Cardano (ADA) may soon take a major step toward cross-chain interoperability through a potential integration with NEAR Protocol’s Intents platform.
On July 30, blockchain analyst Vini Barbosa flagged a newly created smart contract, ‘cardano.omft.near’, conducting ADA transactions with NEAR on the NEAR blockchain.
The latest development hints that Cardano is in the early stages of testing support for NEAR Intents, a framework designed to streamline cross-chain asset swaps and user interactions across over 100 supported tokens.
Charles Hoskinson, Cardano’s founder, amplified the signal by sharing Barbosa’s post on X, saying he was ‘glad to be working with NEAR,’ adding weight to speculation that the collaboration is not just experimental but part of a broader integration effort.
“NEAR Intents is an open-source tool to abstract the user and business experience while dealing with different cryptocurrencies. It’s a win-win scenario for everyone involved,” Barbosa told Finbold.
The analyst added:
“This can give a massive liquidity boost for ADA, which can reflect in its price if the demand picks up. There are already nearly a billion dollars transacted via Intents, and it’s just getting started.”
What does this mean for Cardano holders
If fully implemented, this integration would allow ADA holders to seamlessly swap their tokens for assets on NEAR-supported ecosystems without relying on centralized exchanges, a significant utility expansion for Cardano’s growing DeFi ambitions. Conversely, it would open Cardano’s ecosystem to NEAR users, increasing liquidity and interconnectedness between the chains.
While these are early signs as Barbosa noted, ‘they are probably in the very early phases of implementation,’ the collaboration could mark a strategic move for Cardano, aligning with its goal of fostering cross-chain accessibility and adoption.
