The Near Protocol token rose for five consecutive days, crossing a crucial resistance level as its active addresses and transactions increased. Near (NEAR) rose to a high of $2.30, up by 25% from its lowest point this month.

CoinDesk Indices presents its daily market update, highlighting the performance of leaders and laggards in the CoinDesk 20 Index.

NEAR is showing signs of a potential bottom after weeks of aggressive selling. A falling wedge formation on the daily timeframe, combined with extreme oversold conditions and RSI divergence, points toward a possible bullish reversal targeting the $4.

Bitcoin (BTC) is still up on Thursday despite Fed Chair Powell's hawkish remarks on Wednesday. This has had the effect of a small lift in the crypto market.

NEAR Protocol is hovering just above the psychological $2 support, with price showing early signs of strength after a prolonged downtrend. A reclaim of $2.80 as support could confirm that the bottom is in.

AI crypto tokens are facing renewed pressure after Nvidia warned of a massive financial hit due to new U.S. export restrictions on chip sales to China.

NEAR might be approaching a key breakout as technicals aligned with rising retail and liquidation momentum.

Prominent crypto analyst Ali Martinez has shared a bullish prediction on the NEAR market suggesting a potential 15% gain is on the horizon. Amidst a major downtrend, Martinez's latest forecast reveals the altcoin could soon see a significant market rebound.

The crypto market lost momentum over the past 24 hours, as cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), registered notable declines. As a result, the crypto market cap shrunk by just over 1%, falling to $2.58 trillion.

Former Australian Air Force pilot John-Paul Thorbjornsen, also known as JP Thor, has been promoting his new crypto wallet, Vultisig, which runs on THORChain a decentralized network he founded to enable cross-chain swaps without intermediaries. Marketed as more secure than other wallets, Vultisig has recently seen a spike in usage alongside THORChain.

Researchers say North Korea used THORChain to launder $1.2 billion following the biggest-ever crypto heist.

Crypto prices were mixed last week as most investors remained in the sidelines as the fear and greed index moved to the extreme fear zone of 4. Bitcoin rose by about 1% during the week, while other tokens like Cardano, XRP, and BNB were barely moved as US stocks plunged.

Artificial intelligence (AI)-linked cryptocurrencies climbed sharply on Tuesday after OpenAI secured a $40 billion capital injection from Japan's Softbank, Microsoft, and other investors. With this latest round, OpenAI's valuation now stands at $300 billion.

As the crypto market enters Q2 2025, both investors and traders are anticipating a shift from bearish to bullish momentum. This change is essential for altcoins to recover, as many are currently facing challenges in bouncing back.

THORChain encountered some difficulties in 2025, including announcing insolvency in January. The company made an announcement on X, revealing that it had temporarily paused its network due to significant debt and leverage problems affecting its ecosystem.

Bitcoin (BTC) bulls are trying to make a comeback by maintaining the price above the 200-day simple moving average ($84,899) over the weekend. Bitget Research chief analyst Ryan Lee told Cointelegraph that Bitcoin needs to close above $85,000 this week to signal strength and “prevent a drop to $76,000.

The crypto market rallied after the Federal Reserve decided to keep interest rates unchanged between 4.25% and 4.50% after the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. The Federal Reserve also stated it sees two rate cuts coming in 2025.

With Bitcoin on the verge of a breakout (or rejection), the altcoins are starting to stir. The altcoin market cap could already have bottomed.

Right now, NEAR Protocol is going through a tough time, with its token on the decline.

The crypto market remained flat for most of the day after a brief rally following better-than-expected inflation data quickly lost steam. Bitcoin (BTC) briefly rose above the $84,000 mark after the US CPI Report but fell flat later in the day, dropping below $84,000.

THORChain has been called a money laundering protocol — a label no decentralized finance (DeFi) project wants unless it's prepared to have regulators breathing down its neck.Its supporters have fended off the criticism by championing decentralization, while its critics point to recent activities that showed some of the protocol's centralized tendencies. After exploiting Bybit for $1.4 billion, the North Korean state-backed hackers behind the attack, known as the Lazarus Group, flocked to THORChain, making it their top choice to convert stolen funds from Ether (ETH) to Bitcoin (BTC).

Bitcoin and crypto are currently seeing a relief rally on Tuesday. Is this short-term, or could this be the start of something bigger?

