San Francisco, CA – NEAR is launching Near.com, a new crypto wallet and consumer app that aims to make blockchain technology feel as simple as using a traditional financial app, while positioning itself at the intersection of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence (AI).
Polosukhin previously co-authored the paper that introduced the Transformative Model, the architecture underpinning modern AI systems like ChatGPT and many other large language models, and has increasingly focused on how blockchain infrastructure can support the next wave of AI-powered applications.
“We are entering a world where AI is becoming our interface for computing,” Polosukhin said during the presentation.
The NEAR token is down almost 3% in the last 24 hours.
At its core, Near.com is designed to eliminate much of the friction that has long made cryptocurrencies confusing for everyday users. Instead of worrying about gas fees, private keys, or switching between different blockchains, users can manage their assets in one place.
“You don’t need to think about blockchains. You don’t need to think about gas or keys,” Polosukhin said. “You just use it as your main wallet.”
Near.com supports a variety of digital assets, including bitcoins, stablecoins, NFTs, and other tokens. The idea is to bring together activity that is typically spread across multiple wallets and networks into a single streamlined interface.
But NEAR’s ambitions go beyond building just another wallet. The company is betting that the next big wave of cryptocurrencies will come from their convergence with AI.
As AI agents become more capable, such as booking travel, managing emails, or making online purchases, they will increasingly need the ability to make transactions. That’s where crypto infrastructure comes into play. Blockchains can provide programmable payments, global transfers, and automated settlements without relying on traditional intermediaries.
Polosukhin argued 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 that layer, acting as an easy-to-use wallet for people and as an economic backstop for AI-powered activity.
A key part of the announcement is privacy. One of the long-standing advantages of blockchain is transparency: transactions are usually visible to anyone. While that openness can build trust, it can also expose sensitive financial information.
“Everything that is done in the chain is transparent,” Polosukhin said. “That’s not realistic for typical use cases, for everyday use.”
To solve this problem, NEAR introduced a “confidential mode” within Near.com. The feature allows balances, transfers and trading activity to remain private within the security framework of the network. The company says this makes the wallet more practical not only for individuals and businesses, but also for AI agents who may need to make transactions without revealing strategies or sensitive data.
The launch signals a broader change for NEAR.
“We have the stack. We have all the components. We have the product,” Polosukhin said. “Now we’re shifting… to how we actually scale adoption: how we bring this to billions of people around the world.”
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