Author: NBTC

Global payments provider Visa has added five more chains to its stablecoin settlement pilot program amid strong demand for on-chain rails. Among the new additions are Circle’s Arc, Coinbase-incubated Base, Canton, Polygon, and Stripe-backed Tempo. Collectively, Visa now supports nine blockchains. In Q1 2026, Visa reported that its stablecoin settlement hit a $7B run rate, marking a 50% increase on a quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) basis. For the payments provider, the growth underscored “increasing confidence” in on-chain rails. Rubail Birwadker, Global Head of Growth Products and Strategic Partnerships at Visa, noted that expanded multi-chain support is aimed at reflecting the users’ different…

Australian crypto exchange $BTC Markets has notified the country’s securities regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, of its intention to apply for a markets license to offer regulated tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). “Our plan is to obtain licensing infrastructure that enables particular types of tokenized assets to be offered and available to the public,” said $BTC Markets CEO Lucas Dobbins on Monday. The vision is a world where tokenized equities, bonds, and real-world assets will trade alongside cryptocurrencies, markets will operate continuously, and settlement will be instant, he added. Speaking to Cointelegraph, Dobbins said “the roughly $26 billion in…

Hedera has released Hedera Agent Lab, a browser-based development platform that lets developers build on-chain AI agents using no-code, low-code, or full custom code workflows, all accessible from the Hedera Developer Portal. Building AI agents on Hedera just easier. Hedera Agent Lab is now live on the Developer Portal – a fully integrated, browser-based environment to build, run, & chat with your Hedera agent in minutes.✅ No-code. Low-code. Full control. You pick. Full breakdown:… — Hedera (@hedera) March 26, 2026 The platform is built on the open-source Hedera Agent Kit and supports LangChain and Vercel AI SDK as framework options,…

SBI Holdings has started formal talks with Bitbank over a capital and business alliance. The planned transaction would make Bitbank a consolidated subsidiary of SBI. The company said it plans to acquire shares after due diligence and internal approval. Details on timing, structure, and acquisition method will be discussed later. The move comes soon after SBI Group absorbed Bitpoint Japan through a merger with SBI VC Trade in April 2026. The latest talks show SBI is moving quickly to expand its crypto exchange business. Japan is also reviewing how crypto assets fit under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. That…

Oil prices pulled back sharply early Monday after reports that Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers planned an emergency call to discuss a coordinated release of strategic crude reserves, giving markets a possible policy response to the war-driven supply shock. The Financial Times reported that G7 finance ministers planned an emergency call to discuss a possible coordinated release of 300 million to 400 million barrels from strategic oil reserves to calm markets after the war-driven spike in crude prices. On Hyperliquid, crude oil futures rose nearly 25% to as high as about $117 overnight before falling by around 14.5% to…

The $XRP Ledger is entering a new phase of security hardening as developers roll out an AI strategy to support the network’s next wave of global adoption. XRPL validator Vet highlighted the shift on X, describing it as “next level security for $XRP for the next level of adoption.” Notably, Vet’s comment points to a framework that goes beyond traditional methods like bug bounties, code scans, and attackathons. At the center of this evolution is a newly introduced AI-assisted red team to proactively identify vulnerabilities before they reach production. Key Points $XRP Ledger rolls out AI-driven security to boost adoption…

DEX activity declined in April, extending an overall downward trend. The liquidity outflows and volume declines affected both spot and futures markets. DEX activity dipped again in April, extending the overall downward trend since October 2025. Trading on DEX reflects crypto sentiment for native traders, as well as general interest in long-tail assets. In April, total DEX volumes reached $166.78B, the lowest level since August 2024, according to DeFi Llama data. DEX activity in April contracted further, following the general downward trend from the October 2025 peak. | Source: DeFi Llama DEX trading is now around 59% lower than the…

US President Donald Trump’s statements suggesting that the war with Iran could end soon have boosted optimism in the cryptocurrency markets, while analysts have begun to assess the impact of a possible ceasefire on the price of Bitcoin. Following recent contradictory messages from the White House, Trump’s statement that “the war will end soon” triggered a swift reaction in the markets. As of today, Bitcoin has risen to $68,594, while Ethereum and altcoins have also seen increases. According to market experts, a short-term reversal in crypto assets could be seen if geopolitical tensions ease. SCRYPT CEO Norman Wooding stated that…

On-chain data shows whale wallets pocketed $7M in tokenized gold profits in under 48 hours. The same Iran conflict that sent gold soaring is now fueling oil and the dollar. With U.S. inflation data dropping this week, the next move in gold could set the tone for crypto too. Gold has been one of the strongest trades of the year. But on-chain data suggests some of the biggest players may be walking out the door. On-chain analytics platform Lookonchain flagged that two whale wallets offloaded roughly $40 million worth of tokenized gold in just 48 hours, and both walked away…

The crypto market just witnessed a powerful shift as $XRP recorded a massive $315 million inflow on Binance within two days. This sudden $XRP buying surge has caught the attention of traders, analysts, and institutional watchers across the globe. The scale of this accumulation signals strong conviction among buyers, especially during a time when market sentiment remains mixed. Traders now question whether this $XRP buying surge marks the beginning of a sustained rally or simply a short-term spike driven by speculative momentum. The speed of accumulation suggests coordinated buying, possibly from large players or whales. Market participants now watch closely…