Author: NBTC

Hashed Open Finance, a fintech subsidiary of global Web3 investment firm Hashed, launched the public testnet of Maroo — a sovereign Layer 1 blockchain designed for Korea’s KRW stablecoin ecosystem. The project is aimed at banks, fintech companies, and AI developers working with won-denominated digital assets. Maroo is positioned as one of the first public blockchains built around a national currency instead of the U.S. dollar. The infrastructure behind the network already powers BDAN Pocket, a digital wallet connected to the Busan Digital Asset Exchange and used by around 4 million residents in Busan. The testnet is now available to…

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse recently responded with “lock in,” as OKX teased the $XRP community with a Las Vegas Sphere graphic. Garlinghouse’s “lock in” response follows a pattern, as he has typically used the phrase at important $XRP moments to confirm bullish developments. Key Points OKX posted an $XRP Las Vegas Sphere teaser on X, captioned “probably nothing.” Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse responded with “lock in,” a phrase he reserves for major $XRP developments. $XRP billboards have taken over Las Vegas, with ads outside Treasure Island and near the Wynn building. The $XRP Las Vegas 2026 event is expected to…

Paul Brigner, chief policy and regulatory officer at the Zcash Open Development Lab (ZODL), has publicly refuted claims that Zcash ($ZEC) is banned in the European Union. In a statement on X, Brigner clarified that EU regulations do not prohibit the Zcash protocol itself, but rather impose restrictions on regulated crypto service providers handling accounts with unverifiable transaction histories. Understanding the Regulatory Framework Brigner explained that the EU’s regulatory framework, particularly under the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation and related Anti-Money Laundering directives, targets service providers rather than underlying protocols. Regulated entities—such as exchanges and custodial wallet providers—are required to…

A Swiss investor said KuCoin has yet to pay a Seychelles Supreme Court award of more than $2 million after the exchange declared his tokens “abandoned.” In a Dec. 11, 2025, ruling, the Supreme Court of Seychelles declared that Didier Rabl is the “sole proprietor and owner” of approximately 21 million CoinPoker (CHP) tokens previously held for him on KuCoin. The court also ordered three Seychelles-incorporated KuCoin entities to pay him over 2 million USDt (USDT) plus $10,000 in moral damages, according to documents reviewed by Cointelegraph. The ruling could have implications for how cryptocurrency exchanges handle delisted assets, with…

It has been suggested that Strategy, led by Michael Saylor, is preparing to conduct its first-ever buyback of convertible bonds to reduce debt risk. According to reports, the company plans to repurchase $1.5 billion worth of convertible bonds maturing in 2029 for approximately $1.38 billion. This move is seen as part of the company’s strategy to reduce its leverage and contain potential future financial pressures early on. According to market commentators, this development may be linked to Michael Saylor’s recent statement that “Bitcoin sales could be considered if necessary to optimize the debt structure.” Strategy’s aggressive Bitcoin accumulation over the…

The first quarter of 2026 was not kind to most crypto companies. Bitcoin fell 22%, and Ethereum also dropped sharply. Trading volumes softened, and the earnings reports that followed told a story of an industry navigating a difficult transition from hype-driven growth to sustainable business models. Here is what the numbers actually revealed. The Standout: Hyperliquid Strategies While most crypto firms were nursing losses, Hyperliquid Strategies posted a $152.5 million net profit for Q1 2026. The driver was straightforward. $HYPE, Hyperliquid’s native token, surged 44% during the quarter, generating $198.4 million in unrealized gains on the company’s treasury holdings. The…

The narrative around AI is shifting fast. While most companies chase better models and bigger compute, Pi Network is pushing a different idea. It says the real edge in AI is not just machines, but people. #PiNetwork ⚡️ Officially Announces a New Strategic Direction: In the Age of AI, We *Are* Value Itself 💰Pioneers! The major announcement released by the Core Team last night has truly revolutionized the landscape! 👏– With over 18 million real, KYC-verified Pioneers, we are… pic.twitter.com/JeOPv6rofJ — PiNetwork DEX⚡️阿龙 (@PiNetworkAL) April 29, 2026 In a new update, the project revealed that over 526 million human KYC…

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed charges against Nathan Fuller, a Texas resident, for allegedly orchestrating a $12.3 million cryptocurrency fraud scheme. According to the SEC’s complaint, Fuller deceived approximately 150 investors between 2022 and 2024 by promising extraordinary returns from an artificial intelligence-based trading bot. How the Alleged Scheme Operated The SEC alleges that Fuller marketed the investment opportunity as a low-risk, high-return venture, claiming the AI trading bot could generate guaranteed returns of up to 100% or more within 21 to 45 days. Investors were reportedly lured by promises of automated trading that would consistently…

Binance’s SpaceX tokenized IPO campaign attracted over $557 million in USDC deposits from about 27,689 wallet addresses ahead of the company’s highly anticipated public listing. Wallets contributing up to $20,000 accounted for more than 81% of participating addresses but only 18.39% of total funds, while 114 addresses contributed over $500,000 each, representing about 10.2% of the funds, according to Dune data. The deposits point to strong demand for crypto-based pre-IPO exposure ahead of SpaceX’s Nasdaq debut on Friday, with the company seeking to raise $75 billion at $135 a share and an around $1.8 trillion valuation. On decentralized exchange Hyperliquid,…

The mining difficulty on the Bitcoin network is expected to drop by approximately 9.55 percent in about eight hours. According to data reported by TheEnergyMag, this adjustment will be the second largest downward difficulty change seen in 2026. The expected decline is attributed to the sharp drop in network hashrate seen following the weakness in Bitcoin price at the beginning of June. The fall in $BTC price to around $63,000 put pressure on miners’ incomes, leading some miners, particularly those operating with older devices, to cease operations. Related News BREAKING: Donald Trump Announces That the Iran Deal Will Be Signed…