NEAR Protocol Q4 2025: 1M TPS, AI Infrastructure & $7B Volume – Nansen Report

March 23, 2026 Rachel Kim – Technology Editor Technology

NEAR Protocol achieved a publicly verifiable transaction speed of one million transactions per second (TPS) in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to a new report from blockchain analytics provider Nansen. The milestone, alongside significant growth in its cross-chain execution layer NEAR Intents and the launch of NEAR AI Cloud, positions the blockchain as a key infrastructure provider for the emerging “agentic economy,” where autonomous AI agents conduct financial and operational tasks.

NEAR Intents, the platform’s cross-chain execution layer, processed over $7 billion in cumulative volume, facilitating more than 13 million swaps involving over 125 assets across 25 different blockchains. The platform served 1.6 million unique users during the quarter, leveraging a “solver-based” architecture that allows users to define desired outcomes while specialized entities manage the complex cross-chain execution. Recent integrations with decentralized exchanges CoW Swap and ThorSwap, as well as support for networks including Starknet, Monad and Bitcoin Cash, expanded the platform’s interoperability.

On-chain activity demonstrated substantial growth, with the NEAR network processing 54 million transactions and engaging 20 million users throughout the quarter. Daily transaction averages reached 4.2 million, with the HOT Wallet accounting for a significant portion of activity – 53.3% or 28.8 million transactions. Usage of Tether stablecoin on the network increased by 29%, indicating broader adoption and diversification of assets.

Technological advancements extended beyond transaction speed. NEAR expanded its shard count to nine, implementing full dynamic resharding capabilities and launching sharded smart contracts. The validator set also grew to 500 nodes, enhancing the network’s scalability, decentralization, and overall capacity. The protocol demonstrated the 1 million TPS benchmark using standard consumer hardware across 70 shards.

The launch of NEAR AI Cloud introduced hardware-enforced confidential inference, backed by cryptographic proofs, designed to support sensitive operations conducted by AI agents. A partnership with ADI Chain for the TravAI travel platform, utilizing NEAR Intents for automated booking and payment processes, exemplifies a real-world application of the technology.

Improvements to the developer experience included new Software Development Kits (SDKs), updated documentation, and enhanced wallet features, such as social logins. Tokenomics were also addressed with the Halving Upgrade, reducing maximum annual inflation from 5% to 2.5%. The fully unlocked supply and a live fee-sharing mechanism through Intents are intended to create a more sustainable economic model for the network.

Governance on NEAR Protocol evolved with the launch of House of Stake, a decentralized system enabling community-driven decisions weighted by the amount of NEAR tokens staked. Institutional investment in the ecosystem increased, highlighted by a $120 million investment from OceanPal Inc. Specifically earmarked for AI initiatives. Listings of trusts and Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) by Grayscale, Bitwise, and other financial institutions further signaled growing institutional interest.

Looking ahead to the first quarter of 2026, NEAR Protocol plans to release IronClaw for confidential agents, enhanced private intents, a unified super-app spanning 35+ chains on near.com, and an AI agent marketplace. These planned releases underscore NEAR’s ambition to become a vertically integrated service provider within the agent-driven commerce landscape.