operating System to power a Web3 fan engagement app during the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has partnered with Near Foundation to build a blockchain-powered Web3 fan engagement app for the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India, which promises to reach hundreds of millions of fans over the next six weeks.

Cointelegraph spoke exclusively to ICC head of digital Chris Donovan and Near CEO Finn Bradshaw, who unpacked details of the Web3 mobile app aiming to drive fan engagement before, during and after matches at the global sporting event in India.

Related: From cricket to crypto: AB de Villiers ventures into Web3

The ICC’s first foray into the world of Web3 was the creation of a nonfungible token (NFT) platform called FanCraze in 2022 that gave fans the ability to own highlights of historic moments from various ICC tournaments. Donovan said that it laid the foundation for future Web3 exploits:

“We loved the community that grew around that product, so we have been looking for other use cases that help strengthen our fans’ love of cricket.”

The app will allow fans to play prediction games requiring strategy selections for games during the competition. Fans will earn points reflecting their selections and the actual outcome of matches, counting toward leaderboards and rewards during the competition.

The ICC’s fan engagement app, as featured in its announcement video. Source: Near Protocol

Donovan said that cricket’s governing body and Near share a similar vision for how Web3 technology can improve digital experiences for fans and that Near’s Blockchain Operating System’s interoperability with other networks was a key factor in the partnership:

“A big part of that is about creating products with greater interoperability across blockchains.”

While Near is a layer-1 blockchain, it features scalable infrastructure supporting communication, smart contracts and transaction capabilities with other blockchain ecosystems. Bradshaw said this feature could prove useful as more use cases are explored in the partnership that ends in December 2025:

“The ICC is only focused on working with a single layer-1 blockchain partner for now, but they are aware of the Blockchain Operating System’s interoperability capacity.”

As Cointelegraph has explored at length, marketing and advertising in various sports have driven the adoption of cryptocurrencies and Web3 in general. Bradshaw believes that a Cricket World Cup being hosted in India presents another opportunity to present working use cases of blockchain technology.

“In partnering with the most popular sport on the sub-continent, we expect it to be a showcase for the ecosystem’s technology and partners in demonstrating what a mass-market Web3 application looks like.”

According to Bradshaw, Near Foundation’s business development team worked alongside the ICC for four months, researching and identifying use cases for the Cricket World Cup. The tournament begins on Oct. 5, and the final is scheduled for Nov. 19.

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Second-Largest Stablecoin USDC Launches on Ethereum (ETH) Competitor NEAR Protocol (NEAR)

Second-Largest Stablecoin USDC Launches on Ethereum (ETH) Competitor NEAR Protocol (NEAR)

The second-largest stablecoin by market cap, USD Coin (USDC), is now available natively on the Ethereum (ETH) competitor NEAR Protocol (NEAR). In addition to NEAR, USDC is also available natively on Algorand (ALGO), Arbitrum ( ARB), Avalanche (AVAX), Base, Ethereum, Flow, Hedera (HBAR), Noble, Optimism (OP), Solana (SOL), Stellar (XLM), and Tron (TRX). Explains USDC’s issuer […]

The post Second-Largest Stablecoin USDC Launches on Ethereum (ETH) Competitor NEAR Protocol (NEAR) appeared first on The Daily Hodl.

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Near Foundation treasury drops to $900M as token price plunges

The $200 million decline was mostly due to a drop in the price of Near tokens, in line with the crypto bear market.

At the end of Q2 2023, layer-one blockchain Near Protocol's (NEAR) treasury had declined to $900 million, led by a fall in the price of NEAR tokens from $1.99 to $1.38 apiece.

According to the July 10 report, the Near Treasury currently consists of $349 million in fiat, 315 million NEAR, and $90 million in loans and investments. A net total of $16 million and 1 million NEAR were distributed to the ecosystem in Q2. In comparison, the Near Treasury totaled $1.1 billion in Q1 2023. Developers wrote:

"The NEAR Foundation has continued to adopt a highly responsible approach to treasury management in order to minimize the risk of loss in a turbulent market, while continuing capital deployment to fulfill its mission. Exposure to non-NEAR assets therefore has been limited, with fiat reserves held in highly rated Swiss bank accounts."

