NEAR Price Risks 50% Crash as Long Liquidations Pile Up

Summary

The NEAR Protocol (NEAR) is currently facing significant downward pressure, with the potential for a price drop of approximately 50%. This risk is primarily attributed to a rejection from a multi-year descending resistance trendline situated between $2.40 and $2.50, where previous recovery attempts have also failed.

Current Market Conditions

As of September 14, 2026, NEAR is trading at around $2.41, having rebounded from a low of $1.00 earlier in the year. However, this recovery has brought the token into a critical resistance zone that has historically capped its upside since the market peak in 2022. The 100-week exponential moving average (EMA) is currently at $2.44, while the 200-week EMA is significantly higher at $3.20, indicating strong long-term resistance levels.

Potential Price Movements

If NEAR fails to break above the $2.50 resistance, it could see a decline towards the $2.00-$1.94 EMA support zone. A decisive breakdown below these levels could expose NEAR to further losses, potentially targeting the $1.00-$1.10 range, which would represent a more than 50% decline from current levels.

Liquidation Risks

Adding to the bearish outlook, NEAR's liquidation heatmap indicates that approximately $1.53 million in long positions could be liquidated if the price drops to around $2.134. Cumulatively, long liquidations could reach approximately $13.03 million, significantly outweighing short liquidations. This imbalance could exacerbate a price decline, as forced sales from liquidations may accelerate downward momentum.

Conclusion

In summary, NEAR is at a critical juncture where failure to maintain key support levels could lead to a substantial price correction. Traders should closely monitor the $2.40-$2.50 resistance and the $2.00-$1.94 support zones to gauge potential market movements.