NEAR Protocol Hits Top 20 on First-Ever Post-Quantum Asset Launch

NEAR Protocol knocks Stellar out of the top 20 crypto after launching the world's first post-quantum asset.

Gamza Khanzadaev · 8 Oct 2026 · 4 min read

Wire content from U.Today

NEAR Protocol Hits Top 20 on First-Ever Post-Quantum Asset Launch

News

By
Gamza Khanzadaev

Thu, 8/10/2026 – 9:00

NEAR Protocol knocks Stellar out of the top 20 crypto after launching the world’s first post-quantum asset.

NEAR Protocol Hits Top 20 on First-Ever Post-Quantum Asset Launch

Cover image via depositphotos.com

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.

NEAR Protocol (NEAR) surged 8.7% over the past 24 hours, settling in the $5.31–$5.41 range. With a market capitalization of $7 billion, the asset pushed Stellar (XLM) out of 20th place in the global ranking by CoinGecko.

The culmination of this breakout was a unique precedent for the industry — the commercial launch of the first-ever post-quantum asset on the near.com platform.

It is the native token QTC of the Quantus Network, fully protected against attacks by supercomputers through the ML-DSA cryptographic standard approved by NIST. This step moved theoretical discussions about the quantum threat to Web3 into the realm of real-world products.

HOT Stories

Ripple Emerges as Major Wall Street Threat

Hyperliquid (HYPE), XRP, Zcash (ZEC) and Ethereum (ETH) Price Analysis for October 8: Market Retains Pressure

NEAR token rose for two straight months while everyone was watching Bitcoin

This historic launch capped a broad-based NEAR uptrend that had been developing over the past two months. According to weekly TradingView charts, the asset had been steadily breaking out of a prolonged accumulation phase around $1.50–$1.80 since late August.

*Weekly price chart showing NEAR Protocol’s breakout and entry into the top 20 cryptocurrencies, Source:* *TradingView*

Beyond the quantum catalyst, the long-term rally was driven by a combination of fundamental factors: integration with Robinhood Crypto Chain, which simplified operations with the USDG stablecoin and Ethereum, as well as capital inflows from institutional funds, including Digital Commodities, diversifying their portfolios toward AI infrastructure and Chain Abstraction technologies.