NEAR Protocol (NEAR) Upgrades to 8 Shards, Boosting Speed by 33%

Recent headlines have shaken the crypto world—scalability struggles, security gaps, and regulatory grey areas continue to test crypto’s limits.

The crypto world is in constant motion, with recent headlines highlighting scalability struggles, security gaps, and regulatory grey areas as major challenges testing crypto’s limits. On the other hand, users demand faster transactions, stronger privacy, and financial systems that don’t rely on traditional banks. Meanwhile, developers struggle with network congestion, fragmentation, and compliance hurdles.

With all these roadblocks, the question isn’t whether crypto will evolve—it’s who will lead the charge.

Enter the top crypto gainers, converting obstacles into opportunities. NEAR’s upgrade from 6 to 8 shards boosts speed by 33%, fueling its growing ecosystem. Ethena’s Converge network bridges TradFi and DeFi with USDe, USDtb, and ENA for seamless stablecoin payments. Monero enhances multisig security with Serai DEX’s FROSTLASS, making transactions safer and more efficient.

These are just some of today’s top crypto gainers.

Biggest Crypto Gainers Today – Top List

NEAR Protocol is a fast, developer-friendly blockchain with staking, sharding, and smart contracts. Ethena runs on Ethereum, offering USDe (a synthetic dollar) and sUSDe (a savings asset) with delta-hedging for stability and staking for rewards. Monero keeps transactions private with ring signatures and stealth addresses, ensuring full anonymity. Jito Network enhances Solana with JitoSOL liquid staking and MEV solutions. As the crypto market evolves, keeping up with what’s driving today’s top crypto gainers is key to making smart investments!

1. Near Protocol (NEAR)

Known for its speed and developer-friendliness, NEAR Protocol is a sharded blockchain aiming for scalability and efficiency. It uses Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) and Nightshade sharding to process up to 100,000 transactions per second.

Users can stake NEAR tokens to participate in network governance, while developers can easily build decentralized applications. The platform aims to enhance blockchain adoption by combining the best features of existing networks.

NEAR’s staking model allows validators to earn rewards, ensuring network security and decentralization. The NEAR Wallet enables users to store, stake, and transact tokens seamlessly.

A valuable asset, NEAR is used for governance, transaction fees, and trading on major exchanges. With strong security measures and a growing developer ecosystem, NEAR continues to push blockchain innovation forward.

NEAR Protocol (NEAR) is trading at $2.88, gaining 4.04% in the last 24 hours and 13.01% over the past week, showing strong momentum. Its 24-hour trading volume of $291.11M indicates high market activity, while its 0.12% market dominance reflects a solid position in the crypto space.

With high liquidity relative to its market cap, NEAR offers smooth trading and minimal price slippage.

Recently, NEAR has seen a surge in price, suggesting rising interest from investors. However, future movement will depend on broader market trends.

NEAR mainnet has upgraded from 6 shards to 8. Congratulations to @BowenWang18 and the NEAR One team! Spend some time watching the block visualizer to see real-time interactions across all shards. https://t.co/oLPyZA9IwQ

— NEAR Protocol (@NEARProtocol) March 23, 2025

Recently, NEAR mainnet has successfully upgraded from 6 to 8 shards, which increases the overall network capacity by approximately 33%. This upgrade enhances scalability, allowing for more efficient use of resources and enabling the network to process transactions more quickly. It also eliminates the need for lengthy state rebuilds, making the network more efficient and ready for further expansion.

With improved capacity and seamless resharding, NEAR is strengthening its position as a high-performance blockchain. This upgrade reassures users and developers of its long-term scalability, making it an attractive ecosystem for building and investing in decentralized applications.

2. Ethena (ENA)

Ethena is a digital dollar platform on Ethereum that offers a crypto-native alternative to traditional banking. It introduces USDe, a synthetic dollar, and sUSDe, a globally accessible savings asset, designed for stability and scalability.

The platform maintains USDe’s peg using delta-hedging strategies across Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana while holding liquid stablecoins like USDC and USDT for added security. This approach ensures a reliable and decentralized financial solution without relying on banks.

Users can acquire, mint, redeem, stake, and unstake USDe, with staking offering rewards based on protocol revenue. While USDe is fully backed, potential risks exist regarding its collateralization. Ethena’s model enhances liquidity and stability, making it a significant step toward a decentralized financial ecosystem.

Ethena (ENA) is priced at