Near developers also noted that in the face of industry headwinds, such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase, the Near Foundation has shifted its focus to three core strategies:

  1.  Enhancement of its blockchain operating system
  2. Continued building of its decentralized ecosystem
  3. Onboard Web2 users to Web3
Near Protocol's treasury summary in Q2 2023.

Throughout Q2, the Near ecosystem saw 1.1 million monthly active accounts. For Q3, the Near team said it would focus on growing partnerships and supporting projects in the Near Horizon ecosystem. Previously in Q4 2021, Near Protocol established an $800 million ecosystem fund split into decentralized finance grants, foundation grants, startup funds, and funds for regional hubs.

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NEAR protocol releases blockchain operating system for Web3

Cointelegraph interviewed the protocol team at ETHDenver 2023 about the new operating system and funds raised to help Ukrainians last year.

The decentralized application (DApp) NEAR protocol is releasing a new blockchain operating system, focusing on improving user experience on Web3 through a common layer for browsing and discovering open web resources, the company disclosed at the Web3 and innovation festival ETHDenver 2023.

In an interview with Cointelegraph's Turner Wright during the event, NEAR co-founder Illia Polosukhin spoke on how the ecosystem is moving closer to user's needs and the release of the Blockchain Operating System (BOS).

According to the NEAR's team, the system works with any blockchain or Web2 backend, allowing users to have the experience of using a single app, even when switching between applications or chains. For developers, the solutions promise to deliver decentralized and composable frontends, enabling the fork of pieces and components, and built-ins such as payments, profiles, and notifications without any hosting involved.

Polosukhin noted about the blockchain operating system: 

"The iOS provides developers a place to show their app in front of billions of users, and it gives them all the services and the infrastructure underneath to build, so you kind of just plug in here. That's what we're trying to do, trying to kind of give the distribution here, give the platform underneath and let developers build."

The protocol, which is a competitor of Ethereum offering smart contract capable and a proof-of-stake blockchain, sought a 10x growth on key metrics last year, including number of transactions, active monthly wallets, projects onboarded, developers and money invested within the ecosystem, claimed the co-founder. 

Related: Smart contracts to power day-to-day Web3 company operations

"A lot of projects just migrated over to NEAR," noted Polosukhin about last year's growth, combined with an effort to search for existing applications with a user base:

"They came to us, some of them because they saw you can write in JavaScript smart contracts. That's like three times cheaper to hire developers. This is just more usable not just for users, but for developers as well."

Unchain Fund

Polosukhin is also one of the developers behind the Unchain Fund, a fundraising effort created last year to help Ukrainians affected by the war. As of early 2023, the fund had raised over $9 million in donations, almost entirely in crypto assets.

According to him, the raised funds were crucial to support the people of Ukraine in the first weeks of war, while international help was still underway at a lower pace:

"The Red Cross, UNICEF, they take months to spin up all of their systems when something happens, that's just that's how they are. They're slow [...] but when they get there, they have the procedure, and they set it up, they build the supply chain, logistics, and then they can start delivering. So, in a way, crypto funds covered in the beginning, like spin-up time for a similar government aid."

Part of the raised funds were used for a program dedicated to women with children who run away from home, providing weekly payments of 25 euros to roughly 6,000 Ukrainian women. The funds were also used to purchase ambulances through the global initiative United24. 

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NYU to launch Web3 learning workshop in partnership with NEAR protocol

The course is exposing students to the technology underlying the industry, the industry at large and hands-on experience working with Web3 tools.

Education is a well-known barrier to entry for many when it comes to crypto and Web3 space. This is particularly true when it comes to understanding the underlying technology that powers these new innovations. 

Joining in on the effort to spread crypto awareness, on Feb. 8, the New York University School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) — one of the schools and colleges that compose New York University — announced a partnership with the NEAR Foundation to introduce a new “Web3 Learning Workshop” for students and faculty, along with partners in the industry.

