NEAR Protocol has pulled off a pivot that few Layer-1s manage it’s gone from being “just another blockchain” to leading the AI-token narrative. This isn’t about hopping on a trend; it’s a calculated reinvention. Over the past year, NEAR has redefined what a smart contract platform can offer by becoming a home for autonomous AI agents—apps that act, adapt, and execute on-chain logic without human input.
But what really surprised the space was how NEAR introduced this pivot. It didn’t rely solely on technical documentation or protocol updates it leaned heavily into influencer marketing. Crypto KOLs, AI-focused Twitter voices, and YouTube explainers became the megaphones for its AI agent push. This campaign wasn’t just visible—it was personal, persuasive, and high-converting.
The Catalyst: NEAR’s Bet on AI in a Bear Market
When the broader AI token market corrected from over $10 billion to around $6.6 billion in early 2025, many assumed the hype cycle had played out. NEAR thought otherwise. It responded not with caution but with confidence, launching a $20 million AI Agent Fund to accelerate experimentation in the very segment others were pulling back from.
This wasn’t just good optics. NEAR had been building quietly: optimizing for ultra-fast 600ms block times, shipping sharded execution environments, and preparing infrastructure for scalable agent activity. The result? A chain that wasn’t just AI-compatible it was AI-native.
Enter SNAI, NEAR’s AI agent token. Unlike speculative AI coins with vague utility, SNAI was launched as a functional asset—used to fund, operate, and scale on-chain agents. It unlocked access to the Agent SDK, incentivized builders, and powered agent-to-agent interactions. That clarity helped the token break through the noise. While many AI tokens stalled, SNAI gained 127% during its first major run an outcome driven by clear utility and strategic messaging.
Rewiring the Web3 Playbook: Why Influencers Were Mission-Critical
Web3 thrives on trust and in a sea of noise, crypto KOLs serve as the trusted anchors. These aren’t just anyone with a big follower count; they’re liquidity routers bringing serious attention and engagement directly to projects they believe in. A recent study notes that no Web3 brand aiming for dominance in 2025 can skip KOL marketing, calling these voices “decentralized media outlets” that beat standard ads every time.
Why does that matter to NEAR? Algorithms bubble up posts based on who paid or said something trendy. But KOLs and their personal audience swim in deeper waters. Their shares, tweets, threads, or videos carry innate credibility and often spark broader community discussion. That’s vital when you’re explaining not just a token but a conceptual leap: AI agents on-chain.
And that was NEAR’s high-stakes problem. Anyone can launch a token. But “SNAI” as living, deployable AI agents? That’s head-scratching for many. NEAR leaned on these trusted voices to simplify, humanize, and retail-wrap a future-facing concept. In a crowded Web3 world, that’s what turned heads—not flashy code, but relatable stories delivered through voices people already trust.
The KOL Mix: Choosing Voices That Create Conversion, Not Just Hype
NEAR didn’t treat influencer marketing as a monolith. Instead, it engineered a tiered approach to match message, medium, and audience. Each KOL tier had a purpose and a specific persona to influence.
Mass-Market Educators with Technical Influence
These were the big names think YouTubers or Substack writers who break down smart contracts, tokenomics, or protocol design. NEAR worked with these creators to cover deeper dives into the Agent SDK, SNAI token utility, and the $20M Agent Fund. They helped translate NEAR’s technical leap into mass-market clarity.
AI Twitter Natives with Crossover Appeal
This tier focused on X (formerly Twitter) creators who already discussed AI models, LLMs, and open-source tooling. NEAR was positioned as the natural blockchain for AI innovation and these influencers helped bring over curious AI devs and researchers who hadn’t touched Web3 before.
Micro-Creators Focused on NEAR’s Ecosystem
Smaller, but no less powerful. These were the community teachers, builders, and moderators already using NEAR tools. They created tutorials, demo videos, and step-by-step agent deployment guides. This group helped turn awareness into action by offering hands-on content that reduced friction for new users.
User Persona Mapping: The Secret Behind the Matchmaking
NEAR carefully mapped these influencers to three key personas:
- Traders: Interested in SNAI’s performance, tokenomics, and airdrop opportunities
- Developers: Focused on agent use cases, SDK flexibility, and scalability
- Community holders: Drawn to long-term value, ecosystem transparency, and passive utility
Message Engineering: Crafting Stories That Stick
Turning “AI agents” from abstract tech into relatable tools wasn’t easy but NEAR pulled it off brilliantly. Here’s how:
Real-World Use Cases, Not Buzzwords
Instead of vague hype about AI agents, KOLs shared actual examples like the Mindshare Index Agent that scans Twitter mentions and makes cross-chain trades automatically. That shifted the conversation from “what if?” to “here’s what you can do now.”
Smart Content Formats That Work
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- Tutorials walked developers through deploying their first agent. NEAR’s docs even feature step-by-step guides from “from zero to hero”.
- Personal journeys featured builders showing how they went from confusion to launching working agents, framing NEAR as empowering.
- Countdowns underscored urgency—“X hours till agent fund opens” built FOMO and tapped into token economy momentum.
- Alpha leaks teased upcoming agent capabilities or airdrops, creating suspense and sharing behind-the-scenes insider perks.
Emotional Hooks That Convert
KOL content used empathy-driven messaging“I struggled with gas bridges too, but NEAR’s agent handled it seamless.” That helped humanize the tech, reducing friction and building desire.
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Activation in Action: The Phases of NEAR’s KOL Rollout
NEAR didn’t just throw influencers into the wild. Their campaign unfolded in three clear, coordinated phases—each aligned with a specific behavioral goal: curiosity, conversion, and continuity.
