A former Near Protocol employee had an awkward moment on a public call when he accidentally shared his screen, revealing some NSFW images—and it just so happened to line up with a little price bump for the NEAR token.

Andrew Krynin, ex-business development manager, was on a livestream with Near contributor Cameron Dennis when two suggestive pics popped up for everyone to see. Viewers got a glimpse of his laptop files, and clips of the mishap quickly made the rounds on X.

Near Protocol (NEAR) responded with a formal apology, saying they take “full responsibility,” and removed the video shortly after. About ten hours later, Krynin chimed in with his own apology—but not to the public. He directed it to “the ONLY person” he felt he owed one to: his girlfriend.

Since the incident, NEAR token has been on a steady climb, up nearly 6% at the time of writing. While the incident appears to have been an accident, some users speculated that it might have been a low-key, clever marketing move.

Meanwhile, there was a flurry of bullish NEAR price charts shared on X. One user pointed out that NEAR price is now finding strong support at the block where it initially surged. 

Another user noted that the NEAR price is gradually rising towards the resistance of falling wedge on the daily chart, predicting a 100-120% bullish rally in midterm.

So, if it was indeed a marketing move to pump NEAR price, it seems to be working, according to the sentiment on X.