Near Protocol and Injective prices are recovering faster than the broader crypto market after the inflation-related selloff. Their rebounds come after strong monthly rallies, which raises an important question: what is helping these tokens recover when the wider market remains under pressure?
Current price places NEAR around $5.36 after a 12% daily increase, followed by Injective at $8.47 after an 11% gain. The total crypto market increased less than 1% to $2.76 trillion during that snapshot. Several developments help explain the difference, although the case behind each token deserves a closer look.
What you'll learn 👉
Near Protocol Price Rebounds As Supply Proposal Adds A Fresh Catalyst
Near Protocol price recovered from the lows that followed Wednesday’s higher-than-expected US inflation data. NEAR has gained 132% over the previous month, so the latest recovery extends a rally that began before the inflation release.
The clearest fresh development is a proposal to reduce yearly NEAR token issuance. The proposed change would affect how quickly the token supply expands:
- Annual issuance would fall from 2.5% to 1.6%.
- That represents a 36% reduction in the annual issuance rate.
- The change would require approval and implementation before taking effect.
Lower issuance would reduce the pace at which new tokens enter supply. However, it would not automatically make NEAR deflationary or guarantee a higher price. Demand would still need to absorb newly issued tokens and any sales from existing holders.
The timing helps explain its relevance. NEAR is recovering from a market selloff as its community considers a change that could reduce future supply growth.
NEAR Intents Fees And Buybacks Support The Near Protocol Narrative
NEAR Intents provides another explanation for the token’s stronger performance. The system lets users specify the assets they want to receive, and competing solvers handle the transaction across supported blockchains.
That can remove several steps normally required for cross chain transfers. Users do not necessarily need to manage separate bridges, gas tokens, or liquidity routes themselves.
Commentator StarPlatinum puts cumulative NEAR Intents volume at $30 billion. Separately, Giannis Andreou cites NearStats figures that connect platform activity with fees and token purchases:
- Cumulative fees have reached $55.3 million.
- Open market NEAR buybacks total $6.4 million.
- Buybacks over the previous 7 days reached $589,200.
- That weekly amount represents roughly 9.2% of cumulative buybacks.
These figures matter because buybacks can connect platform activity with token demand. However, cumulative transaction volume, fees, and buybacks measure different things. Large volume alone does not establish profitability or guarantee continued purchases.
StarPlatinum also discusses a $20 million AI Agent Fund and infrastructure that could help autonomous agents execute transactions across blockchains. Groggs argues that the AI narrative and Intents buybacks support the rally, although those expectations still depend on continued usage.
I’m pretty sure now $NEAR is going to be the dark horse of this cycle The token is up 140% in the last 30 days Here’s the reason behind amd why you need to understand the ecosystem (easy guide) Right now Near is focusing on connecting different blockchains and AI agents. – NEAR Intents NEAR Intents allows users to swap assets between blockchains without manually managing bridges, gas tokens or liquidity routes. – Users specify what they want to receive. – Solvers compete to execute the transaction. They already have $30B in cumulative volume. The idea is that users could interact with NEAR infrastructure without even knowing they’re using it. – AI Agents Through NEAR NEAR is also developing infrastructure for autonomous AI agents. NEAR Intents could handle the cross-chain execution without the agent manually navigating multiple bridges. (The ecosystem has also announced a $20M AI Agent Fund btw) – Tokenomics After years 96.4% of NEAR’s tracked supply is already unlocked. Unlike many older L1 tokens, NEAR doesn’t have a massive gap between circulating and fully diluted valuation. However I have to say validator emissions still increase supply. – The FUD of the $3.8M exploit NEAR Intents was recently linked to an exploit involving approximately $3.8M Everyone in CT were bearish on NEAR but same as happened with ZEC during June this was baseless information This wasn’t a compromise of the entire NEAR blockchain. Now $NEAR is approaching the $6.00 range And NEAR could potentially become the infrastructure connecting Ethereum, Solana, Bitcoin and autonomous AI agents. (This is just my thesis so please NFA, DYOR and let me know your thoughts)
— StarPlatinum (@StarPlatinum_) October 12, 2026
Near Protocol Price Faces Tests Around $4 And $6
The analysis from eye zen hour gives the Near Protocol price recovery some historical context. The analyst tracks a move from $2.50 on September 17 to a $6 high, followed by a retreat toward $4.70.
