NEAR Releases nearcore 2.14.0-rc.1 Upgrade
NEAR Protocol has released nearcore 2.14.0-rc.1, the first release candidate for a major protocol and database upgrade. The release raises the protocol version from 85 to 87, with validator voting scheduled to begin on 23 September at 00:00 UTC. If approved, activation is expected 7–14 hours after the voting epoch ends. Validators must upgrade before voting to remain in consensus.
The nearcore 2.14.0 upgrade removes FunctionCall gas rewards by reducing the burnt-gas reward from 30% to zero. It also introduces stricter receipt limits, including a 4,194,944-byte cap for promise inputs and a 4 MB storage-proof limit per receipt. Other changes include ML-DSA-65 post-quantum signature verification, SHA-3 host functions, early chunk-producer reassignment and updated contract-loading fees.
The release rejects DelegateV2 actions, nested WithdrawFromGasKey actions, empty FunctionCall method names and oversized state-init receipts. Its database upgrade raises DB_VERSION to 51 and requires operators to review state-sync and epoch-snapshot configuration changes. As a release candidate, nearcore 2.14.0 still requires testing and compatibility checks; ordinary NEAR users do not need to install it directly.
For traders, this is mainly a network infrastructure event rather than a direct token-demand catalyst. NEAR could see short-term volatility around validator voting and upgrade activation, but the immediate price impact is likely limited unless the rollout encounters technical problems or improves market confidence in the network.
Neutral
The nearcore 2.14.0-rc.1 release is primarily a technical upgrade and does not introduce a clear, immediate increase in NEAR token demand. The protocol changes could improve network reliability, execution controls and long-term functionality, while the database migration and validator requirements may support confidence if deployment proceeds smoothly.
In the short term, traders may react to the 23 September validator vote, upgrade activation and any reports of compatibility issues. Release-candidate status also creates execution risk, and unexpected problems could temporarily pressure NEAR. However, the upgrade does not announce a major economic incentive, new user-growth driver or change that directly strengthens token value capture. Historical market reactions to infrastructure upgrades are often muted unless they affect performance, security or adoption materially. Therefore, the expected impact on NEAR is neutral, with limited short-term volatility and potentially modest long-term benefits if the rollout is successful.