NEAR Protocol's native token joined the 20 largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization on Thursday, October 8, 2026. CoinGecko data shows the token up 138% over the previous 30 days. The Cointelegraph headline rounds that figure to 140%.
The report connects the move to NEAR Intents, which has now handled more than $31 billion in cumulative transaction volume. The article gives both facts together. It does not show that the volume milestone caused the price rise.
Several things are still unknown. The report does not give NEAR's current price, its exact rank or the token it pushed out of the top 20. It also does not say who was buying.
For anyone already holding a perpetual position, nothing changes directly. The source does not mention NEAR funding rates, trading fees, open interest or order-book depth on Bitget, Bybit, MEXC, OKX or any other exchange. Moving into the top 20 does not change how any of these venues charges to hold a contract. Only the exchanges' own funding and fee data can show whether holding costs have moved.
Source: cointelegraph — NEAR enters crypto’s top 20 after 140% surge in 30 days