Institutional Selling Drives NEAR Protocol Down 6.9% Amid Volatile Session

NEAR Protocol experienced a sharp selloff driven by institutional investors on August 14, pushing the price down to a session low of $2.75 before a partial recovery brought it back to $2.82 by the end of the session [1]. Over the 24-hour period, the token fluctuated between $2.78 and $3.05, reflecting intense volatility as nearly 20 million tokens were traded during the peak of selling pressure. The decline was attributed to large-scale trades of 19.99 million and 12.22 million tokens, signaling significant market activity from institutional actors [2].

Despite the sharp drop, the token showed signs of resilience in the following hour, with a 0.35% increase to $2.83 [3]. This modest rebound suggested initial buying interest from key participants, which helped push the price beyond the $2.83–$2.84 resistance level and even temporarily reach a session high of $2.85. However, the broader trend remained uncertain, with market strategists noting that the heavy institutional selling could point to continued downward pressure in the near term [4].

Trading volume during the sell-off far exceeded the 24-hour average of 5.47 million tokens, indicating unusual market activity and heightened pressure from large investors. In the hour after the selloff, volume slowed to about 100,000 tokens per minute, suggesting a shift toward accumulation rather than speculative trading [5]. This trend supported the view that the market was stabilizing near the $2.81–$2.82 level, which appeared to act as a short-term floor for the price.

The price movements reflect broader challenges in the crypto market, where even assets with strong fundamentals—such as NEAR Protocol’s 16 million active weekly users—remain vulnerable to institutional flows and market sentiment shifts. While the token managed a partial recovery, the volatility underscores the sensitivity of the market to large-scale selling, especially during network upgrades and other operational events that may affect liquidity [6].

Source:

[1] NEAR Protocol Faces Heavy Institutional Selling, Recovers Slightly Amid Ongoing Volatility

(https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2025/08/14/near-protocol-faces-heavy-institutional-selling-recovers-slightly-amid-ongoing-volatility)

[2] NEAR Protocol Faces Heavy Institutional Selling, Recovers Slightly Amid Ongoing Volatility

[3] NEAR Protocol Faces Heavy Institutional Selling, Recovers Slightly Amid Ongoing Volatility

[4] NEAR Protocol Faces Heavy Institutional Selling, Recovers Slightly Amid Ongoing Volatility

[5] NEAR Protocol Faces Heavy Institutional Selling, Recovers Slightly Amid Ongoing Volatility

[6] NEAR Protocol Faces Heavy Institutional Selling, Recovers Slightly Amid Ongoing Volatility