Author: NBTC

Pudgy Penguins shipped its flagship game to the general public on Monday, and the most notable thing about it is that you wouldn’t know it had anything to do with crypto unless someone told you. Pudgy World, the browser-based game first announced at Art Basel in late 2023, went live with 12 unique towns across a world called The Berg, narrative quests where players help a penguin named Pengu find someone named Polly, and a set of mini-games. CoinDesk played a 10-minute session and came away with a simple takeaway. It’s smooth, responsive, intuitive, and clearly not built with a…

E-Estate Group Inc., a tokenized real estate company, announced that its tokenized portfolio exceeds $150 million in value. While the firm’s last annual report put its tokenized real estate portfolio at $104.62 million by the end of 2025, this was an ‘early milestone,’ according to a February 16 post on X. “$100M was an early milestone. Today, our tokenized portfolio exceeds $150M and continues to expand. Structured growth. Real assets. Long-term infrastructure,” the post reads. Indeed, the portfolio’s ‘actual value’ stood at $152.32 million as of January 1, 2026, as per the annual report itself. Moreover, the company’s native Estate…

Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of FTX, reemerged publicly on February 23 with a post on X praising the Trump administration’s new drug-pricing platform, TrumpRx. He claimed drug companies are ripping Americans off and called the platform a “huge step in the right direction.” Bankman-Fried also pushed for insurance companies to get on board so people don’t have to pick between cheaper meds and keeping their coverage. TrumpRx is a government-run website that launched on February 5. It connects patients directly with drug companies offering discounted meds, with no insurance or middlemen required. The site doesn’t sell anything itself, simply…

Key takeaways Celo was initially designed to create a mobile wallet on Ethereum, focusing on accessibility for mainstream users. Users on Celo can pay gas fees with stablecoins directly, enhancing user-friendliness. Celo simplifies transactions by using phone numbers as identifiers, making blockchain technology more accessible. Celo is positioning itself as a consumer-friendly alternative to Ethereum with lower transaction fees. The focus on peer-to-peer payments and partnerships is expected to drive Celo’s growth. Pivoting is a natural part of the startup journey and should not be criticized. Celo has maintained a consistent focus on peer-to-peer payments and developing economies. Payments are…

Nicholas Hammer, co-founder and CEO of crypto lender Blockfills, has recently stepped down from his leadership role, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. The firm’s website now lists Joseph Perry as the interim CEO. The change of leadership comes as the firm has suffered losses of around $75 million and suspended client deposits and withdrawals earlier this month. Blockfills is also said to have urged some clients to withdraw their crypto assets before the platform halted deposits and withdrawals on Feb. 11, the person said, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the matter is private.…

In a significant development for the global cryptocurrency landscape, South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party is poised to introduce a pivotal stablecoin bill as early as next week, marking a crucial step toward formalizing the nation’s digital asset framework in February 2025. This legislative push follows extensive consultations and aims to bridge the gap between rapid technological innovation and necessary financial oversight. Consequently, the move signals South Korea’s intent to solidify its position as a forward-thinking hub for blockchain technology while ensuring consumer protection and market stability. South Korea’s Stablecoin Bill: A Legislative Timeline The initiative stems directly from the party’s…

Public Bitcoin Miners are Dumping Bitcoin for AI, a Historic Mistake There is no doubt about it, this is the age of AI. Corporations are cutting their workforces in half to invest cash flow into hardware, while the stock market remains near all-time highs, mostly thanks to FAANG. OpenClaw, a self-hosted AI agent, has more stars on GitHub than Linux and React, while even Jack Dorsey is taking harsh measures to restructure Block in the face of digital, artificial intelligence. But how much of this AI wave is hype, and how many of the companies that build its infrastructure will…

Russian authorities have initiated a criminal investigation into Telegram co-founder and CEO Pavel Durov, according to state media reports. Durov is being investigated in Russia as part of a criminal case involving allegations of facilitation of terrorist activities, official state publication Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported on Tuesday, citing the Federal Security Service (FSB). Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reportedly confirmed the investigation, saying the news reports were based on materials from the FSB, which was “carrying out its functions.” The latest news adds to an ongoing pressure campaign against Telegram in Russia since state media regulator Roskomnadzor tightened messenger restrictions in early…

The tokenized US Treasury market has surged by over $1 billion since the beginning of 2026, despite macroeconomic uncertainty and concerns over the US government’s growing national debt. Tokenized US Treasurys are government debt instruments that are a form of real-world assets (RWAs) represented onchain by a token. The market capitalization of tokenized Treasurys climbed to more than $10.8 billion at the time of writing from $8.9 billion on Jan. 1, according to data from RWA.xyz. The tokenized US Treasury market has grown to over $10.8 billion. Source: RWA.xyz. The tokenized US Treasury market has surged 50x since 2024, according…

Lawmakers in Arizona have taken a significant step toward formalizing state-level engagement with digital assets by advancing legislation that would create a Digital Assets Strategic Reserve Fund, allowing the state to hold, invest and potentially lend seized cryptocurrencies. Summary Arizona lawmakers advanced Senate Bill 1649, which would create a Digital Assets Strategic Reserve Fund allowing the state to hold, invest and potentially lend seized cryptocurrencies. The fund would be administered by the State Treasurer and capitalized using confiscated or forfeited crypto assets rather than taxpayer funds. Eligible assets include Bitcoin, $XRP and DigiByte, marking a notable step toward formal state-level…