Author: NBTC

Ethereum has entered a critical phase as on-chain signals, technical structures, and institutional positioning converge again. Market observers report renewed interest after months of consolidation. Consequently, analysts now revisit long-term upside scenarios, including a potential return toward the $5,000 level. The shift comes as Ethereum shows improving network engagement while price action stabilizes near key demand zones. Besides price movement, validator activity has drawn attention across the market. Ethereum currently records heavy traffic in both entry and exit queues. More than 772,000 ETH now waits to enter staking, with activation delays extending beyond 13 days. Meanwhile, exit queues hold over…

BitMine, the U.S.-listed Ether hoarder backed by Peter Thiel and run by former Wall Street strategist Tom Lee, has become South Korea’s second most bought overseas stock in 2025. That’s despite the fact that its BNMR stock collapsed by 82% since early July. According to the Financial Times, South Korean retail traders poured a net $1.4 billion into BitMine this year alone, ranking it just below Google’s Alphabet in foreign investor preference. The obsession began when BitMine switched from mining Bitcoin to hoarding Ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap. The announcement pushed the stock up more than 3,000% by…

Following the completion of the Fusaka update on the Ethereum (ETH) network, developers are now focused on the next major steps in the roadmap. Glamsterdam, scheduled for release in 2026, and Hegota, postponed to a later date, stand out as updates expected to play a decisive role in Ethereum’s goals of scalability, transaction costs, and censorship resistance. Throughout 2025, Ethereum developers frequently stated that they were refocusing on direct scaling of the mainnet. However, the primary impact of the Fusaka update was limited to reducing transaction costs on layer-2 (L2) networks that have reached consensus on Ethereum. Glamsterdam, expected to…

Ethereum treasury company BitMine Immersion Technologies scooped up $97.6 million worth of Ether on Tuesday as the crypto market remains muted in the final days of 2025.Nansen data shows BitMine purchased 32,938 Ether (ETH). Other data shows its total holdings is now 4.07 million ETH, worth $12 billion. BitMine also staked another 118,944 ETH, continuing its strategy to earn passive returns for shareholders. BitMine’s latest buying spree comes amid a broader crypto market compression, which Tom Lee, the orchestrator of BitMine’s Ethereum strategy, said is partly due to an uptick in tax-loss selling in the US: “Year-end tax-loss related selling…

Stablecoins just had their biggest year on record. The total stablecoin market capitalization has grown by 49% in 2025, going from $205 billion in January to $306 billion at the end of November, according to data on crypto analytics platform DeFi Llama. The ballooning of the stablecoin category has been driven by very strong catalysts. In the past 12 months, stablecoin issuers have gained a U.S. regulatory framework, further clarity and rollout of MiCA in the European market, and the embrace of them by institutions. Stablecoins are digital tokens designed to hold a 1:1 peg to fiat currency, like the…

The Ethereum mainnet clocked 2.2 million transactions in a single day in a new record this week, while fees have fallen to just 17 cents on average. The layer-1 blockchain recorded its new transaction milestone on Tuseday, according to block explorer Etherscan. Transaction fees have also dropped considerably over time. The highest transaction fees on Ethereum were recorded in May 2022, when users had to spend over $200 per transaction. However, continued upgrades have dropped fees considerably, despite continued growth of the network’s usage. Fees have also been on the decline since Oct.10, when they were around $8.48, during the…

In the coming year, crypto will potentially extend its influence on fintech as crypto companies seek to get licensed as national banks in the US market. A long list of crypto startups has lined up for a banking license, creating a crossover between traditional finance and decentralized assets. Crypto adoption may resemble fintech in 2026, as companies strive to establish more seamless bridges between traditional finance and decentralized assets. Several prominent crypto startups are lining up to receive a banking license. After years of make-do banking connections and often outright hostility from banks, crypto companies have gained a foothold in…

Japan continues to take significant steps regarding cryptocurrencies. Accordingly, with its 2026 tax reform draft, Japan is preparing for a radical change in the taxation of cryptocurrencies. According to local news agency Nikkei, the government-backed regulation aims to bring cryptocurrency gains under a flat 20 percent tax rate. The most significant change in the draft is the adjustment to the tax rate, as under the current system, cryptocurrency gains are taxed at rates as high as 55%, limiting the interest of individual investors in cryptocurrencies in the country. If the new regulation is adopted, gains from cryptocurrencies will be subject…

Mirae Asset Group is in talks to acquire Korbit, South Korea’s fourth-largest cryptocurrency exchange, in a deal valued at roughly 100 billion to 140 billion Korean won ($70 million to $100 million). The potential acquisition would be led by Mirae Asset Consulting, a non-financial affiliate of the group, which has reportedly signed a memorandum of understanding with Korbit’s major shareholders, according to a Sunday report from The Chosun Daily. Korbit is primarily owned by NXC and its subsidiary Simple Capital Futures, which together hold about 60.5% of the exchange. SK Square owns an additional 31.5% stake. Korbit holds a full…

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has released a sweeping new blog post on Tuesday titled “Balance of Power.” The post offers a critical analysis of the converging threats posed by “Big Business,” “Big Government,” and “Big Mob.” No checks and balances Buterin argues that checks and balances that historically kept societal forces in check are no longer in place. They have eventually broken down during the 21st century. The Canadian prodigy has cited rapid technological progress and automation to argue that the economies of scale make it possible for powerful actors to consolidate control at an unprecedentedly fast pace. His proposed…