Author: NBTC

SEOUL, South Korea – March 2025 – Korbit, one of South Korea’s pioneering cryptocurrency exchanges, faces a pivotal board meeting this week that will determine its response to a substantial 2.73 billion won ($2.0 million) anti-money laundering fine. The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) imposed this penalty following a comprehensive inspection, creating significant financial pressure on the exchange. According to exclusive ZDNet reporting, Korbit’s limited cash reserves may force the liquidation of cryptocurrency holdings, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Ripple assets. This decision arrives during a period of intensified global regulatory scrutiny, making Korbit’s response a potential bellwether for the industry.…

In today’s newsletter, Paul Veradittakit, managing partner at Pantera Capital, shares his 2026 predictions on crypto, real-world asset tokenization and AI. Programming Note: This will be our last newsletter of 2025 — we look forward to seeing you all in 2026! We’re also selecting third party contributions for the coming year, so get in touch if you’re a global thought leader with research to share. A heartfelt thank you to all of the contributors from this year and all our subscribers for being part of our newsletter. We look forward to 2026 — all signs indicate it’s going to be…

Europe’s cryptocurrency industry is starting to feel the impact of rules that, until recently, mostly lived on paper. The European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework, the first of its kind, is now being rolled out across member states. This comes after years of rapid growth and a handful of failures that showed the need for clearer rules and stronger protections. With MiCA taking effect, crypto assets are no longer operating in a legal gray zone across much of Europe, but within a more settled and predictable set of rules. For investors, MiCA is meant to offer greater protection and…

Crypto.com has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kyobo Lifeplanet Life Insurance, South Korea’s first fully digital life insurer, to explore new ways of expanding access to digital assets and developing digital-first financial services in the local market. According to the announcement shared on Wednesday, January 7, the collaboration will focus on potential referral and point-exchange initiatives, subject to local regulatory requirements. Under the proposed framework, Kyobo Lifeplanet may introduce a referral program allowing eligible customers to access Crypto.com’s platform, with benefits available to users who complete onboarding and meet specific activity thresholds. Expanding access to digital assets via…

White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said he welcomed today’s consumer price index (CPI) data, which came in below expectations. Hassett argued that the US economy was showing lower inflation along with high growth. Speaking in an interview with Fox Business Network, Hassett said, “I’m not saying we’re declaring victory on prices, but this is a surprisingly good CPI report.” Hassett stated that wage increases have outpaced price increases, that American taxpayers will see higher tax refunds next year, and that the government will help lower mortgage interest rates. Hassett, stating that the slowdown in inflation has created room for…

Key Takeaways Colombia’s DIAN mandates crypto service providers to report crypto transaction data. The regulation aligns with the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework to improve tax transparency. Colombia has formalized the integration of digital assets into its national tax regime by adopting mandatory reporting rules that align with the OECD’s Cryptoasset Reporting Framework (CARF). Under newly issued Resolution 000240, the country’s tax authority, DIAN, now requires exchanges, intermediaries, and trading platforms to implement rigorous due diligence and automated data sharing with foreign tax authorities to enhance fiscal transparency. Service providers must collect and report detailed information on crypto users and transactions,…

Spot trading volume for tokenized stocks on Bitget has blown past the $1 billion milestone mark. Bitget’s “universal exchange” became a preferred venue for trading tokenized versions of gold and silver in a record year for precious metals. Traditional finance and crypto mainstays, including Nasdaq, Coinbase and Ondo continue to increase exposure to tokenization. Crypto exchange Bitget, which prides itself as the world’s largest universal exchange, has announced that cumulative spot trading volume for tokenized stocks on its platform has exceeded $1 billion. Most of the growth occurred in December 2025, when the platform recorded about 95% of the total…

Circle had a challenging year, with rapid growth and economic headwinds. For 2025, Circle Internet Group Inc. achieved over 66% in revenue growth. Circle Internet Group Inc., the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, saw over 66% in revenue growth. The group emerged as a growth leader among other crypto-friendly fintech companies. Circle achieved the biggest growth rate among fintech companies, though its revenues remain comparatively small to mature fintechs. | Source: Artemis Circle’s main source of revenue came from its role as a stablecoin issuer. The company retained most of the fees, achieving $2.93B in revenues. Based on DeFi Llama…

China’s financial associations have jointly declared real-world asset tokenization (RWA) illegal under current national regulations. A new risk warning issued by seven major industry bodies confirmed RWA falls within the category of prohibited virtual currency activities. The statement brings clarity to regulatory treatment and signals a full enforcement posture against RWA in both domestic and offshore operations. Cross-Industry Warning Identifies RWA as Unlawful Activity The notice was co-signed by seven associations, including the Internet Finance Association, the Securities Association, and the Payment & Clearing Association. The document referred to RWA as a financing and trading activity, placing it alongside stablecoins…

Network International partners with MBank to enable AE Coin payments in the UAE. AE Coin integrates into existing payment rails for retail and e-commerce use. The move signals the UAE’s push toward compliant, real-world digital currency adoption. Network International, a fintech company, has taken a decisive step in reshaping digital payments in the UAE by enabling regulated stablecoin acceptance nationwide. The move follows a strategic partnership with Al Maryah Community Bank, widely known as MBank. Through this collaboration, Network becomes the first payments platform in the country to support AE Coin payments across everyday commerce. Consequently, the development signals a…