Author: NBTC

Coinbase-backed Ethereum layer-2 network Base is set to activate its B20 token standard on mainnet, introducing a native framework for stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) and other fungible tokens. According to Base documentation, B20 is scheduled to go live at 6 pm UTC on the mainnet, enabling developers to begin creating tokens under the new standard. The activation will enable developers to use Base’s native token standard to create stablecoins, RWAs, tokenized equities and other fungible tokens without requiring them to build and audit custom ERC-20 contracts. The standard supports two variants: asset and stablecoin. The asset variant has configurable…

Bitcoin has climbed about 3% to $64,300 after crude oil dropped below $72, and reports that the United States and Iran would continue peace talks revived risk appetite across crypto markets. The rebound followed two volatile sessions in which fresh U.S. strikes on Iranian targets and Tehran’s attacks on American bases pushed WTI crude toward $75 and drove Bitcoin down toward $62,500. President Donald Trump had declared the interim ceasefire “over,” but subsequent reports of continued negotiations helped oil extend Thursday’s losses. WTI still remained on course for a weekly gain of more than 4%, leaving traders alert to another…

London-based asset management firm Abraxas Capital has deposited approximately $140 million worth of cryptocurrency into Spark, a decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocol, according to data from blockchain analytics platform Onchain Lens. The deposit signals continued institutional appetite for DeFi yield-generating strategies. Details of the Deposit Onchain Lens reported that the deposited assets include 26,500 Ether (ETH), valued at roughly $46.33 million, and 780 Coinbase Wrapped BTC (cbBTC), worth approximately $48.53 million. Additionally, the firm deposited $45.99 million in a combination of USDS and USDT stablecoins. The total value of the deposit is approximately $140 million. The transaction was executed in…

The Federal Reserve has warned that strong artificial intelligence-related demand could keep inflation elevated, while market pricing for a U.S. interest rate hike this year has climbed above 59%. According to the minutes of the Federal Reserve’s June Federal Open Market Committee meeting, policymakers discussed several paths for monetary policy depending on how inflation and the labor market develop. One of the scenarios considered involved inflation staying above the central bank’s 2% target despite a stable labor market, driven by strong AI-related demand, the conflict in the Middle East, or the effects of tariffs. Under those conditions, the minutes showed…

Near Protocol (NEAR) has deployed its version 2.13.0 upgrade to the mainnet, introducing features that include quantum-resistant signatures, dynamic resharding, and gas keys. The announcement was made by Vadim, a former core developer for the Layer 1 blockchain, via a post on X. Key features of the v2.13.0 upgrade According to Vadim, the upgrade incorporates functionalities that most blockchains would typically pursue over a 10-year roadmap. The most notable additions are: Quantum-resistant signatures: A cryptographic measure designed to protect transactions against potential future attacks from quantum computers. Dynamic resharding: A scalability mechanism that allows the network to adjust its shard…

The market capitalization of compliant euro stablecoins grew 128% in the year leading up to the end of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) transition period, according to payments infrastructure firm Decta. Decta said in a Sunday report that the combined market cap of eight MiCA-compliant euro stablecoins rose to $673.9 million on June 28, 2026, from $295.6 million on June 30, 2025. Trading volume rose 43.1% to $67.3 million from $47 million. The number of MiCA-compliant euro stablecoins tracked in the report also rose to eight from five over the period. Decta tracked eight euro stablecoins that were actively…

Polymarket, the blockchain-based prediction market platform, is accelerating its return to the United States with a large-scale marketing campaign, according to a report from The Washington Post. The company has secured partnerships with Major League Baseball (MLB), CNBC, and CNN, and is also leveraging social media influencers to rebuild its brand legitimacy and market credibility after a four-year absence from the U.S. market. Background: A regulated exit and a strategic comeback Polymarket withdrew from the U.S. market in 2022 after reaching a settlement with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) over allegations of offering illegal derivatives trading. The platform subsequently…

$BNB Chain has already lifted performance on $BNB Smart Chain. During the first half of 2026, block times fell to 450 milliseconds from 750, while benchmark throughput rose to about 5,200 transactions per second from roughly 2,800. David Z, $BNB Chain’s chief technical officer, told CoinDesk the next phase focuses on execution rather than consensus. “All smart contracts today need optimization directly at the execution layer,” he said. “The chains got fast at consensus and storage, but the execution engine itself still works like it’s translating sentence by sentence.” The new network will use execution-layer techniques such as just-in-time compilation,…

Bitcoin may be entering the later stages of the ongoing bear market and forming a long-term market bottom. Specifically, the recent drop to around $57,000 this month could become this cycle’s equivalent of the $16,000–$18,000 low seen in late 2022. While on-chain data suggests the bottoming process is progressing, key confirmation signals have yet to appear. Why $58K Could Mark This Cycle’s Bottom Market watcher Seth has said there are growing signs that Bitcoin’s high-timeframe (HTF) macro bottom is already in place. “There are signs that the HTF macro bottom is in. $58K is the new $18K,” he wrote on…

A significant movement of stablecoins has caught the attention of the cryptocurrency market. Whale Alert, a blockchain transaction tracking service, reported that 491,000,000 $USDT — worth approximately $491 million — was transferred from an unidentified wallet to the decentralized lending protocol Aave. The transaction, recorded on the Ethereum network, represents one of the largest single $USDT movements to a DeFi platform in recent months. Details of the Transaction The transfer originated from a wallet labeled as ‘unknown’ by Whale Alert, meaning the address is not publicly associated with any known exchange or institutional custodian. The funds arrived in Aave’s smart…