Those prices belong to that analyst’s snapshot and should not be treated as simultaneous with BSCN’s $5.36 update.
Eye zen hour identifies a previous break above a multiyear trendline around $3.50. The immediate question is whether NEAR can establish a base above $4 after its pullback.
The analyst’s discussion leaves several price references worth watching:
- The $4 area is the proposed base for the recovery.
- The previous $6 high becomes relevant if buying continues.
- The $3.04 area is a possible deeper retest if support fails.
The $3.04 reference combines the broken trendline, the 0.5 Fibonacci retracement, and the 200 week moving average in the analyst’s assessment. Such overlap can make a level worth monitoring, although it cannot guarantee support.
The bullish case therefore needs more than enthusiasm around AI. Near Protocol price must also hold its recovery as the broader market absorbs the inflation news.
Injective Price Rises As Washington Meetings Support Its Tokenization Plans
Injective price has its own catalysts beyond the broader rebound. Data points to a 32% weekly INJ increase andmeetings between Injective CEO Eric Chen and officials from the White House, SEC, and CFTC.
Injective says its general counsel, policy head, and research head joined those discussions. The company connects the meetings with its plans for tokenized finance in the US.
Its statement identifies several developments behind that effort:
- Injective Institutional Services became an SEC registered transfer agent in August.
- INJ futures trade through CFTC regulated infrastructure in the US.
- Injective Mint provides infrastructure for issuers to bring real world assets onto the blockchain.
- The company has submitted policy proposals and comment letters concerning DeFi regulation.
Those developments concern specific services, products, and policy discussions. They do not establish blanket regulatory approval for Injective or every application using its network.
Their potential importance comes from the infrastructure needed to support tokenized financial products. Commercial adoption remains the test of whether those efforts translate into sustained network activity.
INJ Fee Proposal And Buybacks Add To The Recovery Case
CoinGecko identifies another development: stakers are voting on IIP 709, a proposal for fixed gas fees.
Predictable transaction costs could help applications estimate expenses. However, the supplied material does not provide enough detail to conclude how the proposal would affect total fees or token demand.
CoinGecko also relays Injective’s claim that its revenue relative to fully diluted valuation exceeds that of other major chains. That comparison needs consistent definitions and measurement periods before it can establish relative value.
Altcoin Buzz provides a separate price snapshot of $9.13 after a 24% daily increase. This differs from BSCN’s $8.47 update, so the figures should remain separate.
Its analysis adds several points to the INJ recovery discussion:
- Tokens reportedly left exchanges on 10 of the previous 14 days.
- Injective says protocol revenue supports monthly community INJ buybacks.
- Altcoin Buzz questions whether some reported volume involves wash trading.
Exchange withdrawals can reduce immediately available trading supply, although they do not prove that every transfer represents a new purchase. The wash trading concern also remains an allegation whose extent is not established by the supplied material.
Injective Adoption Claims Face Questions About Network Activity
The optimistic INJ case faces criticism from Ed, who posts through AirdropGlideApp. He questions whether Injective’s valuation matches its network activity.
My thesis on why Injective will be the next Mantra. Ok, I’m probably going to get a lot of hate for this, but I think an open discussion around the pumping of INJ is important. It’s becoming impossible to explain the ongoing rise of the token price, and the monumental $1bn+ market cap INJ now commands. For a chain that by all accounts, has no users, TVL, or activity. What on earth is going on? 1) Total supply of INJ is now over 123m, giving a whopping $1.03bn market cap. Yes, Coingecko has never been updated, and still shows the incorrect data of 100m Total Supply. It’s a lie. 2) TVL according to DeFiLlama sits at just $13m for the entire chain, and has been on a slow decent for well over a year now. 3) The largest app on Injective according to DeFiLlama is Hydro. An app that allows borrowing of assets Vs its own HDRO token (yes, I know!) and where the same $20k of USDT has been lent in it’s money market for the past 6 months. There’s no activity here. 4) The third largest app by TVL is Pumex. Ever heard of it? No, neither have I. But you’re excused. Pumex has 42 users according to their dashboard. Not 42,000. 42. 5) Helix is the 5th largest app. Yes, that abandoned perp Dex built by the Injective team that ran a points program for well over a year, then just disappeared. 6) 6th largest app? The defunct Dojoswap. Anyone remember what happend there? 7) The Top 10 apps by TVL are filled with now defunct apps. Astroport? Stride? All dead. 8) Remember Injective is still Cosmos, which for all intents and purposes is now an abandoned ecosystem. 9) Injective USDC has pretty much been abandoned before it’s even off the ground. Notice how you can’t even select Injective on Circle’s own USDC bridge? (https://t.co/5iFrpMs1e1). 10) Injective’s own new ecosystem page is filled with names and apps that have nothing to do with Injective, to make it seem like that are in some way connected. Solana, Raydium, PumpFun etc. (https://t.co/LvP2Ie1DNi) Anyway, just my two cents. I’m all ears to hear what you think, and what you’re up to on chain. Good luck.
