Author: NBTC

NBTC

NBTC is the editorial account for NBTC News, covering Bitcoin, Ethereum, DeFi, blockchain infrastructure, exchanges, mining, regulation and digital asset markets. The editorial team focuses on clear sourcing, timely updates and practical context for crypto readers.

Crypto Industry Shakeout Is Deeper Than Past Bear Markets, More Consolidation Ahead

ARK Invest’s director of crypto research, Lorenzo Valente, has issued a stark assessment of the current state of the digital asset industry, stating that the ongoing shakeout is more severe than in previous bear markets. In a post on X, Valente warned that the coming months are likely to bring an increase in mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcy filings, and project shutdowns. A Deeper Correction Than Before Valente’s analysis points to a fundamental shift in the market’s dynamics. Unlike past downturns, which were often driven by cyclical price drops, the current environment is characterized by a structural purge. Projects and exchanges…

RegulationAug 20

What is an XDC Network Masternode Validator?

An $XDC Network (@XDCNetwork) masternode validator is a staked node that confirms transactions, produces and finalizes blocks, and votes on network governance under $XDC's XDPoS consensus. To run one, an operator locks 10,000,000 $XDC in a smart contract as collateral, runs dedicated server infrastructure, and completes a KYC check. That locked stake is the operator's collateral: behave honestly and earn rewards, or risk penalties and removal from the active set. Masternodes have become a central part of $XDC's institutional story in 2026. On July 13, NTT DOCOMO GLOBAL (@ndg_web3_en), the global arm of Japan's DOCOMO Group, announced that its blockchain…

AltcoinsAug 20

SEC Delays Tokenization Exemption as CLARITY Act Coordination Continues

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has again postponed its innovation exemption related to tokenization, according to Eleanor Terrett, host of Crypto in America. Terrett indicated that specific details of the measure are unlikely to be released in the near term, as ongoing discussions among stakeholders continue over Section 10505, the tokenization provision of the CLARITY Act. The delay underscores the complexity of aligning regulatory relief with legislative efforts. Background: The CLARITY Act and Section 10505 The CLARITY Act, introduced to provide regulatory clarity for digital assets, includes Section 10505, which addresses tokenization—the process of representing real-world assets or…

LegalAug 20

Binance Pay Expands Crypto Payments to 3,700 Bhutan Merchants

Existing QR Network Extends Crypto Acceptance Travelers and local customers can now use Binance Pay at more than 3,700 businesses across Bhutan, extending cryptocurrency acceptance through a familiar domestic payment system. Binance announced the integration Aug. 17 as payment providers increasingly connect digital assets with established QR networks. The expansion follows the initial national tourism payment rollout, which began with more than 100 participating merchants in May 2025. The platform’s global merchant footprint exceeded 21 million by March, providing the commercial backdrop for Binance’s Bhutan expansion. SB Seker, head of Asia-Pacific at Binance, described the integration as a model for…

ExchangesAug 20

0G Private Computer tops 250B tokens, adds USD payments

0G Private Computer has processed more than 250 billion tokens across 17 million requests while expanding its private AI service to 28 models and adding U.S. dollar payments. In an Aug. 18 press release shared with crypto.news, 0G Labs said that Private Computer had also produced 15 million Trusted Execution Environment attestation proofs since launching on April 27. The platform began with seven models and now offers 28 through a web console and an application programming interface compatible with OpenAI’s API. Users can access text, image, audio, and video generation tools from one account. According to the company, Private Computer…

BlockchainAug 20

A Beginner’s Guide to DeFi Returns

Yield farming means putting your crypto to work inside decentralized finance protocols, lending it, pairing it into liquidity pools, or staking it, to earn fees, interest, or bonus tokens in return. Two warnings before you touch a wallet: smart-contract bugs and impermanent loss can erase gains fast, and a sky-high advertised APY is often just token emissions, not real revenue. DeFi’s total value locked climbed to roughly $94 billion in early 2026, but that growth hasn’t made the risks disappear. Yield farming = deposit crypto → earn fees, interest, or tokens Biggest dangers: smart-contract exploits and impermanent loss Rule of…

DeFiAug 20

Ethereum nears $2,000, but why are big investors still holding back?

Ethereum is trading in the green on Wednesday following a poor start to the week. The positive performance over the past 24 hours comes despite several on-chain and derivatives indicators suggesting traders remain reluctant to make significant new commitments. Holdings across major wallet groups changed only modestly, while exchange net flows remained close to neutral. US spot Ethereum Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) showed some improvement at the beginning of the week, although broader American investor sentiment remains weak. From a technical perspective, $ETH retains a mildly bullish short-term bias above its 20-day and 50-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs). However, the 100-day…

EthereumAug 20

Citadel bets on a Fed rate hike Wednesday as bitcoin analysts call a hold. Someone will be wrong.

Crypto is trading on a cautious note. The upswing in bitcoin, the leading digital asset by market value, has stalled since last Wednesday, with prices pulling back to just under $64,000 from the high of nearly $67,000. July hike to end forward guidance Citadel's rate hike call is less about where the data land and more about tactics, specifically, why Warsh has more to gain from raising rates today than from waiting until September. A surprise hike Wednesday, Frank Flight, head of macro strategy at Citadel Securities, writes, "would emphatically end the forward guidance era in which every policy move…

RegulationAug 20

upgrade or get cut off

The clock is ticking for everyone running Cardano infrastructure. The Cardano Foundation has officially ratified a hard fork initiation, setting off a five-day countdown that leaves little room for delay — and zero tolerance for those who miss the deadline. Key takeaways The Cardano hard fork initiation was ratified on July 13, 2026 at 21:45 UTC at an epoch boundary. Hard fork enactment is scheduled for July 18, 2026 at 21:45 UTC. All nodes and infrastructure operators must upgrade to hard fork compatible versions before enactment. Failure to upgrade will result in incompatibility with the upgraded Cardano network. Cardano Foundation…

AltcoinsAug 20

SEC cancels long-awaited proposal of Reg Crypto, postponing meeting without new date

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was on the verge of revealing its first major rulemaking effort in the digital assets sphere, having been set to propose its "Regulation Crypto," but the agency cancelled the Friday meeting in an end-of-day statement on Thursday. "Due to an unforeseen scheduling issue," the SEC is moving the meeting to "a later date," according to a statement from an agency spokesperson. In the absence of progress in the Senate's Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, the legislation that would establish a legal foundation for crypto market activity in the U.S., the industry had looked to…

LegalAug 20