It has the potential to grow 20x in recent token prices, says Arthur Hayes
The protocol's native token, NEAR, has the potential to grow 20x by 2027, according to Arthur Hayes, founder of Crypto Derivatives BitMEX.
Main Receptors:
According to Hayes, NEAR Intents could make privacy coins like Zcash more usable on the blockchain without bridges or multiple wallets. Hayes has surged more than 90% since it went public with the token alongside ZEC and HYPE in May.
NEAR enables privacy coins like ZEC to be used: Hayes
Speaking on The Rollup podcast, Hayes' bullish case for NEAR rests on NEAR Intents, a feature that allows A agents to move assets privately on the blockchain without dealing with bridges, multiple wallets or fragmented liquidity.
The same infrastructure also underpins NEAR's broader AI-agent thesis, where autonomous apps can make payments and trade on-chain.
Hayes linked NEAR's upside to privacy-focused cryptocurrency Zcash (ZEC), which has rallied more than 1,000% in the past year and sparked investors' interest in private funds.
ZEC/USD Daily Chart. Source: TradingView
He said the protocol could be the next major beneficiary of that trend because it allows private tokens like ZEC to be used on more than one blockchain, allowing users to move value across the broader crypto economy.
“Now I can send any crypto asset I want to the Internet using Zcash, which is protected in an anonymous way, using Intents,” he said.
“I think Zcash has NEAR 20x potential where you know Zcash could have 5x potential next year.”
Hayes' close calls echo his Zcash support playbook.
Hayes' comments add a string of bullies to the endorsements from Hayes.
In a May 11 essay, Hayes clearly listed HYPE as one of his top speculative bets alongside ZEC and HyperLiquid's native token.
He reinforced that view earlier this week in a May 22 post, calling HYPE, ZEC, and NEAR the “holy trinity.”
As can be seen below, the price of the token has increased by more than 90% since Hayes started to officially highlight the token.
NEAR/USD four-hour chart. Source: TradingView
As evidenced by the 2025 Zcash posts, Hayes' support has historically attracted a lot of attention from traders.
RELATED: Zcash Is ‘Making Its Own Bull Market' As Zcash Paints 88% Rally Setup
Hayes' bullish comments in October 2025, including “ZEC to $10k” and naming a major holding, served as a major upside catalyst. ZEC gained more than 350% in the following weeks.
ZEC/USD Daily Chart. Source: TradingView
Fractal hints at the next 35% rally
NEAR's current breakout is starting to look like a 2023–2024 recovery configuration, when it rose from the $0.91–$0.99 range before rallying around 250%.
For example, in 2026, NEAR recovered from the same $0.91–$0.99 bis zone, with the daily relative strength index (RSI) rising to around 88, indicating buying pressure.
The signal has formed a golden cross, a bullish signal where the short-term moving average rises above the long-term.
In the NEAR scenario, the 50-day exponential moving average (50-day EMA, red line) is moving around $1.646 from the 200-day EMA (blue line) at $1.647.
Regular traders see this as the first sign that a downward trend can turn into a continuous improvement.
The first major upside target sits near $3.38–$4.00, a former support zone that could now serve as resistance. The $4 target is set 35% above the current price and could be the next challenge of the near term if the gap persists.
A critical move above $4.00 would strengthen the 2023–2024 fractal and open the door to a 250% rally to around $9–$10 in 2026.
Conversely, a failure to reclaim the $3.38–$4.00 zone could lead to a reversal of the 50- and 200-day EMAs. A reduction of about 45% from current levels.
