NEAR Protocol's token surged over 100% from approximately $1.80 in early September to the $5.16-$5.27 range by October 6, driven by AI-related developments and ETF demand. On September 29, Bitwise launched the first spot NEAR ETF (NRR) in the US, attracting about $58 million in its first week. Bitwise analysts predict NEAR's price could reach $562.81 by 2030, provided it captures 3% of the global AI agent market. Additionally, NEAR AI expanded its inference platform through integration with OpenRouter and introduced the SPICE architecture to enhance scalability.