— Ed | AirdropGlideApp (@AirdropGlideApp) October 15, 2026
His post claims total INJ supply exceeds 123 million and cites roughly $13 million in chain TVL from DeFiLlama. He also challenges activity across several applications.
Those claims require independent verification, particularly the supply figures and accusations concerning ecosystem projects. TVL alone cannot measure every form of blockchain usage, but limited liquidity or few active users would still matter.
Pseudonymous commentator Not Telling presents the opposite view. The account emphasizes tokenized assets, institutional relationships, privacy development, and fully unlocked original token allocations.
Several distinctions matter when assessing that argument:
I’m buying $INJ Here’s why I’m bullish 1. RWA Growth Injective has surpassed $1B in tokenized real-world assets, placing it among the top 10 RWA chains They’re also launching Injective Mint, allowing institutions to tokenize stocks and other assets with ease The goal? Become a top-five RWA chain. 2. Native Privacy Injective is developing CypherOS, bringing privacy to RWAs, perpetual futures, and options. Privacy will be essential for institutional adoption, and Injective is positioning itself ahead of that demand. 3. Cross-Chain Expansion $INJ has expanded to Solana with 10+ dApp integrations. The team is also targeting NEAR and potential Robinhood integrations while bringing assets like TRON, Zcash, and Cardano onto Injective. More accessibility = more liquidity and potential demand. 4. Major Institutional Partnerships Injective has established relationships with some of Asia’s largest companies: • NTT — Japan • POSCO — South Korea • LG — South Korea • Gulf — Thailand They’re also working with @Securitize to bring four major funds onto Injective, including VanEck and Hamilton Lane. The long-term goal is to make these tokenized assets usable as collateral in DeFi 👀 5. ETFs & Regulation Injective has been pursuing INJ ETFs, potentially opening the door to traditional investors. Their transfer-agent regulatory initiative could also provide an advantage in bringing tokenized securities onchain. 6. Stablecoin Liquidity Injective is working with Circle to expand native USDC across Cosmos and dYdX, targeting $100M+ in potential stablecoin liquidity. Combined with EVM support and major bridge integrations, the ecosystem is becoming much more accessible. 7. Tokenomics This is one of my biggest reasons for buying. $INJ’s original token allocation is fully unlocked. No more scheduled VC or insider vesting unlocks. Unlike many newer L1s facing significant future unlocks, INJ has moved past that selling pressure. It also has staking utility and a token burn mechanism tied to network activity. So as their RWA adoption grows, tokenomics only get better with usage. My thesis: Injective is positioning itself to become a major player in tokenized finance while having attractive tokenomics and multiple catalysts ahead. The key is turning these developments into real adoption and token demand. I believe the market is underestimating what they’re building. That’s why I’m buying $INJ. NFA.
— Not Telling (@nottellingyou73) October 9, 2026
- Fully unlocked allocations do not necessarily mean total token supply cannot increase.
- Tokenized asset value does not automatically equal active DeFi liquidity.
- Institutional relationships do not guarantee recurring network usage or INJ purchases.
Near Protocol and Injective prices are outperforming through a combination of market recovery and project specific developments. NEAR’s case centers on issuance, Intents activity, and buybacks. INJ’s case centers on tokenization plans, regulatory engagement, fee proposals, and reported buybacks.
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