Author: NBTC

EUR-pegged stablecoins occupy an insignificant portion of the DeFi market even as Europe draws closer to a unified crypto rulebook. According to Barter Swap, a DeFi protocol, euro stablecoins account for 0.35% of total stablecoin supply, with a share of trading volume below 0.1%. The gap shows that euro-based assets remain limited in day-to-day DeFi activity. The market is narrow as Circle’s $EURC leads with about $445 million in market cap, followed by $EURCV, $AEUR, $EURI, and EURe. These tokens have built a foothold in the market, but supply figures do not show how often they are actually used. Related:…

The Central Bank of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has taken a decisive step toward strengthening its financial position. The bank will begin purchasing gold directly from a state owned trader to build stronger Central Bank gold reserves. This move signals a major shift in how the country manages national wealth. Officials want to anchor financial stability with tangible assets. Gold offers protection during currency volatility and external shocks. By expanding Central Bank gold reserves, Congo aims to reduce dependence on foreign currency holdings. The strategy could reshape the Democratic Republic of the Congo economy in the coming years.…

Blockchain and crypto are technologies performing the same functions as existing financial infrastructure, so they shouldn’t be treated as separate asset classes when crafting legislation, according to the fintech chief of Australia’s securities regulator. In a paper presented at the Melbourne Money & Finance Conference on Wednesday, Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC’s) head of fintech, Rhys Bollen, said crypto should be regulated on “economic substance rather than technological form.” Tokenized securities should fall within securities laws, and stablecoins should trigger payment services legislation, Bollen said, while noting that other elements of crypto may be subject to consumer protection laws.…

Backpack Exchange appointed former CFTC Acting Chairman Mark Wetjen as President of Backpack US to lead the exchange’s formal entry into the American market. CEO Armani Ferrante confirmed the hire signals the start of U.S. office buildouts and staff hiring, capping what he described as a multi-year push to bring Backpack to American users. Why it matters: Wetjen’s prior role as CFTC Acting Chairman gives Backpack direct regulatory credibility as U.S. crypto oversight tightens. American users have been locked out of Backpack — Wetjen’s appointment marks the first concrete step toward domestic access. A compliance-first leadership hire signals Backpack is…

Blockchain analytics platforms continue to track how capital moves across different crypto ecosystems. Data referenced by crypto.news shows that Hyperliquid captured the largest net inflows among blockchain networks during the past month. The platform recorded approximately $616 million in net capital inflows. Total incoming capital reached about $2.4 billion, while outflows reached roughly $1.8 billion. The difference between these figures produced the strong positive net flow. Large inflows often signal rising user adoption, growing liquidity, and increased trader activity within a blockchain ecosystem. In the case of Hyperliquid, the inflow surge reflects strong demand for decentralized derivatives trading. NEW: $HYPE…

A transaction on the Ethereum ($ETH) network has attracted significant attention in the cryptocurrency market. According to on-chain data, a user exchanged approximately $50.4 million worth of $USDT for only about $36,000 worth of $AAVE, resulting in a loss of over $50 million. The identity of the user who lost $50 million due to a major mistake has not been revealed, but it is believed to be Garrett Jin, a Bitcoin supporter. According to the on-chain analytics platform Lookonchain, Bitcoin supporter Garrett Jin is suspected of making a mistake in a $50 million $USDT swap. According to Lookonchain, the anonymous…

US President Donald Trump has announced an immediate 5 percentage-point increase in the global tariff rate, bringing the new rate to 15% from an initial 10%. Usually, the crypto market experiences a major sell-off following tariff announcements. Even so, the market remained unchanged despite the latest news. The announcement, intended to address trade imbalances and boost US industry, immediately sparked uncertainty among investors about the broader economic outlook and ongoing legal and political battles. Regarding the crypto market, reliable sources noted that Bitcoin’s price was roughly $68,000 and that Ether’s price remained relatively stable at the time the new tariff…

Europe’s regulated stablecoin market is growing under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), but one entire category remains empty. Nearly two years after MiCA took full effect, not a single asset-referenced token has been authorized in the EU. Data from the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) shows 19 licensed issuers and 29 regulated stablecoins, while the parallel track for commodity- and basket-backed tokens is at zero. What the Numbers Actually Show MiCA, which came into full force on December 30, 2024, splits regulated stablecoins into two distinct categories. Electronic money tokens (EMTs) are backed by a single fiat currency.…

One of the most important aspects of risk assessment in the cryptocurrency exchange sector is transparency. Although proof of reserves (PoR) is offered by many platforms, not all implementations actually provide the same degree of dependability or verifiability. There is a big difference between exchanges that offer strong reserve verification and those that are still rather opaque, according to recent transparency rankings. Top spots KuCoin presently holds the top spot in the Proof-of-Reserves Transparency Score, earning an A+ rating with a score of 96 points, according to CryptoQuants transparency data. Several verifiable methods, such as publicly accessible wallet addresses, monthly…

PIP Labs, the company behind Story Protocol, a layer-1 network for licensing and maintaining intellectual property, has let go of several employees as it explores opportunities associated with artificial intelligence. The reductions include five full-time employees and three contractors, representing around 10% of staff contributing to Story across various entities, the company told Decrypt. That includes the Story Foundation and infrastructure layer Poseidon, according to Story Chief Protocol Officer Andrea Muttoni. “PIP Labs is sharpening focus [through] a small workforce adjustment,” she said in a statement to Decrypt, noting that the company has begun leaning into IP infrastructure for AI,…