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NBTCNEWS

Author: 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.

APAC tokenized assets adoption jumps to 68% among investors, survey finds

A decade ago, most conversations about putting real-world assets on a blockchain in Asia were theoretical, hampered by the absence of clear rules and workable platforms. That era is over. According to a new report from Sygnum Singapore, the shift toward APAC tokenized assets has moved from cautious curiosity to active portfolio building, with the vast majority of surveyed investors already holding or actively evaluating exposure to tokenized real-world assets. Key takeaways 68% of surveyed APAC investors already hold tokenized RWAs, with another 12% currently evaluating exposure. Tokenized equities are the most preferred asset class at 66%, ahead of tokenized…

Bitcoin-backed lending is entering its institutional era: Two Prime

Institutional demand for bitcoin-backed loans is accelerating as lenders are offering larger facilities, longer maturities and more tailored terms. MARA Holdings (MARA) provided one of the clearest examples this month, pledging 18,750 $BTC to secure $600 million through two term loans from Coinbase Credit and Two Prime Lending. The collateral, representing roughly 53% of Marathon’s bitcoin holdings at the time, was valued at approximately $1.2 billion when the transactions closed on Aug. 4. MARA said it may use the proceeds for general corporate purposes, including its planned acquisition of Long Ridge Energy & Power. The Ohio gas-fired power plant could…

An AI data center firm just raised $25 million, but 90% of it vanishes in days to pay off one massive loan

Data-center and AI infrastructure company, Bitzero Holdings, plans to use $22.375 million of its roughly $25 million private placement to repay secured-loan principal on or about Aug. 6. The principal alone would consume 89.5% of the headline proceeds, while the warrants issued with the financing could eventually add 11.7 million shares. The company closed the placement on July 30, after selling 5,828,342 special warrants at $4.25 each. The securities brought in $24.77 million, which Bitzero described as approximately $25 million. Bitzero has yet to disclose final net proceeds or the full payoff bill for its secured debt. With those figures…

Binance sues RedotPay over alleged $473 million user losses: Report

Binance-affiliated companies have sued the founders of Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency payments company RedotPay, alleging they diverted more than 470,000 users from Binance Card in breach of their commercial agreement. The plaintiffs seek nearly $473 million in damages, alleging the conduct contributed to RedotPay’s valuation as it considers a potential initial public offering, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing a Hong Kong court filing it obtained. According to the report, Binance Holdings affiliates Nest Trading, DistributedTechnologies and Chaintecs Consulting Singapore filed the petition against RedotPay co-founders Gao Zhangpeng, Chan Wa Choi and Yao Chao. Binance alleges RedotPay allowed users to fund RedotPay stablecoin…

75% of Kalshi Users Never Trade, but Platform Still Intends to Capitalise on That

Kalshi says roughly three-quarters of its users have never deposited funds, using the platform to track prices rather than trade them. This is a pattern prediction market platforms are building their products now. Kalshi's new Public Companies Hub, launched this week, is the latest sign that data and probabilities can be monetissed as much as trading volumes. A Hub Built for Users Who Do not Trade The Public Companies Hub brings together earnings-related markets and company data in one section of Kalshi's web and mobile apps, and through its API. It is organised around three elements: KPI markets, which forecast…

All You Need to Know About BNB's Crucial Update

Without raising the gas limit or shortening block times, $BNB Smart Chain is planning a significant block-building upgrade that could almost double network throughput. One particular inefficiency is addressed by BEP-675: builders and validators currently run the same block twice before it is sealed. Block execution and validation Specialized builders assemble and execute blocks under BSC's current SendBid system before sending bids to validators. Before signing the block, the validator re-executes each transaction to verify its validity. Due to BSC's 450-millisecond block interval, a large amount of the available production window is consumed by this redundant work. By enabling builders…

Bitcoin Sentiment Improves as Decoupling from Stocks Strengthens

BlackRock’s head of digital assets, Robbie Mitchnick, said investor sentiment toward Bitcoin has improved noticeably over the past month, according to The Block. He also noted that Bitcoin began decoupling from stocks earlier this year, showing relative strength when AI-related shares faced a sharp correction in July. What the Decoupling Means for Investors Mitchnick said the decoupling supports the case for Bitcoin as a portfolio diversification tool and a potential hedge against extreme downside risk. This view aligns with a growing narrative among institutional investors that Bitcoin’s behavior is maturing beyond a risk-on asset that moves in lockstep with equities.…

AEREDIUM CEO Says AI Strengthens Stablecoin Reserve Oversight

Closing the Gap on Reserve Reporting AEREDIUM Holdings was recently granted a U.S. patent for an artificial intelligence (AI) system designed to continuously audit digital asset reserves in real time, aiming to replace traditional accounting attestations with automated oversight. The United States Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent No. 12,694,407 B1 on July 29. The system was invented by Albert Dadon, founder and CEO of AEREDIUM. Issuers of stablecoins and other reserve-backed digital assets currently rely on monthly or quarterly attestations produced by accounting firms. These snapshots often take weeks to publish while underlying reserve balances fluctuate continuously, creating…

XRP Sees Progress in AI Payments, DTCC Education, and On-Chain Lending: Evernorth CEO

The $XRP ecosystem continues to develop despite broader macroeconomic uncertainty. Asheesh Birla, CEO of $XRP treasury company Evernorth, highlighted three recent milestones involving AI payments, institutional education, and decentralized lending. Birla said while markets remain focused on possible U.S. Federal Reserve rate decisions, activity within the $XRP ecosystem has continued to grow without relying on macroeconomic catalysts. AI Agents Complete One Million XRPL Payments Birla said AI agents processed about one million payments on the $XRP Ledger (XRPL) in roughly one month. He cited on-chain data from AI payments platform t54ai. According to Birla, the milestone shows software autonomously paying…

Bitwise CIO says crypto will advance even if Clarity Act misses Senate deadline

Crypto markets will continue advancing even if Congress fails to pass the Clarity Act before the Senate’s August recess, according to Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan. In a Tuesday report, Hougan described this week as a critical period for the legislation, which seeks to establish a comprehensive US regulatory framework for digital assets and divide oversight responsibilities between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Hougan said senators would need to file for cloture by Wednesday for the bill to have a realistic chance of receiving a vote before lawmakers leave Washington. The Senate’s official…