NEAR Protocol has seen a recent surge of 40% in value over the past month, now standing at $1.51, with a rise of 44.69% at the time of writing. This upward trend aligns with the overall bullish sentiment in the crypto industry, with BTC and ETH leading the way.

Several factors contribute to this rise, making NEAR an attractive investment option. Firstly, the NEAR Foundation's launch of NEAR Data Availability (NEAR DA) specifically for developers is seen as a significant innovation, supported by various platforms like Madara by StarkNet, Vistara, Fluent, Movement Labs, and Dymension RollApps.

NEAR DA offers developers a cost-effective and reliable solution to explore the benefits of modular blockchain development. Additionally, the NEAR Foundation has outlined its roadmap for the next two years, focusing on improving the user experience and driving scalability and decentralization.

Furthermore, NEAR's Blockchain Operating System (BOS) is hosting a decentralized dApp store, providing access to over seven million Coin98 users, aiming to enhance user experience. Lastly, the NEAR Foundation's collaboration with Polygon Labs to develop a zero-knowledge (ZK) prover for Wasm blockchains aims to maximize interoperability across chains.

While NEAR's community is strong, its value may be influenced by external factors and market sentiment, as the platform is still in beta. However, with continued positive developments, NEAR's forecast looks optimistic, with the potential to surpass $3 by the end of the year and reach approximately $4.31 by 2024.