Author: NBTC

If the Pudgy Penguins brand was an island like Hawaii, then it would be toward the beginning of a years-long phase, where molten lava erupting from the ocean’s floor has started cooling and forming newly habitable land. That’s according to Steve Starobinsky, at least. With decades of experience in the toy-making world, Starobinsky was tasked in March with refining Pudgy’s approach to consumer packaged goods. But he acknowledged in a recent interview with Decrypt that Honolulu’s iconic beaches didn’t form overnight. As Pudgy’s director of business development and partnerships, Starobinsky said his newest role requires a relatively methodic approach to…

Key Takeaways Circle introduces GLDC and SILC, allowing users to swap USDC for tokenized gold and silver 24/7 with deep COMEX-based liquidity. Gold and silver have both hit record highs in December, gaining over 70% and 140% year to date, respectively. Circle announced today that it has entered the tokenized commodities market with the launch of GLDC and SILC, two new digital assets representing tokenized exposure to gold and silver. The offering, available through CircleMetals.com, allows users to instantly swap USDC for tokenized gold or silver at real-time prices, backed by liquidity modeled on COMEX reference markets. Tokens are issued…

A press release published on Christmas Eve claimed that Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, had launched a new platform offering tokenized gold and silver trading. However, it is “fake,” a Circle spokesperson told CoinDesk. The platform, launched under the name CircleMetals, was promoted through a press release distributed on Dec. 24, a date when many U.S. businesses are closed or operating at limited capacity, and response times are slower. The release described a new service enabling 24/7 swaps between USDC and purported gold (GLDC) and silver (SILC) tokens, supposedly backed by COMEX-linked liquidity. Oddly, it prompted users to…

Investors who followed financial educator Robert Kiyosaki’s long-standing preference for hard assets and select cryptocurrencies at the start of 2025 would have seen mixed results by late December. Kiyosaki, the author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, has consistently argued that gold, silver, Bitcoin (BTC), and Ethereum (ETH) help protect against inflation, currency debasement, and systemic financial risk, though these represent only some of his publicly known investments. Kiyosaki’s top investments As of press time, Bitcoin was trading at about $87,182, down roughly 5% year-to-date; Ethereum was near $2,928.34, off about 12% year-to-date; gold was trading around $2,928.34, up roughly 71%…

One of Russia’s largest banks is now offering tokens based on regular unleaded fuel, of the kind sold at gas stations across the country. When the instrument matures, investors can either collect their money with accrued interest or receive a fuel card and use it to top up their tanks. Russia’s Alfa-Bank issues digital financial asset on fuel Alfa-Bank, Russia’s biggest private banking institution, has announced the launch of a digital financial asset (DFA) offering a choice between making a profit on the investment and receiving a physical product in return. EuroTrans, a major Russian fuel operator that controls the…

Ripple, the blockchain payments and infrastructure company behind XRP, has once again become the focus of IPO speculation. Recent claims circulating among crypto observers suggest the company could be engaging in late-stage discussions for a potential public offering in 2026. These claims come despite clear statements from Ripple’s leadership that the company has no immediate plans to go public. Ripple IPO rumours resurface Copy link to section Crypto researcher SMQKE recently shared findings that point to what he describes as documented indications of Ripple exploring a public listing. Images and excerpts from Presto Research have been cited as evidence that…

Americans are feeling the pressure of higher living costs, but they are not stepping away from crypto. A new holiday spending survey from Visa Inc. shows a growing appetite for digital assets as gifts, even as inflation continues to limit disposable income and keep consumers cautious. The contrast highlights a deeper shift in how households adapt when money feels tight. Inflation Is Cooling, but Budgets Still Feel Tight Inflation has eased from its post-pandemic peak, but prices remain elevated across essentials such as housing, food, insurance, and utilities. Wages have broadly kept pace with inflation, preventing a sharp drop in…

NVIDIA has agreed to pay approximately $20 billion to acquire assets from artificial intelligence chip startup Groq, marking the company’s largest transaction on record and continuing its strategy of absorbing potential competitors before they can challenge its market dominance. The chipmaker’s latest licensing deal mirrors a similar transaction just three months ago, reinforcing the narrative that decentralized AI infrastructure may offer the only alternative to Nvidia’s growing dominance. Threefold Premium in Three Months with Trump Jr. Connection The deal closed just three months after Groq raised $750 million at a $6.9 billion valuation—a round that included BlackRock, Samsung, Cisco, and…

While expectations for the Fed’s interest rate policy in 2026 point to limited easing, statements from market participants and the Trump administration reveal differing perspectives on monetary policy. BlackRock strategists Amanda Lynam and Dominique Bly note that the Fed has already implemented a total of 175 basis points of rate cuts in its current cycle, bringing it closer to a neutral rate. According to the strategists, unless there is a significant weakening in the labor market, the room for further aggressive rate cuts in 2026 is quite limited. LSEG data also indicates that market pricing reflects expectations of only two…

Key Takeaways KuCoin has introduced KIA, an AI assistant for its users. KIA helps users by providing market insights through a conversational AI interface. Global crypto exchange KuCoin announced today that it has completed the deployment of KIA, a crypto-native AI designed to simplify the crypto experience for users, enabling them to navigate the market more efficiently. KuCoin CEO BC Wong said in a statement that the company has always believed technology can empower people and change the world, and that KIA represents that vision. “By building our own crypto-native AI from the ground up, we are creating technology that…