Pre-Launch Teaser + Mystery Narrative Seeding
This phase focused on sparking curiosity without revealing much. Select KOLs posted cryptic tweets, subtle nods to “on-chain AI agents,” and hints about “a new kind of intelligence.” These breadcrumbs created speculation threads and fan-led theories across X and Reddit. Instead of a hard sell, NEAR engineered virality by teasing just enough. The message? “Something intelligent is coming and it’s not just another token.”
Launch-Week Blitz (Threads, Spaces, YouTube Explainers)
When the $20M AI Agent Fund and SNAI token went live, NEAR triggered a full-blown content blitz. Influencers dropped Threads breaking down agent use cases. Dev-focused YouTubers released explainers showing how to deploy agents with no backend code. Simultaneously, NEAR hosted Spaces with founders and ecosystem voices each session drawing large audiences and turning attention into action.
Post-Launch Airdrop Amplification and Agent Usage Push
After the initial buzz, NEAR doubled down on participation. Influencers shifted from “what’s launching” to “how to join.” They shared tutorials on airdrop claims, agent activation, and minting NFTs tied to usage. Some ran referral incentives, others hosted micro-challenges like “deploy your first agent in 15 minutes” with SNAI prizes. Telegram and Discord channels played a key role micro-KOLs ran AMAs, live demos, and mission-style tasks.
The Platform Strategy: Why NEAR Went Beyond Crypto Twitter
While most crypto campaigns live and die on Twitter (now X), NEAR’s marketing team recognized one thing early—attention is fragmented. So, they built a channel strategy that met audiences where they were and matched platform strengths to user behavior.
Threads for speed
X threads were the launchpad. KOLs used them to share breakdowns of the Agent SDK, AI tokenomics, and real-time campaign updates. These formats let NEAR ride the algorithmic wave and hit the discover tab with long-tail, high-retention content.
Spaces for engagement
The human element came alive in NEAR-hosted Twitter Spaces. These weren’t just fireside chats. They were AMA-style sessions featuring NEAR developers, early adopters, and influencers. The result? Real-time trust-building and thousands of concurrent listeners who stuck around longer than traditional viewers.
YouTube for education
For deeper dives, NEAR tapped YouTube. Here, influencers released 5- to 10-minute explainers on setting up agents, participating in quests, and earning with SNAI. These weren’t hype videos—they were onboarding assets disguised as influencer content, which made them more trustworthy.
Telegram and Discord to surface advocates
While the public face of the campaign ran on major platforms, Telegram and Discord served as the engine rooms. KOLs with niche communities shared early leaks, ran flash contests, and nurtured conversion loops. These chats became referral machines and held user attention long after the hype died down.
NEAR Social & Farcaster: Experimental channels
In a bold move, NEAR also activated on Web3-native social platforms like NEAR Social and Farcaster. The bet? Capture early adopters who cared about decentralization, and let them shape organic narratives. It worked. Builders started sharing open-source agents and feedback loops—without any prompting.
Paid Influence, Organic Impact: How NEAR Balanced the Budget
NEAR hit a sweet spot: paid influence where reach mattered, organic trust where depth counted.
Payment models:
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- Fixed fees gave NEAR control over launch-week timing and deliverables.
- Performance-based bonuses drove influencers to align with KPIs like wallet activations and SNAI staking.
- NFT-gated perks created invite-only access, making users feel part of a curated group.
Organic KOL endorsements:
NEAR earned unpaid buzz from developers who loved the SDK, founders who joined the agent fund, and long-time NEAR contributors. This credibility boost helped validate the tech and drove word-of-mouth spread across small communities and DAO groups.
Transparent vs stealth:
NEAR favored visible campaigns for broader reach but blended in stealth promotions via co-hosted events, dev showcases, and soft integrations. This mix helped preserve authenticity while maximizing exposure across segments.
Gamifying Attention: Incentives That Drove Action
Turning attention into action demands more than info it needs motivation wrapped in fun. NEAR gamified the experience, blending token economics with behavioral triggers that kept people engaged and eager.
Gated content: Claimable AI agents via influencer content
Certain KOLs shared exclusive links within their posts or videos. Followers clicking through could claim a limited number of free AI agents or access private demos. This tactic drove both participation and brand recall, as users felt they gained exclusive inside access making the influencers more credible and the campaign stickier.
Scarcity tactics: Limited-time quests and reward mechanics
NEAR created agent-building challenges where users had a short window say 48 hours to deploy an agent and complete a task. Those who succeeded got bonus SNAI tokens or exclusive badges. By adding time pressure and a sense of achievement, NEAR tapped into FOMO and the joy of completing a mission, which significantly boosted engagement metrics.
Referral boosts and KOL-linked airdrop codes
Influencers offered personal airdrop codes that increased rewards when used. For example, using “KOL123” doubled airdrop eligibility or unlocked extra perks. Each share acted like a miniature recruitment campaign, powerful enough to trigger peer-to-peer viral loops. The strategy didn’t just convert followers—it turned them into mini-ambassadors who earned by spreading the word.
Conclusion
NEAR Protocol’s campaign is a masterclass in how blockchain projects can blend narrative timing, technical innovation, and influencer firepower to spark real adoption. By aligning its AI ambitions with an influencer strategy that educated, excited, and activated its target users, NEAR not only launched a token—it launched a movement around on-chain agents. The result? Sustained community engagement, surging developer interest, and a blueprint for how AI tokens should be marketed in the Web3 era. If you’re looking to replicate this kind of impact, Blockchain App Factory provides AI Token Marketing Services tailored to help projects grow with the same strategic precision and results-driven execution.
