diff --git a/Doc/whatsnew/3.10.rst b/Doc/whatsnew/3.10.rst
index f96a3bcbca9..6e655f8be71 100644
--- a/Doc/whatsnew/3.10.rst
+++ b/Doc/whatsnew/3.10.rst
@@ -157,6 +157,11 @@ Other Language Changes
 * Assignment expressions can now be used unparenthesized within set literals
   and set comprehensions, as well as in sequence indexes (but not slices).
 
+* Two new builtin functions -- :func:`aiter` and :func:`anext` have been added
+  to provide asynchronous counterparts to :func:`iter` and :func:`next`,
+  respectively.
+  (Contributed by Joshua Bronson, Justin Wang and Daniel Pope in :issue:`31861`)
+
 
 New Modules
 ===========
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_inspect.py b/Lib/test/test_inspect.py
index 71c4f27d27b..9ccdfcabd4e 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_inspect.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_inspect.py
@@ -3814,6 +3814,9 @@ class TestSignatureDefinitions(unittest.TestCase):
         needs_groups = {"range", "slice", "dir", "getattr",
                         "next", "iter", "vars"}
         no_signature |= needs_groups
+        # These have unpresentable parameter default values of NULL
+        needs_null = {"aiter", "anext"}
+        no_signature |= needs_null
         # These need PEP 457 groups or a signature change to accept None
         needs_semantic_update = {"round"}
         no_signature |= needs_semantic_update
diff --git a/Python/bltinmodule.c b/Python/bltinmodule.c
index 470982b2861..e532c2a488d 100644
--- a/Python/bltinmodule.c
+++ b/Python/bltinmodule.c
@@ -1539,7 +1539,7 @@ In the second form, the callable is called until it returns the sentinel.");
 aiter as builtin_aiter
 
     aiterable: object
-    sentinel: object = None
+    sentinel: object = NULL
     /
 
 Return an async iterator for an async iterable object.
@@ -1547,9 +1547,9 @@ Return an async iterator for an async iterable object.
 
 static PyObject *
 builtin_aiter_impl(PyObject *module, PyObject *aiterable, PyObject *sentinel)
-/*[clinic end generated code: output=ea120e90169d9f32 input=586f672fb18a94a5]*/
+/*[clinic end generated code: output=ea120e90169d9f32 input=a12efceda1863b3c]*/
 {
-    if (sentinel == Py_None) {
+    if (sentinel == NULL) {
         return PyObject_GetAiter(aiterable);
     }
 
@@ -1566,7 +1566,7 @@ builtin_aiter_impl(PyObject *module, PyObject *aiterable, PyObject *sentinel)
 anext as builtin_anext
 
     aiterator: object
-    default: object = None
+    default: object = NULL
     /
 
 Return the next item from the async iterator.
@@ -1575,7 +1575,7 @@ Return the next item from the async iterator.
 static PyObject *
 builtin_anext_impl(PyObject *module, PyObject *aiterator,
                    PyObject *default_value)
-/*[clinic end generated code: output=f02c060c163a81fa input=6051f80000c06306]*/
+/*[clinic end generated code: output=f02c060c163a81fa input=699d11f4e38eca24]*/
 {
     PyTypeObject *t;
     PyObject *awaitable;
@@ -1589,7 +1589,7 @@ builtin_anext_impl(PyObject *module, PyObject *aiterator,
     }
 
     awaitable = (*t->tp_as_async->am_anext)(aiterator);
-    if (default_value == Py_None) {
+    if (default_value == NULL) {
         return awaitable;
     }
 
diff --git a/Python/clinic/bltinmodule.c.h b/Python/clinic/bltinmodule.c.h
index 4482e0d9c33..822496ca82a 100644
--- a/Python/clinic/bltinmodule.c.h
+++ b/Python/clinic/bltinmodule.c.h
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@ PyDoc_STRVAR(builtin_hex__doc__,
     {"hex", (PyCFunction)builtin_hex, METH_O, builtin_hex__doc__},
 
 PyDoc_STRVAR(builtin_aiter__doc__,
-"aiter($module, aiterable, sentinel=None, /)\n"
+"aiter($module, aiterable, sentinel=<unrepresentable>, /)\n"
 "--\n"
 "\n"
 "Return an async iterator for an async iterable object.");
@@ -547,7 +547,7 @@ builtin_aiter(PyObject *module, PyObject *const *args, Py_ssize_t nargs)
 {
     PyObject *return_value = NULL;
     PyObject *aiterable;
-    PyObject *sentinel = Py_None;
+    PyObject *sentinel = NULL;
 
     if (!_PyArg_CheckPositional("aiter", nargs, 1, 2)) {
         goto exit;
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ exit:
 }
 
 PyDoc_STRVAR(builtin_anext__doc__,
-"anext($module, aiterator, default=None, /)\n"
+"anext($module, aiterator, default=<unrepresentable>, /)\n"
 "--\n"
 "\n"
 "Return the next item from the async iterator.");
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ builtin_anext(PyObject *module, PyObject *const *args, Py_ssize_t nargs)
 {
     PyObject *return_value = NULL;
     PyObject *aiterator;
-    PyObject *default_value = Py_None;
+    PyObject *default_value = NULL;
 
     if (!_PyArg_CheckPositional("anext", nargs, 1, 2)) {
         goto exit;
@@ -899,4 +899,4 @@ builtin_issubclass(PyObject *module, PyObject *const *args, Py_ssize_t nargs)
 exit:
     return return_value;
 }
-/*[clinic end generated code: output=02b80d529a5c972b input=a9049054013a1b77]*/
+/*[clinic end generated code: output=b5248d88ee495198 input=a9049054013a1b77]*/