NEAR’s token surged over 30% to a six-month high after the BitMEX co-founder and Maelstrom CIO grouped it alongside Hyperliquid and Zcash as his top altcoin picks, even as broader markets softened.

The rally over the past few days sent NEAR above $2.30 before the token stabilized around $2.22–$2.24. It has since climbed further: at press time, NEAR trades at approximately $2.39, per CoinMarketCap data, representing a 58% gain over the past seven days and a 69% gain over the past month. The move was all the more conspicuous given the broader market context: NEAR printed green candles while Bitcoin and most majors treaded water or fell over the same stretch, with Hyperliquid and ZEC, Hayes’ other two picks, also rallying but…