Crypto & Forex September 29, 2026 0 Comments

Unlocking the Future: How Bitwise’s Groundbreaking NEAR ETF is Poised to Revolutionize Your Investment Game!

Ever wondered what happens when blockchain meets AI in the fast lane of finance? Well, Bitwise just threw down the gauntlet, launching the very first US spot exchange-traded product tracking NEAR — a move that’s not just about riding the crypto wave but rather surfing the upcoming tsunami of AI-driven economies. The Bitwise NEAR ETF, trading under ticker NRR on NYSE Arca, isn’t your run-of-the-mill fund; it’s got a neat twist—staking its NEAR tokens to rake in extra rewards for shareholders while you watch. After a year-long dance with regulators, this launch signals more than just another fund debut; it’s a strategic bet on NEAR’s evolving role as the infrastructure backbone for autonomous AI agents doing everything from payments to trades with lightning-fast settlements across multiple blockchains. So here we are at the crossroads of innovation and opportunity — where do you want to be when AI starts calling the shots in your portfolio? LEARN MORE

Bitwise has launched the first US spot exchange-traded product tracking NEAR, expanding its lineup of single-asset crypto funds as the asset manager bets on the blockchain’s role in an emerging AI-driven economy.

The Bitwise NEAR ETF began trading Tuesday on NYSE Arca under the ticker NRR. The fund carries a 0.75% annual management fee and holds NEAR directly, with Bitwise also planning to stake the fund’s tokens to generate additional NEAR for shareholders through its net asset value.

The launch caps a regulatory process that began more than a year ago. Bitwise initially filed the fund’s S-1 registration statement with the SEC in May 2025. NYSE Arca approved the shares for listing on September 24, while the SEC registration became effective the same day.

Bitwise is pitching NEAR as infrastructure for a future in which AI agents increasingly make payments, trade assets and carry out financial transactions on behalf of users.

A major part of that thesis centers on NEAR Intents, the network’s crosschain transaction system. Bitwise said the protocol has processed more than $32 billion in volume, up from less than $1 billion a year ago. NEAR’s own dashboard currently shows more than $30 billion in lifetime volume across 35 chains.

“NEAR sits at the intersection of two of the biggest trends in technology: AI and crypto,” Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan said, arguing that autonomous agents will need fast settlement infrastructure that does not rely on a single custodian.

Unlike a traditional spot product that simply tracks the underlying token, NRR also plans to put its NEAR holdings to work through staking.

Bitwise estimates average NEAR staking rewards at roughly 5%, although investors will not receive that full headline rate.

The fund’s SEC filing says that under normal circumstances it expects to stake substantially all of its NEAR, with 33% of the additional tokens generated through staking allocated to staking-related expenses. The trust retains approximately 67% of the rewards, which are reflected in its NAV.

That comes on top of NRR’s 0.75% annual sponsor fee, which is charged against the fund’s NEAR holdings.

Bitwise already offers similar NEAR exposure in Europe. Its NEAR Staking ETP began trading on Deutsche Börse Xetra in July 2025 and had about $52.3 million in assets under management as of September 11. The European product carries a 0.85% annual expense ratio and also incorporates staking rewards.

The US launch brings NEAR alongside Bitwise’s growing lineup of single-asset crypto products covering Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, XRP and Hyperliquid.

It also comes as NEAR has been pushing beyond its original Layer 1 positioning toward infrastructure designed for crosschain liquidity and AI agents.

NEAR Intents abstracts transactions across different blockchains, allowing applications and agents to execute crosschain swaps without users manually interacting with bridges or managing gas across each network.

Bitwise’s SEC prospectus lists exposure to NEAR as the fund’s primary investment objective, with generating additional NEAR through staking as its secondary objective.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.