How Grayscale’s Fancy Pants ETF Scheme Might Just Make NEAR the New Bitcoin (Well, Maybe)

Well, folks, it seems ol’ Grayscale is up to its old tricks-filing paperwork faster than a cat on a hot tin roof, trying to turn NEAR Protocol into an ETF on the NYSE Arca. And wouldn’t you know it, NEAR’s price did a little jig and jumped 3%, like it’s got a secret to tell.

Have you ever seen a big-shot company waddle into the Securities and Exchange Commission’s office with dreams of turning a modest digital token into a fancy ETF? Well, my friends, that’s exactly what Grayscale Investments is doing now, filling out some forms-probably with a quill-hoping to turn its “Near Trust” into the “Grayscale Near Trust ETF” under the ticker GSNR on the NYSE Arca. Real fancy, huh?

NEAR Protocol logo

This move comes right when NEAR’s price bounced a little-just 3%, but enough to make the market folks blink twice. Seems interest in this digital fancy is rising faster than yeast in a warm kitchen.

Grayscale’s Bold Plan to Turn NEAR into a Big Deal

Now, don’t get all teary-eyed, but Grayscale has formally asked the SEC’s permission to turn the Near Trust into a spot ETF, probably with a big flourish and a dozen lawyers involved. If the gods of finance approve, this ETF will follow the real-time price of NEAR, and people might start treating it like the real thing-if they aren’t already.

They’re even talking about teaming up with third-party staking providers-because what’s more exciting than locking up your tokens and hoping someone else doesn’t run off with them? Plus, they’ve got Coinbase and a gaggle of big banks like BNY Mellon and others standing by to help keep the ship afloat. It’s like a pirate crew, but for finance.

Wall Street traders

NEAR’s Price Does a Little Jump, Like a Frog in a Hot Pot

Meanwhile, NEAR’s price, which had been resting comfortably at around $1.54, suddenly decided to do a little dance-up 3% in just a few hours, despite the whole market acting like a bunch of cranky bears. It’s now flirting with the $1.55 mark, testing the waters like a curious cat.

Trading volume’s gone up by 22%, which sounds like a lot, and indicates the traders have woken up and started hustling. Still, it’s below some moving averages, so don’t go popping Champagne just yet. Futures traders are getting in on the fun too, pushing the open interest to nearly $229 million-more than enough to keep everyone excited.

Testing key demand 🧱

Price reacting inside the $1.45-$1.55 zone, with hopes pinned on bouncing back to $1.8-$1.9. Well, aren’t we all just waiting for that?

– CryptoPulse (@CryptoPulse_CRU)

So, what do all these shenanigans mean? It probably means folks are betting NEAR could be the next big thing, or at least that Grayscale’s building a fancy new toy to sell to the unsuspecting. Interest in crypto-based products is growing like weeds after a rain, with filings stacking up faster than pancakes on a Sunday morning.

As this circus unfolds, NEAR might just grow up to be the star of the show, drawing more traders and maybe even some long-term folks who like their investments like their biscuits-sweet and reliable.

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2026-01-21 18:10