NEAR’s strongest month ever puts $10 in play – But first…

$NEAR Protocol [$NEAR] stood out after September delivered its strongest monthly advance on record.

After months near the lower end of its $1–$2 range, buyers pushed $NEAR above $2, then $3, and eventually $5. $NEAR crypto token ended September at $5.57, compared with a monthly opening price of $1.92.

More importantly, the rally carried $NEAR into a multi-year resistance zone that had repeatedly capped previous recoveries. Buyers now face a familiar hurdle: can they hold the ground gained before sellers regain control?

Therefore, October’s decline back to approximately $4.65 is a critical point of reference. Failure to lose the breakout area should help confirm the current reversal and prevent this recent price appreciation from becoming simply another short-term rebound.

Can ETF inflows support $NEAR’s recovery?

$NEAR’s recovery is now being tested by whether institutional demand can absorb the post-rally pullback. Bitwise’s NRR ETF drew $35.5 million on launch, followed by $13.2 million and approximately $9 million across the next two sessions.

That brought cumulative inflows to approximately $57.7 million.

$NEAR’s recovery is now being tested to see if the institutional demand will be able to absorb the dip buying that follows a rally.

The Bitwise NRR ETF received $35.5 million on its first trading day, then $13.2 million and approximately $9 million on each of the next two days, and had total net inflows of nearly $58 million at this point.

Since a creation requires an actual purchase of $NEAR, each flow creates immediate spot demand as the price is currently trading near $4.73.

During the same period, $NEAR increased by 1.7 percent with $444.7 million in spot volumes traded. A total of $457.6K has been repurchased over a seven-day time frame.

Therefore, sustained ETF creations would likely provide additional support for $NEAR and possibly extend the durability of September’s breakout.

$NEAR’s breakout faces a key test

$NEAR’s pullback could reveal whether September established a sustainable uptrend or another temporary recovery.

Following a prolonged trading range between $0.861 and $1.80, buyers drove price toward $5.54. However, resistance remained around $6–$6.40, where previous rallies had encountered selling.

That history leaves buyers with more work to do. Still, the retreat toward $4.78 does not, by itself, establish a bearish reversal.

Instead, it tests whether buyers can absorb profit-taking without surrendering the breakout. If $NEAR holds at $4.50-4.69, then the price will remain constructive and allow room for a rise to $8.30 and $10.00.

However, if $NEAR falls through $4.50, then the bullish narrative may lose some validity. A successful breakout above $6.40 would likely indicate strong enough buying interest to make the bullish case valid again and increase $NEAR’s upside potential.

Final Summary

• $NEAR Protocol posted a record 178% September gain, with $4.50–$4.69 now key support.
• $NEAR targets $8.30–$10.00 above $6.40, supported by sustained ETF demand.