The course comes out of NYU SPS Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport. The workshop will have a specific angle looking at the intersection of Web3 and blockchain technologies and the sports industry.

Angie Kamath, the Dean of NYU SPS, said that universities have a responsibility to prepare their communities for “success in every industry.”

“Web3 and blockchain technologies will have a large role to play, not just in the sports industry but in every industry that touches our lives.”

The course is said to touch on the basics of blockchain and digital assets and its utility in the sports world. Those involved in the course will be exposed to hands-on experience, taught by co-founder of the NEAR ecosystem Michael Kelly.

Related: Binance Charity to provide over 30K Web3 scholarships in 2023

Additionally, students involved in the NYU SPS will be eligible for new NFT rewards via a Dapp on the NEAR platform. While NYU is not the first school to introduce a curriculum on blockchain and Web3 technologies, it is one of the top universities in the United States. 

Educators in Australia recently came out with a statement saying that there is a global lack of “qualified people'' with education in the Web3 industry. 

The Blockchain Academy International’s Huxley Peckham highlighted that already 60 industries have implemented blockchain technology in some way and that blockchain education is important for “the next generation of strategists and consultants.”

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Biggest Movers: LTC Nears 6-Month High, as Near Rebounds From Recent Lows

Biggest Movers: LTC Nears 6-Month High, as Near Rebounds From Recent LowsLitecoin has been a notable mover on Nov. 30, as the token edged closer to a recent six month high. Following yesterday’s gains, cryptocurrency prices remained in the green on Wednesday, with the global market capitalization up 2.07% as of writing this. Near protocol also surged today, as prices rebounded from recent lows. Litecoin Litecoin […]

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Biggest Movers: NEAR Slips to 16-Month Bottom, ALGO Over 11% Lower on Monday

Biggest Movers: NEAR Slips to 16-Month Bottom, ALGO Over 11% Lower on MondayNear protocol fell to its lowest level in over sixteen months, as bearish pressure intensified on Nov. 21. Overall, cryptocurrencies started the week trading lower, following increased speculation on a prolonged market crash. Algorand was another notable token to fall, dropping by over 11% today. Near Protocol (NEAR) Near protocol (NEAR) dropped to its lowest […]

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Skyward finance exploit allegedly results in $3 million loss

The hacker appears to have drained the platform of 1.1M NEAR tokens, worth an approximate $3 million dollars USD at time of publication.

Skyward finance, an IDO platform enabling fair token distribution for projects on the NEAR Protocol, has reportedly been exploited for 1.1M NEAR tokens, worth an estimated $3 million USD at time of publication. 

The news was shared on Twitter by Aurora Lab's community moderator Sanket Naikwadi, who stated that the exploit was first noticed by a member of the NEAR protocol community, who goes by the handle @Nearscout.

According to the series of tweets on the exploit, Ref finance — a community-led multi-purpose DeFi platform built on the NEAR Protocol — and the Skyward team have been notified of the drain.

The exploiter reportedly initiated the drain by buying lots of skyward tokens on Ref Finance, and “then redeemed it through Treasury on Skyward Finance.”, where they appear to have “got lots of NEAR than what 1 SKYWARD was worth”.

Naikwadi cautioned SKYWARD Token holders to redeem or swap their tokens wherever they can, and no longer interact with Skyward Finance, adding that the “Hacker has already withdrawn NEAR to lots of different wallets.”

Related: Barely halfway and October already the biggest month in crypto hacks: Finance Refined

Exploits within the Defi ecosystem appear to be on the rise. Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis recentlylabeled October 2022 as “the biggest month in the biggest year ever for hacking activity."

On Oct 12, Cointelegraph reported that $100 million worth of cryptocurrency was drained from Solana-based decentralized finance (DeFi) exchange Mango Markets, resulting in its token plunging by 52%. On the same day of the Mango Market’s exploit, TempleDAO was also exploited for $2 million.

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