NEAR protocol v2.13.0 main network upgrade: new post-quantum security features

Disclaimer: Content does not constitute investment advice. Trading involves risks—please invest with caution!

NEAR Protocol News: What the 2.13.0 update means for users

The NEAR protocol has activated the main-network upgrade version 2.13.0, introducing post-quantum signature support, automatic sharding extensions, and a redesigned fuel payment system. Former NEAR core developer Vadim publicly announced the news through his X account. The news subsequently spread widely among cryptocurrency reporting channels, making it one of the most watched NEAR protocol news this month.

This NEAR protocol update touches on three core areas of the network: cryptographic security, sharp-level extensions, and the handling of transaction fees.

NEAR Protocol 2.13.0 Upgrade: What Mainnet Changes Mean

Version 2.13.0 includes four protocol-level changes: a new post-quantum signature type, automatic fragmentation splitting, a new Gas key system under the NEP-611 proposal, and a shift to point-to-point node synchronization. NEAR typically records these changes in its GitHub release notes and developer blogs after new versions are finalized, and the details Vadim shares are consistent with the structure of previous NEAR releases.

How NEAR\'s post-quantum security mechanism works

NEAR now supports ML-DSA-65, a signature scheme finalized by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in subsequent quantum cryptography standards. This makes it the third supported key type on NEAR after the existing ed25519 and secp 256k1 formats. The underlying architecture of NEAR is called Nightshade Shards, which distributes transaction processing across multiple shards protected by verifiers. Adding post-quantum resistant key types supported by NIST enhances the signature layer that verifiers rely on without changing the way they communicate between fragments.

Dynamic re-sharding resolution

Dynamic re-sharding allows the network to automatically split high-load sharding at the boundaries of the era based on real-time sharding status without manual configuration by the core team. This is a direct response to a long-standing challenge in fragmented blockchain design: preventing congestion on individual shards when network demand is uneven.

Gas keys (NEP-611) simplify transaction fees

According to NEP-611, access keys can now hold independently pre-stored Gas balances and are supported by 1024 parallel nonce channels. Combined with DelegateV2 yuan transactions, this implements the Gas sponsorship function, which means that applications can pay transaction fees on behalf of users, similar to sponsorship transactions in the Web2 platform. NEAR developers describe it as a way to reduce user entry friction by not having to hold tokens to pay for network fees.

Does upgrades affect NEAR prices?

The NEAR token price today is close to US$1.93, rising by approximately 0.5 - 0.64% in 24 hours, and has a market value of US$2.52 billion. Daily trading volume was US$151.61 million, down approximately 22%, indicating that the upgrade has not triggered any immediate significant price response.

NEAR protocol ecosystem status: Other major updates

In addition to mainnet upgrades, NEAR is also active in the broader ecosystem, launching new partnerships and updates around artificial intelligence, wallets and DeFi.

1. NEAR has partnered with Ledger to leverage NEAR Intention to support cross-chain exchanges and adjust hardware wallet security for the post-quantum era.

2. NEAR AI is expanding its user-owned stack, and IronClaw now protects the proxy layer to support verifiable AI sovereignty.

3. NEAR\'s stablecoin supply has increased significantly, with reports reaching more than 76% in a week, to nearly US$114 million, making NEAR one of the fastest growing stablecoin chains.

This upgrade is designed to support long-term ecosystem growth

Discussions surrounding market news on the NEAR agreement have focused on long-term infrastructure positioning. Post-quantum security is an emerging priority across the blockchain industry, with NEAR joining a few networks that address this issue directly at the protocol layer, and chains such as Ethereum and Solana are also discussing it as part of their own long-term expansion plans.

具体到NEAR，未来几周开发者对Gas密钥的采用可能是最清晰的早期现实影响信号，因为以入门为导向的功能往往通过使用数据而非头条新闻来展示效果。