Bitwise’s NEAR ETF clears NYSE Arca and SEC hurdles, launch imminent

Bitwise Investment Advisers cleared two major regulatory hurdles for its proposed spot NEAR ETF on September 24, 2026. NYSE Arca approved the listing application, and the SEC confirmed the effectiveness of the trust's registration statement via Form 8-A on the same date, setting up a potential launch around September 29.

The ETF, which will trade under the ticker NRR, is designed to hold NEAR Protocol tokens directly and stake the full position to generate additional yield on top of any price appreciation.

Bitwise's NEAR vehicle intends to stake 100% of its holdings, which means the fund generates staking rewards on top of price exposure. That's a meaningful structural distinction from a Bitcoin or Ether ETF that simply holds the underlying asset in cold storage.

Coinbase Custody will handle the NEAR tokens themselves. BNY Mellon steps in for cash custody and administrative services. The annual management fee is set at 0.75%.

The trust itself was organized as a Delaware statutory trust back in April 2025, meaning Bitwise spent roughly 17 months navigating the regulatory path from formation to listing approval.

Seed capital at the initial filing stage was modest: 8 shares at $25 each, totaling $200 in net assets as of July 28, 2026. A planned seed basket of 20,000 shares valued at $500,000 is expected to provide the working capital base ahead of the public launch.

NEAR's token price surged roughly 20% within 24 hours of the approval news becoming public, and extended that move to approximately 26% over the following week.

The SEC's green light on the registration statement does carry an important asterisk. Regulatory approval for listing is not an endorsement of the underlying asset or the security itself.