Author: NBTC

An Ethereum smart contract standard enabling trustless artificial intelligence agent communication on the network is “probably” going to be deployed on mainnet on Thursday, according to Marco De Rossi, head of AI at MetaMask. Further development of ERC-8004 has been “frozen […] and we will go to mainnet midweek, probably around Thursday, 9 AM ET,” said De Rossi on a Telegram channel for developers of the protocol on Monday. On Tuesday, the official Ethereum X account said the protocol is going live on mainnet “soon.” “By enabling discovery and portable reputation, ERC-8004 allows AI agents to interact across organizations, ensuring…

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Intel shares surged nearly 11% today, reaching their highest level in about four years as investors responded to political support, major partnerships, and rising AI and data center demand. Intel was last trading near $53 as of Wednesday at 2 PM ET, the same level it last saw in mid-January 2022. The stock is up over 86% in 2025 and more than 35% year to date. The company is scheduled to report its Q4 earnings tomorrow, a key test for its momentum. In 2025, the federal government acquired a nearly 10% stake in the company through an $8.9 billion commitment…

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The U.S. Senate will hold a major crypto regulation vote tomorrow at the committee level. Lawmakers will review the Crypto Market Structure Bill inside the Senate Agriculture Committee. This moment marks one of the most important regulatory milestones for crypto in years. 🚨MAJOR CRYPTO REGULATION VOTE TOMORROW 🇺🇸The U.S. Senate is voting tomorrow at the committee level on the Crypto Market Structure Bill : one of the most important regulatory moments for crypto in years.The bill seeks long-awaited regulatory clarity, defining oversight… https://t.co/jM7hJOR1mW pic.twitter.com/vwr3AnEESs — CryptosRus (@CryptosR_Us) January 29, 2026 The vote aims to advance long-awaited clarity for the digital…

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Evgeny Gaevoy, founder of Wintermute, the global algorithmic trading firm, made comments challenging ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood, OKX CEO Star Xu, and other industry players’ claims that Binance’s actions triggered the October 10 meltdown that wiped out around $19 billion in leveraged positions. The controversy involving cryptocurrency exchanges over last October’s market crash has taken another turn, with Wintermute’s CEO defending Binance against allegations that it caused the worst liquidation event in crypto history. He wrote, “Kind of wish public figures would pick words more carefully.” Gaevoy did not agree with the submission that the event occurred due to…

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Bitmine, the Ethereum treasury company chaired by Fundstrat’s Tom Lee, staked an additional 113,280 $ETH worth about $341 million today, according to data from Arkham Intelligence. Tom Lee(@fundstrat)’s #Bitmine staked another 113,280 $ETH($340.68M) an hour ago. In total, #Bitmine has now staked 2,332,051 $ETH($7B), 55% of its total holdings.https://t.co/P684j5YQaG pic.twitter.com/Q4VDKaxmFp — Lookonchain (@lookonchain) January 28, 2026 The transaction brings Bitmine’s total staked Ethereum to 2.3 million $ETH, valued at approximately $7 billion, representing 55% of the company’s holdings. Bitmine holds 4.2 million $ETH in total, roughly 3.5% of the entire $ETH supply, with a portfolio valuation of $12.8 billion that…

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Younger Americans may find it increasingly difficult to afford a home, but Newrez, a national wholesale mortgage lender, thinks Bitcoin and Ethereum could change that. The firm—which serviced a $778.3 billion portfolio of 3.7 million loans, as of last year—recently signaled that it would begin assessing both cryptocurrencies for mortgage qualification. Last week, it billed itself as the first major provider of mortgages in the U.S. to do so. That means the company intends to view Bitcoin and Ethereum as reserves that a homeowner could theoretically dip into to meet their mortgage obligations. Typically, applications ask prospective borrowers to report…

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In a significant development for both the retirement and digital asset sectors, former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Paul Atkins has publicly called for the inclusion of cryptocurrency investments in 401(k) plans. This pivotal statement, made during a CNBC ‘Squawk Box’ interview on April 2, 2025, challenges longstanding regulatory caution and ignites a crucial debate about the future of American retirement savings. The proposal arrives as millions of investors seek broader access to emerging asset classes, fundamentally questioning the traditional boundaries of pension portfolios. The Crypto 401(k) Proposal and Its Immediate Context Paul Atkins, who served as an…

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Decentralized perpetual exchanges are quietly stacking nine-figure monthly volumes as traders continue shifting leverage-heavy activity onchain, away from centralized venues. Decentralized Perps Platforms See Sustained Growth in Trading Activity Decentralized perpetual exchanges, often called perp DEXes, are a growing segment of decentralized finance ( DeFi) that allow traders to speculate on the price of assets like bitcoin and ether without owning them outright. Instead of spot trading, users open leveraged long or short positions using perpetual contracts—derivatives with no expiration date—executed entirely via smart contracts. Unlike centralized exchanges, perp DEXes are noncustodial. Source: defillama.com perp DEX stats. Essentially, traders connect…

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A new ethereum staking report shows 2025 delivered major technical upgrades and surging institutional adoption, even as $ETH prices lagged, setting the stage for structural changes to staking and market dynamics in 2026. Paradox for Ethereum in 2025: Network Growth vs Flat $ETH Prices Ethereum’s 2025 was defined by sharp contrasts. According to the Ethereum Staking Insights & Protocol Analysis report by Everstake, the network delivered major protocol upgrades and attracted record institutional participation, yet $ETH prices remained largely stagnant. The disconnect highlights how ethereum’s role is evolving faster than market valuations suggest. Two major upgrades shaped the year. Pectra…

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A manager at Michael Saylor’s Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) posted a claim to social media that the company’s STRC stock enjoys coverage by its bitcoin ($BTC) collateral. According to Chaitanya Jain, STRC relies on Strategy common stock for its bitcoin ($BTC) “over-collateralization.” A tweet posted by Jain at 9:02pm New York time on January 20 read, “$MSTR needs $STRC for $BTC amplification. $STRC needs $MSTR for $BTC over-collateralization.” However, this is incorrect. Indeed, there’s widespread misinformation and considerable confusion about the supposed $BTC backing of Strategy’s various types of stock: MSTR, STRK, STRD, STRF, and STRC. The fact is, $BTC doesn’t…

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