- Bitwise has launched the first U.S. spot NEAR ETF, NRR, on NYSE Arca with plans to stake its holdings.
- NRR will pass NEAR staking rewards into the fund’s NAV, targeting a yield of about 5%.
- Bitwise’s 2030 NEAR thesis hinges on AI agents driving billions of dollars in transactions through the network.
Bitwise has started trading the Bitwise NEAR ETF on NYSE Arca under the ticker NRR.
This makes it the first US spot exchange-traded product tied to NEAR. It also gives American investors a regulated way to hold the token and collect its staking yield without running a validator themselves.
A staking ETF that keeps the rewards in-house
Bitwise announced the launch on Tuesday, September 29, and stated it intends to stake the fund’s token.
It stated that it is targeting NEAR’s current reward rate of roughly 5%. The firm pointed out that the rate is based on annualized on-chain data as of September 25, 2026.
The rewards are said to accrue to the trust and show up as an increase in net asset value per share.
Bitwise added that the rewards are not guaranteed and could carry tax consequences for shareholders.
The crypto asset manager already runs a BaFin-approved staking product in Europe, and the launch of NRR extends that franchise into the US.
Where does NRR fit on Bitwise’s shelf?
The NEAR ETF is not the first single-asset crypto fund to be launched by Bitwise. The asset manager already has single-asset funds in Bitcoin (BITB), Ethereum (ETHW), Solana (BSOL), XRP, and Hyperliquid (BHYP) on its roster.
The asset manager stated that it had $9 billion in client assets as of June 30, and with the latest ETF, the expectation is that the figure will see some significant rise.
NEAR is a proof-of-stake blockchain built for deploying decentralized applications. It is one of the top-20 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies, and the token is currently trading around $4.96.
It has a market capitalization of over $6.4 billion per CoinMarketCap.
Bitwise mentioned that the token has a fully unlocked supply and that its network inflation was recently cut to 2.5%.
Is there an AI-agent pitch behind the fund?
NEAR has been positioned as a leading blockchain infrastructure that is powering the AI economy.
Bitwise pointed out that the network was built by AI researchers who are building the transaction layer for AI.
The asset manager highlighted the network’s transaction protocol known as NEAR Intents, stating that it has cleared more than $32 billion in cumulative volume, up from under $1 billion a year earlier.
Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley said, “AI is fundamentally changing how we access information and how economic activity happens.”
He added that a coming agentic economy, in which software agents transact on people’s behalf, “could unlock an enormous new frontier for the global economy.”
NEAR co-founder Illia Polosukhin called the network “the vertically integrated stack for the AI + blockchain future.” NEAR Protocol confirmed the debut on X, telling followers the fund gives institutions “straightforward access” to the network.
What is Bitwise forecast for 2030?
In a recent report, Bitwise laid out three price paths for NEAR through the end of 2030. It stated that the token will be trading around $1.63 in a bear case, $155.8 in a base case, and $562.8 in a bull case.
BULLISH: @Bitwise projects near:native could reach $155 by 2030 in its base case, with its most optimistic scenario targeting as high as $563. pic.twitter.com/RSXocAPMmU
— Cryptopolitan (@CPOfficialtx) September 28, 2026
Against the current prices, that means the token is expected to rise by over 31 times in a base case scenario, and should it be a bull case, that will be an increase by over 110 times.
The firm stated that the $155 figure is not a most-likely estimate, and the whole model rests on a heavy assumption.
That assumption is that out of an estimated 16.4 billion AI agents that will be operating globally by 2030, about 2% would run on NEAR, each averaging 1,000 tasks a year at roughly $5 per transaction.
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FAQs
What is the Bitwise NEAR ETF and where does it trade?
NRR is the first US spot exchange-traded product offering direct exposure to NEAR, and it began trading on NYSE Arca on September 29, 2026, with a 0.75% management fee.
How does staking work in the NRR fund?
Bitwise stakes the fund's NEAR through its own institutional staking team, targeting a reward rate of about 5%, and those rewards accrue to shareholders as an increase in the fund's net asset value rather than as a direct payout.
What price does Bitwise project for NEAR by 2030?
In a report co-authored by CIO Matt Hougan, Bitwise outlined a bear case of $1.63, a base case of $155.8 and a bull case of $562.8, while stressing that the $155 base figure is not its most-likely estimate.
Disclaimer. The information provided is not trading advice. Cryptopolitan.com holds no liability for any investments made based on the information provided on this page. We strongly recommend independent research and/or consultation with a qualified professional before making any investment decisions.
Hannah Collymore
Hannah is a writer and editor with nearly a decade of blog writing and event reporting experience in the crypto space. At Cryptopolitan, Hannah contributes to the news page, reporting and analyzing the latest developments in DeFi, RWA, crypto regulation, AI and frontier tech industries. She graduated from Arcadia university with a degree in Business Administration.
