SAN FRANCISCO, CA – NEAR is launching Near.com, a new crypto wallet and consumer app that aims to make using blockchain technology as easy as using traditional financial applications while positioning itself at the intersection of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence (AI).
Polosukhin’s previous co-authored paper introduced the Transformer model, which is the infrastructure for modern artificial intelligence systems such as ChatGPT and many other large-scale language models, and there is a growing focus on how blockchain infrastructure can support the next wave of artificial intelligence-driven applications.
“We are entering a world where artificial intelligence is becoming the interface to our computing,” Polosukhin said in his speech.
The NEAR token is down nearly 3% in the past 24 hours.
Essentially, Near.com aims to remove much of the friction that has long made cryptocurrencies confusing to everyday users. Users can manage their assets in one place without having to worry about gas fees, private keys, or switching between different blockchains.
“You don’t need to think about blockchain. You don’t need to think about gas, keys,” Polosukhin said. “You just use it as your primary wallet.”
Near.com supports a range of digital assets, including Bitcoin, stablecoins, NFTs and other tokens. The idea is to consolidate activity that is typically distributed across multiple wallets and networks into a streamlined interface.
But NEAR has ambitions beyond just another wallet. The company is betting that the next big wave in cryptocurrency will come from its integration with artificial intelligence.
As AI agents become more capable, such as booking travel, managing emails, or processing online purchases, they will increasingly need transactional capabilities. This is where cryptographic infrastructure comes in. Blockchain can provide programmable payments, global transfers and automated settlements without relying on traditional intermediaries.
Polosukhin believes that as AI systems begin to interact with each other, they effectively become “economic actors”—software programs that negotiate, pay, and coordinate tasks. In that world, cryptocurrencies become the financial layer that allows these agents to operate.
Near.com is designed to serve as this layer, both as a user-friendly wallet for people and as an economic backend for AI-driven activities.
A key part of the announcement is privacy. One of the long-standing trade-offs of blockchain is transparency: transactions are typically visible to anyone. While this openness builds trust, it can also expose sensitive financial information.
“Everything you do on the chain is transparent,” Polosukhin said. “This is unrealistic for common use cases and daily use.”
To solve this problem, NEAR has introduced “Secret Mode” in Near.com. This feature allows balances, transfers and transaction activities to remain private within the network’s secure framework. The company says this makes the wallet more practical not only for individuals and businesses, but also for AI agents who may need to conduct transactions without revealing policies or sensitive data.
The launch marks a broader shift at NEAR.
“We have the stack. We have all the components. We have the product,” Polosukhin said. “Now we’re turning to… how to really scale adoption — how to bring this to billions of people around the world.”
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