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.

Kalshi Files With CFTC to Launch Perpetual Futures on U.S. Stock Indexes

Kalshi, a platform known for its prediction markets, is seeking regulatory approval to launch perpetual futures tied to U.S. stock indexes, according to a CNBC report. The company filed documents with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on Aug. 18, requesting permission to offer these products to traders. What Are Perpetual Futures? Unlike standard futures contracts, perpetual futures have no expiration date. This allows traders to maintain positions indefinitely, betting on price movements without ever taking delivery of the underlying asset. Instead, the contracts use funding fees to keep the market price aligned with the underlying index. Kalshi’s proposed…

ExchangesAug 19

HIVE’s $84.7 million Swedish tax provision eclipsed revenue even as Bitcoin output hit a record

HIVE Digital Technologies booked an $84.7 million non-cash Swedish tax provision tied to contested VAT exposure after adverse court rulings led it to change its accounting assessment. Despite receiving 1,004 $BTC during the quarter, the provision helped drive a $142.9 million GAAP net loss. The current-liability label does not establish that an immediate cash payment is due, and HIVE’s filings do not disclose a payment timetable. The Swedish tax provision exceeded HIVE’s $79.1 million quarterly revenue and equaled about 40.7% of its $208 million cash balance. At Bitcoin's intraday high of $65,058.61 on Aug. 18, the amount was equivalent to…

MiningAug 19

Why Bitcoin's BIP-110 refuses to die despite near-zero miner support

Bitcoin is approaching a rare test this weekend, with a small group of nodes is preparing to reject blocks produced by almost all of the network’s miners. The Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP)-110, a controversial proposal to temporarily restrict how much non-payment data can be stored on the Bitcoin blockchain, approaches its long-planned mandatory signalling period, expected to be sometime on Aug. 9. The actual activation, if it takes place, would follow at block 965,664, estimated around four weeks later. Its ordinary 55% approval threshold is already out of reach. Nodes are computers running Bitcoin software that independently check transactions and…

BitcoinAug 19

Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh Speaks Following the Interest Rate Decision – Critical Moments

Following the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged, Chairman Kevin Warsh is speaking live on air and answering questions from the press. Below you will find the most important details from Warsh’s statements: The discussion took place in a friendly atmosphere. The economy has shown impressive resilience. The committee refrains from making predictions. The committee is committed to ensuring price stability. There is no flexible inflation target. Our sole target is an inflation rate of 2%. High inflation over the past five years has created a remarkable and difficult-to-resolve situation; the Fed’s implicit target appears to be above…

RegulationAug 19

Pump.fun unlocks $86M in PUMP as three-year vesting begins

Pump.fun has completed its first major team and investor token distribution after a one-year lockup ended. On-chain tracking showed 57.279 billion $PUMP tokens, valued at about $86.49 million at the time of the transfers, moving to 121 wallets on July 15. Wu Blockchain reported that the transfers marked the start of a three-year vesting period for team and investor allocations. The event makes a large amount of previously locked $PUMP transferable, although wallet distributions alone do not show whether recipients intend to sell. Pump.fun distributes 57.279 billion $PUMP On-chain analyst Yu Jin tracked two large sources behind the distribution. One…

AltcoinsAug 19

Crypto's week in 5 stories

The stakes extend beyond this Congress. If the legislation collapses and lawmakers have to start over next year, Democrats are likely to have a more prominent role in writing the next version of the bill. There are three Democratic women who could gain greater influence over the next round of crypto legislation. All have generally approached digital assets with considerable skepticism. Meanwhile, the regulatory train trundles on, leaving U.S. crypto policy moving on two tracks. While Congress is still trying to write the broad market structure, the Securities and Exchange Commission (and its sister agency, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission)…

LegalAug 19

Kraken’s Krak debuts US debit card as Payward broadens financial services push

Kraken’s payment app, Krak, has launched a multi-asset debit card in the US, allowing customers to spend crypto and fiat while earning up to 2% cashback in dollars or Bitcoin (BTC). The card supports more than 600 currencies and assets, with holdings converted into US dollars at point of sale. A single purchase can draw from multiple balances, with users setting the order in which assets are spent, according to an announcement Tuesday. The card is issued by Lead Bank on Visa’s network and powered by Stripe Issuing, with physical and virtual versions available to eligible US customers. The company…

ExchangesAug 19

Are Alarm Bells Ringing for Bitcoin? This Data Has Been Negative for 80 Days!

While the leading cryptocurrency Bitcoin continues to move within a narrow range, the Coinbase Bitcoin premium index, which tracks US investor demand for Bitcoin, has been in negative territory for 80 consecutive days. Historical data shows that the previous longest negative period in Coinbase’s Bitcoin premium was between January 16 and February 24 of this year, lasting 40 days. What Does This Mean for Bitcoin? Data indicating the longest negative streak in history suggests weak US-based buying pressure and weak institutional demand for $BTC. The Coinbase Premium Index tracks the difference between the Bitcoin price on Coinbase, based in the…

BitcoinAug 19

Credit default swaps forecast AI bankruptcies

Credit default swap (CDS) demand is surging throughout the AI industry. Five years of default protection on $10 million of Nvidia debt now costs about $82,000 a year — double since the start of July when it cost roughly $40,000. CDS spreads are deteriorating rapidly across mega-cap AI stocks including Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Broadcom, and SpaceX, which all hit record spreads this week. Alphabet CDS contracts traded up to 67 basis points days after reporting its first negative quarterly free cash flow since its 2004 listing. https://twitter.com/junkbondinvest/status/2082108447294681255 Investors refer to the “price” of a CDS by its basis point spread…

RegulationAug 19

PENGU, ARROW, ADI, CASHCAT and AERO Are Moving

The crypto market remains volatile, but a handful of altcoins are attracting strong investor interest. This is thanks to ecosystem developments, exchange listings, and growing trading activity. Here’s a look at the five trending cryptocurrencies today and what’s driving the buzz. Pudgy Penguins ($PENGU) – NFT Token Holds Momentum $PENGU is trading at $0.006059, with a $388 million market cap and nearly $56 million in daily trading volume. While the token remains about 91% below its all-time high, it has rebounded more than 62% from its lowest level. The latest rally comes after CEO Luca Netz unveiled a new strategy.…

AltcoinsAug 19