---
title: "Bitwise Launches First US Spot Near ETF After Token Nearly Triples Since August"
url: https://thecoingazette.com/bitwise-launches-first-us-spot-near-etf-after-token-nearly-triples-since-august/
date: 2026-09-29
modified: 2026-09-30
lang: en
author: "Coin Gazette Editorial"
description: "Bitwise's NRR started trading on NYSE Arca on Tuesday, offering exposure to NEAR and staking rewards as the AI-focused token rises. Bitwise Asset Management launched NRR, the first U.S. spot..."
categories:
  - "Business"
image: https://thecoingazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/l292hmda.webp
word_count: 422
---

# Bitwise Launches First US Spot Near ETF After Token Nearly Triples Since August

*Bitwise's NRR started trading on NYSE Arca on Tuesday, offering exposure to NEAR and staking rewards as the AI-focused token rises.*

[Bitwise Asset Management](https://thecoingazette.com/tag/bitwise/) launched **NRR**, the first U.S. spot ETF providing exposure to the **[NEAR Protocol](https://thecoingazette.com/tag/near/)**, with trading beginning Tuesday on **NYSE Arca**. The fund gives brokerage accounts direct access to NEAR’s price performance **plus staking rewards**, a feature rarely included in U.S. crypto ETFs.

The launch **expanded Bitwise’s single‑asset crypto ETF lineup**, which already included products tied to Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and Hyperliquid. With NRR, Bitwise entered one of crypto’s fastest‑rising AI‑aligned ecosystems, positioning NEAR as a foundational layer for what the firm calls an **“emerging AI‑powered economy.”**

## Bitwise Frames NEAR as Infrastructure for an Agentic AI Economy

In [announcing the ETF](https://bitwiseinvestments.com/newsroom/the-bitwise-near-etf-nrr-launches-as-first-spot-near-etp-in-the-us), Bitwise CEO **Hunter Horsley** emphasized NEAR’s role in enabling a future where **AI agents coordinate economic activity**, transact autonomously, and interact with decentralized applications at scale.

> “AI is fundamentally changing how we access information and how economic activity happens… We’re moving toward a world in which AI agents increasingly act on our behalf, coordinate with one another, and participate in the economy. We believe this shift… could unlock an enormous new frontier for the global economy. **NEAR is building a platform for that future.**”

This framing aligns with NEAR’s recent momentum: the protocol has seen rising adoption across autonomous agents, intent‑based execution, and compute‑heavy applications — all areas where traditional blockchains struggle with throughput or latency.

## A Regulated Gateway Into NEAR’s AI‑Native Architecture

By listing NRR on NYSE Arca, Bitwise **opened NEAR exposure to millions of brokerage accounts**, removing the need for wallets, private keys, or direct staking infrastructure. Investors gained:

- **Spot NEAR price exposure**

- **Staking rewards** distributed through NAV

- **Regulated custody and compliance**

- **Frictionless access** via standard brokerage platforms

This combination is rare among U.S. crypto ETFs and positions NRR as a differentiated product for yield‑focused investors and AI‑thematic funds.

## NEAR’s Position in the Top 20

At the time of the ETF’s launch, **NEAR traded around $4.93** with a market cap near **$6.5 billion**, placing it firmly within the top 20 non‑stablecoin cryptocurrencies.

NEAR's scalable, developer-friendly architecture, based on an energy-efficient proof-of-stake model, has attracted builders of AI-native applications. The ETF launch emphasized NEAR's capacity to support high-throughput workloads for AI.

The launch expanded Bitwise’s single‑asset crypto ETF lineup, which already included products tied to Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and Hyperliquid. With NRR, Bitwise entered one of crypto’s fastest‑rising AI‑aligned ecosystems, positioning NEAR as a foundational layer for what the firm calls an emerging AI‑powered economy.