Author: NBTC

Key Takeaways Political influence on the Fed could lead to significant policy errors. The Fed may cut rates more aggressively than currently anticipated. Forecasts should be prioritized over current data for better inflation management. The Fed’s actions impact the economy with a lag of at least a year. Current inflation focus overlooks future trends, risking policy errors. Labor market cooling is driven by demand, not supply issues. Inflation is expected to return to target levels by the second quarter. Pronounced disinflation is anticipated by 2026, surprising many. Negative rental rates will eventually lower CPI data. The US economy is experiencing…

Canada’s financial intelligence unit, the Financial Transactions and Analysis Centre (FINTRAC) pulled the registrations of 23 cryptocurrency service providers in a single enforcement action Tuesday, marking an escalation in the country’s anti-money laundering efforts targeting digital asset businesses. The country’s Minister of Finance, François-Philippe Champagne, announced the news in a statement Tuesday, noting that the crackdown marks “a significantly increased pace of action,” and adding that the Canadian government “will maintain this momentum.” Two of the affected businesses operated entirely from foreign jurisdictions—Finast, registered in Slovakia, and Commerce Plex, registered in the UK. Both companies also offered traditional currency exchange…

Stablecoins are widely perceived as a way for crypto to bypass conventional financial institutions due to their unique services, such as offering borderless, 24/7 access to funds without relying on banks, providing instant, borderless financial freedom. Nonetheless, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a recent report presenting a contrasting view. In this report, the international financial watchdog noted that, “The stablecoin market is increasingly reliant on short-term US government debt, transforming the ‘stablecoin era’ into a private system for distributing dollars instead of replacing them.” The total stablecoin market has ballooned to more than $300 billion, nearly doubling in recent…

Not enough Polish citizens who invested in cryptocurrency have been paying taxes on their gains, and they may soon face the dire consequences. Their country is now joining Europe’s framework for automated exchange of information on crypto users and assets, and the only way to avoid punitive taxation will be by filing correct annual returns. Tax evading Poles may part with the bulk of their crypto profits While it’s difficult to provide an exact estimate at this time, it’s widely believed that as many as 3 million people in Poland have bought digital currencies like Bitcoin. According to local media,…

S&P Dow Jones Indices has officially licensed the S&P 500 to Trade[XYZ], allowing the launch of the first perpetual contract based on the benchmark. S&P Dow Jones Indices and trade[XYZ] have joined forces to launch the first official S&P 500 perpetual contract, available exclusively on Hyperliquid. For 69 years, the S&P 500 has been a defining reference point for global finance. Until now, access to that benchmark has been… — trade.xyz (@tradexyz) March 18, 2026 Investors can now trade the S&P 500 24/7, which tracks the stock performance of 500 leading US companies, on Hyperliquid, using institutional-quality S&P DJI data.…

South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) is upgrading its AI-powered VISTA platform with additional Nvidia H100 GPUs to strengthen real-time detection of crypto market manipulation. The move is intended to sharpen surveillance of suspicious accounts and trading anomalies as regulators intensify oversight of virtual asset markets. The FSS obtained a budget of 170 million Korean won ($117,640 USD) for internal server expansion this year, according to finance authorities on February 16. It intends to use this to acquire one more H100, a high-performance computing GPU from NVIDIA, by the second quarter of this year. The H100, released in 2022, is…

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued a fresh investor alert. The timing of the alert comes at a significant moment for the crypto industry, with fresh regulatory clarity delivered to digital assets. INVESTOR ALERT 🚨: Investors should never rely solely on information from group chats in making investment decisions.Be wary of any group chat where you receive investment advice from someone you don’t know – this is often how scams begin.https://t.co/gNUUUAWZqm pic.twitter.com/pWse8CcPUB — U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (@SECGov) March 18, 2026 In a new tweet, the SEC alerts investors that group chat advice could be a scam trap. The regulatory…

FTX is entering a new phase in its repayment process for its creditors. According to a statement from the FTX Recovery Trust, the company will make a fourth payment of approximately $2.2 billion on March 31, 2026. According to a press release issued by FTX Trading Ltd. and FTX Recovery Trust, these payments will be made in accordance with the company’s Chapter 11 restructuring plan. Eligible creditors must meet the necessary prerequisites. Payments are expected to be credited to accounts within 1 to 3 business days via BitGo, Kraken, or Payoneer, depending on the chosen distribution provider. The statement indicated…

Daily crypto activity in Russia has climbed to about $647 million (50 billion rubles), said Ivan Chebeskov, Russia’s Deputy Finance Minister, at the Alfa Talk conference “Digital Financial Assets: New Market Architecture.” Officials estimate that this equates to more than $129 billion (10 trillion rubles) in yearly turnover, much of which currently operates outside formal oversight. The Bank of Russia has proposed a framework to legalize crypto transactions through existing exchanges and brokers, with regulations expected to be adopted during the State Duma’s spring session. Lawmakers aim to submit a draft bill to the State Duma in March, targeting approval…

Kenya’s National Treasury has introduced draft regulations seeking to revamp the oversight and licensing of virtual asset service providers (VASPs) in a bid to tighten control over the nation’s burgeoning cryptocurrency sector. These proposed regulations are open to public consultation until April 10, with the new legal structure set to be enforced under the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act from November 2025. What’s Driving the New Regulations?How Will Licensing and Oversight Evolve? What’s Driving the New Regulations? The fresh regulatory initiatives come after Kenya was flagged on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) “grey list” in early 2024. This has…