NEAR Protocol Activates Mainnet Upgrade with Post-Quantum Security

NEAR Protocol has rolled out its latest mainnet upgrade, version 2.13.0, which brings several key improvements to the network's security and scalability.

The update introduces post-quantum signature support through the addition of ML-DSA-65, a signature scheme finalized by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as part of its post-quantum cryptography standard.

This makes NEAR one of the few networks to directly address post-quantum security at the protocol layer, alongside Ethereum and Solana, which are also exploring similar upgrades in their long-term scaling plans.

The update also includes automatic shard splitting, a redesigned gas payment system under proposal NEP-611, and a shift to peer-to-peer node synchronization. According to CoinMarketCap, the NEAR token price is currently trading near $1.93, with a market cap of $2.52B and daily trading volume at $151.61M.