NEAR Claims Crown in Crypto's Pivot to AI: Wintermute

ETF FLOWSNEAR Claims Crown in Crypto'sPivot to AI: Wintermute41IMPORTANCEQUIET2NEWS MEDIA2PIECESOct 13, 2026 14:56blockboard.net

Wintermute said Near Protocol was the main beneficiary of crypto’s move toward AI while Bitcoin and Ethereum were both lower in week 41 of 2026. The same coverage also said the altcoin sector finished the week down, with only 11 of the top 66 projects in positive territory.

What this rests on

Claim by claim, with its source
✓
Wintermute identified Near Protocol as the main winner from crypto’s shift toward AI.
✓
Near Protocol was described as the prime beneficiary of crypto’s pivot to AI.
✓
The same note said Bitcoin and Ethereum were both lower while the market saw heavy forced liquidations in week 41 of 2026.
✓
The altcoin sector ended that week with a median decline, and only 11 of the top 66 projects closed higher.

What it means

Who it affects, what changes and what is still unconfirmed

Each sentence links inside to the piece that supports it.

Near Protocol is the name that stands out for holders and traders looking at the AI theme, because it was singled out as the main winner in this rotation. That makes NEAR the token being watched most closely in the near term, while the broader market was still weak at the time described.

In practice, the market backdrop was still dominated by losses in Bitcoin and Ethereum, and the altcoin sector also finished the week down. What changes here is not a new rule or product launch, but which asset was highlighted as carrying the AI narrative while most of the market was falling.

Market reaction

BT Bitcoin the event is about this asset from 2 h before to 4 h after the line marks the first headline
published
+0.52 % before publication
-0.70 % after
$83,603price at publication
12series points

How the story was built

Every piece in order, with the time its news medium declares — if it is not believable we use ours and say so — and what it added to what was already known at that point. Arriving first is not the same as adding something.

first
Oct 13 14:41
+4 h 32 m
Oct 13 19:13
Crypto Economy adds
Adds $1.9B and $1.2B, with quotes

Has this happened before?

WhenWhat happenedFigure
5 days ago Spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs bleed $1.22 billion in a single week event 1 actors in common · 5 news media
5 days ago Bitcoin ETF Weekly Outflows Hit 3-Month High, Ethereum Funds Extend Losing Streak event 1 actors in common · 6 news media
5 days ago XRP ETFs Extend Inflow Streak as Crypto Funds Lose $1.25 Billion event 1 actors in common · 4 news media
6 days ago Wall Street Is Pulling Money From Ethereum as Traders Load Shorts event 1 actors in common · 2 news media
6 days ago Ethereum price weakens below key averages amid largest ETF outflows since January and mixed whale buying signals. - Pluang event 1 actors in common · 3 news media