NEAR Token Drops 7% After Proposal to Reduce Annual Issuance

Near Protocol’s NEAR token slid despite a governance win that would gradually curb new token issuance. On Tuesday, NEAR fell by about 7% and was trading around $3.82 at 11:06 am UTC, extending its weekly decline to roughly 13%, according to CoinMarketCap.

The market reaction is notable because the community approved proposal HSP-029, a measure designed to reduce long-term dilution by lowering the maximum annual issuance rate from 2.5% to 1.6% over a 24-month period.

Key takeaways

• NEAR dropped roughly 7% on Tuesday even after HSP-029 won near-unanimous community support.
• HSP-029 targets a reduction in maximum annual issuance from 2.5% to 1.6% across 24 months, with further dilution reduction effects expected over longer horizons.
• The proposal’s impact on staking yields is projected to lower gross staking returns from 5.2% to 3.3% by the end of the 24-month ramp.
• Execution is not immediate: the Security Council has a 14-day veto window, followed by ratification and a 90-day grace period, plus validator upgrades.

Governance approval for a slower issuance schedule

Earlier on Monday, Near House of Stake voters approved HSP-029 with support from 99.9% of participating voting power. The proposal received backing from approximately 3.28 million vote-escrowed NEAR (veNEAR) tokens, according to the Near governance platform.

At the core of the proposal is a structured “ramp” that aims to reduce how aggressively NEAR is minted over time rather than cutting issuance abruptly. The filing estimates issuance would fall by about 11.8 million NEAR over two years, and about 66.1 million NEAR over six years.

For token holders, the headline is straightforward: a reduced issuance ceiling typically lowers the rate of new supply entering the market. But governance outcomes can produce mixed signals in practice—particularly when investors also factor in changes to staking economics.

What changes for staking yields—and why markets may not be impressed yet

HSP-029 does more than set a new issuance cap. It also projects a decline in gross staking yields during the 24-month transition. The proposal estimates gross staking yields would decrease from roughly 5.2% to around 3.3% by the end of the ramp period.

That matters because many NEAR holders evaluate governance changes through the lens of staking revenue. Even when a policy reduces dilution, the near-term reduction in yield can be interpreted as less attractive for yield-seeking participants—potentially pressuring demand for holding or staking exposure.

In addition, even though the community vote passed, the reduction is not immediate. The proposal must clear further procedural steps before it takes effect, which can delay any supply-side impact the market expects from “lower issuance” narratives.

Implementation depends on more than a community vote

HSP-029 is not final as soon as governance passes. The proposal remains subject to the Security Council’s 14-day veto window. If it is not vetoed, it will be ratified, then followed by a 90-day grace period before the issuance reduction begins.

There is also an operational dependency: validators must adopt the technical upgrade required to implement the change. That technical rollout introduces additional uncertainty around timing—especially for investors who want clarity on when changes to issuance and staking yield will translate into measurable network and market effects.

Together, these steps help explain why a governance approval does not automatically translate into immediate bullish price action. Markets often price in not just the policy direction, but also the certainty and timing of when that policy changes actual economic flows.

What to watch next

Readers following Near’s policy shift should watch the Security Council period closely for any veto signal and pay attention to validator adoption timelines that could affect when the issuance ramp begins. Until then, the tension between “lower long-term dilution” and “reduced staking yields during the transition” is likely to remain the key driver of how investors interpret NEAR’s reaction to the proposal.