Haciyev Reşit 
Nasdaq-listed shipping company OceanPal Inc. has taken a major step by combining blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The company announced a $120 million PIPE (Private Investment in Public Equity) deal in partnership with the NEAR Foundation to launch SovereignAI, an independent AI infrastructure powered by NEAR Protocol. This initiative marks both a digital transformation milestone for the traditional maritime industry and a new phase in blockchain–AI integration.
AI-Focused Strategic Collaboration with the NEAR Foundation
The PIPE agreement announced by OceanPal allows publicly traded companies to raise capital quickly through private investments in their public equity. Through this partnership, OceanPal gains a strategic foothold in the emerging digital economy by integrating NEAR Protocol’s high-performance blockchain infrastructure with advanced artificial intelligence applications.
This collaboration highlights the growing trend of AI-blockchain convergence, reinforcing NEAR’s position as a leading infrastructure provider for scalable and transparent decentralized systems.
SovereignAI: Empowering Data Sovereignty with Decentralized Intelligence
The newly launched SovereignAI aims to reduce dependency on global data giants while ensuring data sovereignty at both institutional and national levels. Through its self-governing AI infrastructure, the system will safeguard data security and privacy without relying on external service providers, marking a major step toward independent, decentralized intelligence.
A New Wave of Cross-Industry Transformation in Crypto
This collaboration is viewed as a bridge between the traditional shipping industry and blockchain technology. The rise of AI + Blockchain projects in the crypto world has not only boosted investor interest but also set the direction for the next phase of technological innovation across sectors.
Following the announcement, NEAR’s market capitalization stabilized at around $3 billion. Experts suggest that this investment will enhance NEAR’s decentralized computing and data-processing capabilities, positioning the network as a powerful foundation for AI-focused use cases. Analysts further emphasize that NEAR’s AI-driven blockchain approach strategically differentiates it from major competitors such as Ethereum and Solana, highlighting NEAR’s growing influence in the convergence of artificial intelligence and decentralized infrastructure.
OceanPal and NEAR Usher in the Era of Blockchain Intelligence
The $120 million PIPE investment between OceanPal and the NEAR Foundation represents more than just a capital move — it marks the beginning of a new era where artificial intelligence and blockchain converge. In the short term, OceanPal’s stock may experience some pressure, but in the long run, this investment is expected to strengthen the NEAR ecosystem and accelerate institutional AI–blockchain integration.
This partnership is regarded as one of the most influential initiatives shaping innovation during a period when cryptocurrencies and real-world assets (RWA) are increasingly merging, signaling a transformative step toward the future of decentralized intelligence.
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