# Bitwise Frames NEAR as a Blockchain Business Beyond AI Plans By Enna Lee Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/investing/27575 Published: 2026-10-07T17:56:28.000Z Updated: 2026-10-07T17:56:28.000Z Section: Investing > NEAR Intents has processed more than $30 billion across 35-plus blockchains, while combined gross fees reached $53.44 million. Bitwise is framing NEAR Protocol (NEAR) as an operating blockchain business whose existing cross-chain activity provides the foundation for longer-term artificial intelligence applications. NEAR Intents has processed more than $30 billion across 35-plus blockchains. NEAR Intents has recorded more than $33 billion in swap volume and more than $53 million in fees generated, with support for 35 chains. Total gross fees from NEAR Protocol and NEAR Intents activity stood at $53.44 million on Oct. 7. Net revenue is the portion retained after payments to integration partners, solvers and decentralized applications. NEAR Intents lets users specify a desired outcome while solvers handle execution across different blockchains. Bitwise’s thesis is that this existing activity gives NEAR a business foundation without requiring immediate mass adoption of AI agents. The longer-term opportunity rests on the same infrastructure supporting autonomous software that can make payments, trade assets and conduct other economic activity. NEAR’s roadmap identifies cross-chain financial infrastructure through NEAR Intents and infrastructure for autonomous AI agents as its two main pillars. A fee switch activated in February 2026 directs NEAR’s share of Intents fees to open-market buybacks. Annual inflation was reduced from 5% to 2.5%. NEAR launched Confidential Intents in February 2026. Confidential Intents held 50.6% of total Intents value at publication. The thesis extends earlier valuation work that outlined scenarios tied to NEAR’s role in coordinating AI agents and settling transactions across blockchain networks. [Bitwise’s earlier NEAR valuation scenarios]() included a $155.85 base case for year-end 2030. ## Links in this article - [Bitwise’s earlier NEAR valuation scenarios](https://www.tokenpost.com/news/investing/24867)