Author: NBTC

The two companies announced that a set of agents completed end-to-end payments in five markets across Latin America. Executing purchases in controlled conditions while following clear consent rules, the pilot shows that AI agents can be integrated into traditional finance scenarios without violating customer protections. Santander and Visa Pioneer AI Agentic Payments Across Five Latin American Markets Fintech companies are now experimenting with introducing artificial intelligence (AI) agents in traditional consumer interactions. Santander, one of the largest banks in the world, recently announced the completion of a pilot that examined the use of AI agents to make a series of…

A group of U.S. regional banks is developing the Cari Network, a tokenized deposit platform built on ZKsync, a layer-2 network, as lenders seek a regulated path to modernize digital payments. The network, announced Tuesday, is being developed with banks including Huntington Bancshares, First Horizon, M&T Bank, KeyCorp and Old National Bancorp. It’s designed to let banks turn customer deposits into digital tokens that can move instantly between institutions — without those funds ever leaving the banking system. That’s a key distinction from stablecoins, which are often issued by nonbank companies. Cari says its tokens will still represent regular bank…

The decentralized exchange landscape witnessed a significant milestone in late 2023 as 1inch Fusion mode’s average daily trading volume reached $82.8 million during the fourth quarter, representing a substantial 22.6% increase from the previous quarter according to data analytics platform Unfolded. This remarkable growth signals a broader shift in cryptocurrency trading behavior and highlights the increasing sophistication of decentralized finance infrastructure. 1inch Fusion Mode Volume Growth Analysis 1inch Network’s Fusion mode represents a revolutionary approach to decentralized trading that fundamentally changes how users interact with multiple liquidity sources. The platform aggregates liquidity from hundreds of decentralized exchanges while implementing sophisticated…

Ethereum’s on-chain fundamentals are improving at a pace not seen in any previous cycle. Institutional capital is building on the network, whale wallets are growing, and exchange reserves are falling. Yet the price tells a different story. $ETH is down over 50% from its 2025 highs, and the weekly chart structure remains bearish. The question is whether institutional blockchain activity can eventually pull the price higher or whether it remains a story without a market payoff. Traditional Finance (TradFi) Is Choosing Ethereum Large financial institutions are entering blockchain at an accelerating rate. That involvement spans custody, settlement, and payments. But…

As we reported yesterday, Abu Dhabi-based sovereign wealth funds increased their Bitcoin investments despite the sharp decline in the cryptocurrency market. Mubadala and its affiliate Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC) increased their position in a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the fourth quarter. According to official announcements, Mubadala increased its stake in the BlackRock-managed iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) ETF by 46% compared to the previous quarter, reaching 12.7 million shares as of December 31. The Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC), which is managed independently from Mubadala, also increased its position in the same fund by 3% through a subsidiary, raising…

Pakistan’s parliament has passed a sweeping crypto law and trading without a license could land you in prison. Binance and $HTX are already first in line, but the full licensing race is just getting started. A Bitcoin reserve, 2,000MW for mining, and a Trump-linked stablecoin deal – Pakistan’s ambitions go well beyond regulation. Pakistan’s parliament has officially passed the Virtual Assets Act 2026, establishing a permanent legal framework for cryptocurrency in the country. President Asif Ali Zardari signed the bill into law after it cleared the Senate on February 27 and the National Assembly on March 3. The law formally…

Key Highlights: Binance announced the listing of Katana ($KAT) with spot trading set to start on March 18, 2026, across $USDT, $USDC, and TRY pairs. The token briefly surged following the listing news, while overall trading volume increased across markets. Katana Network aims to provide deep liquidity and native yield, though the asset will carry a Seed Tag due to higher volatility risks. Binance has announced that it will list the token of the DeFi-focused Katana Network, opening spot trading for its native asset KAT later this month. The announcement triggered a short-lived rally in the token’s price while trading…

In a landmark achievement for Ethereum scaling, the Arbitrum Layer 2 network has officially processed over 2.1 billion cumulative transactions, signaling a seismic shift in blockchain adoption and utility. The Arbitrum Foundation confirmed this staggering milestone in a year-end announcement, revealing a network now supporting more than 1,000 projects and securing roughly $20 billion in total value locked (TVL). This data, verified on-chain, underscores a pivotal moment where scaling solutions are transitioning from theoretical promise to foundational infrastructure for the decentralized web. Arbitrum Transactions Reach Unprecedented Scale The journey to 2.1 billion transactions represents a compound growth story rooted in…

The Ethereum Foundation announced that it has completed a sale of 5,000 $ETH in the over-the-counter (OTC) market. According to the foundation’s statement, the sale was conducted at an average price of $2,042.96 per $ETH. The statement indicated that the OTC counterparty to the transaction was the crypto investment company Bitmine. Such OTC transactions are typically preferred to limit price volatility in the market and prevent large-scale selling from creating sudden price impacts on exchanges. Bitmine is known for consistently accumulating $ETH, similar to Michael Saylor’s Strategy company, and the company has no plans to sell $ETH anytime soon. Therefore,…

Milo Tops $100 Million in Crypto Mortgages, Record $12 Million Home Loan Milo, a Miami-based financial technology firm focused on crypto-backed lending, announced it has originated more than $100 million in crypto mortgages, marking a milestone in the use of digital assets as collateral for home financing and purchasing. The company said the total includes its largest single transaction to date, a $12 million crypto mortgage, as demand grows among institutional and high net worth borrowers seeking alternatives to traditional mortgage structures. Milo’s crypto mortgage product allows clients to pledge Bitcoin to secure financing for home purchases without selling their…