@NEARProtocol now lets users link their account to a verified email and at least two other verification methods, chosen from six options, to regain access if they get locked out. NEAR Protoco
@NEARProtocol now lets users link their account to a verified email and at least two other verification methods, chosen from six options, to regain access if they get locked out. NEAR Protocol said setup runs through the NEAR Accounts site. The update gives NEAR account users a recovery route that does not depend on having kept a seed phrase.
Users start by connecting a verified email to their account. They then add at least two further verification methods from a list of six. If they later lose access, they can use these linked methods to get back in.
Seed phrases and private keys still work as before. The new options act as a backup rather than a replacement, so existing users do not need to change how they secure their accounts.
The announcement does not list the six verification methods or explain how the recovery process is carried out. Users should check the NEAR Accounts site for details before relying on the feature.
The practical step is to set up the additional methods while access to the account is still available, and to keep seed phrases and private keys stored safely in any case. In non-custodial wallets, losing a seed phrase can mean permanent loss of access, which is the risk a secondary recovery route is meant to reduce.
Email-based recovery has a mixed history on NEAR. In August 2022, The Block reported that NEAR disclosed that email and SMS recovery data from its wallet had been exposed to a third party. Decrypt reported that security firm Hacxyk, which reported the bug to NEAR in June, said the recovery process could leak users' seed phrases to the analytics platform Mixpanel when they clicked email recovery links.
NEAR said it fixed the issue on the day it was reported and deleted the data. The company also said it had found no indicators of compromise and that funds were not at risk. Those points are NEAR's own account of the incident.
After the incident, NEAR stopped allowing email or SMS recovery for newly created wallets and advised affected users to rotate their keys, according to Decrypt's coverage. The new feature marks the return of email-based recovery, now paired with at least two extra verification methods.
The update comes as NEAR consolidates its wallet options. Phemex News reported that MyNearWallet, a non-custodial wallet in the NEAR ecosystem, will shut down on October 31, 2026. Users are being directed to migrate to near.com. NEAR has said assets remain stored on-chain, so users need a new way to access them rather than a new place to hold them.
The Block: NEAR Protocol discloses breach of email and SMS data tied to user wallets
Decrypt: Near Protocol discloses wallet breach that may have exposed private keys
Phemex News: MyNearWallet to shut down October 31, users must migrate assets
