Why Is NEAR Protocol (NEAR) Up 22.72% Today, September 18, 2026? Confidential Perps and $70M TVL Drive the Rally

NEAR surged 22.72% amid project-specific catalysts: confidential perpetuals on near.com and a $70M Confidential TVL milestone that triggered the NEAR@3.33 incentive snapshot. Turnover (~$1.46B, ~0.35x market cap) signals unusually strong participation versus a modest broader crypto market gain, implying catalyst-driven repricing. Near-term focus shifts to whether post-snapshot volume, funded accounts, Intents usage, and solver liquidity persist beyond incentive pull-forward effects.