NEAR jumps 5.7% before consolidating near key resistance levels, while ZKP’s hardware-backed crypto narrative pulls capital as traders search for the best crypto to buy now in January 2026.
As the crypto market navigates January 2026, NEAR Protocol (NEAR) briefly captured attention with a sharp intraday rally. The Layer-1 token climbed 5.5% to $1.82, highlighting the fragile balance between short-term momentum and broader market conviction.
Meanwhile, Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) is drawing attention not because of price volatility, but because of its hardware-backed crypto narrative, which is reshaping how early-stage crypto infrastructure is being evaluated.
NEAR Price Jumps 5% as Buyers Regain Control
NEAR saw renewed upside momentum during the session, with the price climbing to around $1.81 after breaking above the $1.73 level. Unlike earlier attempts that faded quickly, buying pressure remained intact, allowing NEAR to hold near its intraday highs rather than slipping back into the prior range.
Key session data points to stronger follow-through:
Intraday gain: ~5.4%, high near $1.81
Volume: roughly 12% above recent averages
Price structure: higher highs and higher lows intraday
Range: approximately $0.14, reflecting expanding participation
While broader market performance remains mixed, NEAR’s price action shows improved short-term conviction compared to previous sessions. Holding above the $1.75–$1.77 zone will be key in determining whether this move develops into a sustained recovery or remains a short-lived bounce.
The largest volume event occurred when 6.41 million NEAR traded. The NEAR price surge marked a reversal from session lows, not sustained breakout buying. It suggests opportunistic positioning rather than broad accumulation.
NEAR Hits Resistance as $1.73–$1.74 Caps the Rally
From a technical standpoint, NEAR remains range-bound, with repeated rejection above key resistance.
Support and resistance structure:
Primary support: $1.66–$1.67 (high-volume reversal zone)
Immediate support: $1.710–$1.712 (session close area)
Failed breakout resistance: $1.730–$1.736
Upper range cap: $1.74–$1.76 (multiple intraday rejections)
Volume behaviour reinforces the consolidation thesis. Until NEAR can close decisively above $1.74 with sustained volume well above recent peaks, the market is treating the token as a range-trading asset.
NEAR’s price action reflects a broader pattern across altcoins. Sharp rallies are emerging, but many struggle to hold gains without strong fundamental catalysts. In this environment, capital often rotates quickly, away from short-lived momentum and toward projects defined by tangible infrastructure and execution clarity.
ZKP Rewrites the Playbook With a Hardware-Backed Crypto Model
Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) is gaining attention through a hardware-backed crypto narrative, a clear departure from the software-only frameworks that dominate most early-stage crypto launches.
Rather than relying purely on protocol claims, ZKP’s architecture incorporates dedicated physical hardware designed to support verifiable computation. These devices execute workloads and generate cryptographic proofs, ensuring correctness without exposing underlying data. This approach embeds privacy and verification directly into execution.
By anchoring computation to hardware, ZKP introduces a different trust model. Execution is supported not just by software consensus, but by physical systems capable of producing zero-knowledge proofs of work performed. This is particularly relevant for use cases involving AI workloads, sensitive data processing, and verifiable computation.
Hardware-Backed Crypto Is Turning Heads in 2026
As the crypto market matures, participants are becoming more sceptical of projects built entirely on future promises. ZKP’s hardware-backed design aligns with this shift by emphasising:
Tangible infrastructure, not just code repositories
Verifiable compute tied to physical devices
Higher barriers to imitation, due to hardware deployment
Reduced reliance on speculative assumptions
Hardware introduces cost and friction, but it also signals long-term commitment. The ZKP whitelist is currently live, and participation continues to increase as users position ahead of broader access. Interest is being driven by infrastructure readiness rather than short-term price excitement, reinforcing ZKP’s appearance in discussions around the best crypto to buy now.
Where Capital Is Really Moving in 2026
NEAR’s recent 5.7% surge illustrates how quickly momentum can appear. While the token showed independent strength, repeated resistance rejections and moderate volume suggest consolidation remains the dominant structure.
ZKP’s hardware-backed crypto narrative shifts focus away from charts and toward physical infrastructure and verifiable execution. By tying computation to real devices and embedding privacy at the system level, ZKP positions itself outside the typical presale category. As 2026 unfolds and capital becomes more selective, for many market participants, that distinction is central to deciding what genuinely qualifies as the best crypto to buy now.
