NEAR Co-founder ilblackdragon Discusses Sovereign AI
NEAR Protocol (NEAR)
Editor:
Eugene Serbin
coinfanmania.com reported on 31 August 2026 that NEAR co-founder ilblackdragon highlighted user ownership of AI. He argued that artificial intelligence should fundamentally belong to its users, a concept he termed sovereign AI. This view aligns with NEAR Protocol’s core commitment to decentralization and user empowerment.
The discussion suggests a shift in how users engage with decentralized applications and blockchain ecosystems. ilblackdragon’s insights reflect emerging trends in decentralized systems and technology control. His comments emphasize that AI technologies might be integrated within blockchain in more user-centric ways. This perspective could reshape user interactions in the crypto space as the trend gains traction.
The focus on empowering users may attract developers and users to the NEAR ecosystem. Such developments could lead to innovative applications prioritizing user control over AI technologies.
How the market reacted
Whalio's own Binance spot order flow for NEAR, measured when this story was written up on 1 September 2026. Not the outlet's figures.
NEAR trades at $1.92 with a 1-hour buy ratio of 50.3% and a 4-hour ratio of 51.4%. These short-term figures exceed the 24-hour buy ratio of 49.4%, indicating that buying pressure is building in the immediate term. The 1-hour volume delta is positive at +$13,091, while the 4-hour delta is +$123,074, showing net inflows over these periods. Conversely, the 24-hour volume delta is -$306,531, meaning net outflows have dominated the full day. A positive volume delta signifies more money flowing into buys than sells, while a negative delta indicates the opposite. The buy ratio measures the proportion of trades executed on the buy side versus the total volume.
The latest daily buy ratio of 52.5% sits at the 86th percentile of the last 281 days, against a median of 49.6% - stronger buying than most days.
Twenty-four hours later
What NEAR did over the 23 hours after the story broke. The market moves for its own reasons; this is what happened, not what the story caused.
Was that an ordinary day?
The same Binance spot measurements for NEAR, averaged over the days leading up to the story.
Over the preceding week, the 7-day average buy ratio was 49.2%, compared to today's 24-hour ratio of 49.4%. This represents a slight increase of 0.2 percentage points relative to the weekly average. Spot volume was recorded at 0.82x the weekly average, indicating lighter trading activity than usual. Net buying occurred on only 3 of the 7 days, with a total volume delta of -$5,746,333 for the period. This suggests the current day is slightly more bullish on balance than the weekly norm, despite lower overall volume.