Author: NBTC

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched the Blockchain Advisory Group (BAG), a new initiative designed to explore how blockchain technology can support public services and help address development challenges around the world. The group was officially introduced on June 3 during the Proof of Talk 2026 conference in Paris. The first meeting was chaired by Haoliang Xu and focused on financial inclusion and digital finance. Participants discussed several barriers that still limit access to financial services. UNDP is already working with governments and industry partners across Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, Central Asia, and the Asia-Pacific…

Bitcoin’s fourth halving is now well in the rearview mirror as fewer than 100,000 blocks remain. The network is entering the final stretch before the next reward cut, expected around April 2028. Key Takeaways: Fewer than 100,034 Bitcoin blocks remain until the halving at block 1,050,000, expected April 2028. The reward will drop from 3.125 to 1.5625 $BTC per block, putting new pressure on bitcoin miners’ margins. Strategy and Blackrock together hold over 1.66 million $BTC heading into the supply-reduction event. The Clock Is Ticking on Block 1,050,000 Live data shows fewer than 100,034 blocks remain between today and Bitcoin’s…

Ethereum investors are on high alert after a wallet linked to Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin suddenly moved more than $121 million worth of $ETH following years of inactivity. The transfers have sparked speculation that Lubin could be preparing to dump $ETH. Lubin-Linked Wallet Moves 80,000 $ETH After Three Years Blockchain analytics platform Arkham Intelligence flagged a series of transactions involving a wallet associated with Lubin that holds roughly 243,300 $ETH, worth around $370 million at current prices. According to Arkham’s data, the wallet transferred a total of 80,001 $ETH, valued at approximately $121.6 million, through two separate transactions of 40,000…

For the better part of two years, markets have been pricing in a slow, steady descent in interest rates. Pimco, the world’s largest active bond manager, is now suggesting that trajectory might be about to reverse, and the catalyst isn’t domestic inflation data or a hot jobs report. It’s war. Pacific Investment Management Company has warned that the ongoing conflict involving Iran could push the Federal Reserve toward raising interest rates rather than cutting them. The logic is straightforward: prolonged military conflict disrupts energy markets, energy disruptions drive up costs across the economy, and the Fed’s primary tool for fighting…

Ripple Labs has unlocked another 1 billion $XRP from the escrow account on May 1, 2026. The blockchain payment company unlocked $XRP tokens valued at approximately $1.37 billion on Friday, according to on-chain data from XRPSCAN analyzed by Finbold. Notably, the company unlocked its latest monthly tranche of $XRP in four transactions. Unlocked $XRP from Ripple’s escrow. Source: XRPSCAN The largest single unlock was 400 million tokens valued at about $547 million. The other transactions involved 100 million, 300 million, and 200 million unlocks. Following the unlock, Ripple’s escrow account held about 33.35 billion tokens, which is valued at about…

Coinbase has entered a strategic partnership with global payment processor Checkout.com, enabling over 1,000 merchants within Checkout.com’s network to accept stablecoin payments. The integration allows consumers to pay using $USDC or $USDT, while merchants receive settlement in U.S. dollars through their existing Checkout.com infrastructure. Bridging Crypto and Traditional Commerce The partnership represents a significant step in bridging the gap between cryptocurrency and mainstream commerce. By leveraging Checkout.com’s established payment rails, Coinbase is effectively opening a new channel for stablecoin usage that does not require merchants to manage crypto wallets or handle blockchain complexity directly. For merchants, the appeal lies in…

Circle, a digital payments and stablecoin company, has launched Circle Wrapped Bitcoin (cirBTC) on the Ethereum blockchain. The new asset allows institutions to use Bitcoin in Ethereum-based financial applications while keeping the underlying BTC securely held in custody. Each cirBTC token is backed 1:1 by native Bitcoin. The reserves are held by a regulated Circle entity and are separated from the company’s corporate assets. This structure is designed to give institutional users access to decentralized finance tools without selling their Bitcoin holdings. The launch brings Bitcoin collateral into Ethereum’s large on-chain financial ecosystem, where lending platforms, decentralized exchanges, tokenized assets,…

Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) traded in the US experienced one of their sharpest daily outflows of the year on the first trading day of the week. According to SoSoValue data, a total net outflow of $648.6 million occurred from spot Bitcoin ETFs on Monday. This figure marks the largest single-day fund outflow recorded since January 29th. These outflows followed a total net outflow of $1 billion recorded last week, ending six weeks of uninterrupted positive capital inflow into spot Bitcoin ETFs. The largest outflow was seen in BlackRock’s IBIT fund, one of the world’s largest asset management companies, with…

Ethereum’s [$ETH] weakness is becoming increasingly visible through whale positioning. Price has fallen to roughly $1,740, placing $ETH below the whale realized price near $1,900. That gap suggests many large holders now sit on unrealized losses rather than profits. Source: TradingView The pressure extends further. $ETH is also trading below the Binance listing AVWAP, currently near $1,700. Notably, this marks only the fourth time in six years that price has traded beneath that long-term benchmark. Historically, such periods have reflected deteriorating market confidence and weaker accumulation dynamics. As a result, whale support appears less reliable than during previous recovery phases.…

In South Korea, cryptocurrency investors are beginning to convert their assets into cash to purchase real estate, with this trend being most prevalent among investors in their 30s. According to data released by South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on May 10, a total of 324 homebuyers declared using proceeds from cryptocurrency sales in their home finance plans between February 10 and March 31. Of these investors, 229 were aged 30-39, representing approximately 70.7% of the total. Related News Experienced Analyst Identifies Two Resistance Levels for Bitcoin – “A Similar Pattern Has Been Seen Three Times Before in…