MoreMarkets aims to create yield opportunities from XRP, DOGE and other non-EVM tokens on different DEXs without having to leave their original network.

NEAR could be preparing for a major move on the price charts soon.

NEAR Protocol (NEAR) is a blockchain platform that focuses on scalability, usability, and ease of development for decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts. It aims to provide a high-performance alternative to other platforms like Ethereum, with a strong emphasis on user and developer-friendly features.

This crypto bull market has not been particularly kind to the vast majority of altcoins. Unlike previous bull markets, the focus has been very much on Bitcoin, seemingly with only the merest sniff of an altcoins season, which has so far failed to arrive.

Ripple (XRP) was also among the top performers, gaining 4%.

THORChain, a decentralized cross-chain swap protocol, witnessed an unprecedented surge in activity following the Bybit hack. According to DefiLlama, THORChain processed a record $4.66 billion in swaps in the week ending March 2, surpassing $1 billion in a single day.

The Lazarus Group has already laundered all the unfrozen funds it stole from the recent Bybit hack. The group used THORChain's DEX to convert ETH tokens, sparking community criticisms.

The CEO of the recently hacked crypto exchange Bybit says that North Korean hackers have converted 417,348 stolen Ethereum (ETH) into Bitcoin (BTC). According to Bybit CEO Ben Zhou, North Korean state-sponsored hackers stole approximately $1.4 billion in ETH from Bybit, bridging a significant portion of the assets to Bitcoin.

NEAR Protocol has created history with its mind blowing hold over the world. The financial system was revolutionized when NEAR Protocol started climbing the ladder.

THORChain reportedly generated $5.5M in transaction fees from the surge in activity linked to the laundering of Bybit's stolen funds.

THORChain generated over $5 million in revenue as Bybit's $1.4 billion hacker used the protocol for moving funds, sparking controversy over its role in illicit crypto transfers.

North Korean hackers used THORChain to help launder $1.4 billion in stolen Bybit funds, driving the protocol's weekly volume to a record $4.6 billion.

Bybit CEO Ben Zhou has confirmed that $1.07 billion—roughly 77% of the assets stolen in the exchange's recent $1.4 billion security breach—can still be tracked. In a March 4 update, Zhou disclosed that hackers successfully laundered $280 million, around 20% of the 499,000 ETH stolen.

THORChain was one of the platforms Bybit hackers used to launder funds, according to observers.

Near Protocol (NEAR) is approaching a key resistance level, fueling speculation about whether it can break out to new highs or face a pullback. At the time of writing, NEAR's price sits at $3.25, reflecting a 5.03% increase.

Near Protocol is testing a crucial resistance level; breakout potential hinges on market interest.

RUNE, the native token of the THORChain protocol, remains under significant bearish pressure following a 9.09% price decline in the last week. According to crypto analyst Ali Martinez, RUNE is likely far from a market recovery following a bearish flag pattern on its trading chart.

A developer from THORChain, known as Pluto, has announced his departure from the decentralized liquidity protocol following a contentious decision involving North Korean-linked transactions. The controversy emerged after a vote by the network's validators to block these transactions was swiftly overturned, raising concerns about the platform's governance and resilience to regulatory challenges.

Thorchain is facing operational risks as developers look to quit over disagreements on handling sanctioned funds linked to North Korean hackers.

THORChain developer “Pluto” resigns over failure to block illicit transactions. The FBI urged exchanges and validators to prevent North Korean money laundering.

Thorchain is grappling with developer departures and mounting concerns over its role in laundering stolen crypto, particularly Ethereum from the Bybit hack, tied to North Korean hackers.

THORChain token is flashing a bearish signal, forming a bearish flag pattern that suggests further downside even as swap volume surges. THORChain (RUNE) was trading at $1.3050 on Friday, down 82% from its November peak.

Key Points

Supporters of the decentralized exchange Thorchain have pushed back against claims that the protocol is actively aiding North Korea-backed hackers attempting to cash out funds from the Bybit hack.

THORChain's native token has plummeted 20% in the past 24 hours, wiping off recent gains as the rest of the market also bleeds. The price of THORChain (RUNE) changed hands around $1.20, dipping sharply after hitting highs above $1.60.

According to Arkham, Lazarus-linked wallets have moved over $240 million in ETH through THORChain. They primarily swapped it for Bitcoin (BTC).