Author: NBTC

South Korean payments provider NHN KCP has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Ava Labs to develop a payments-focused Layer 1 blockchain on the Avalanche network, marking a step toward integrating blockchain infrastructure into real-world payment systems. The alliance centers on building a private mainnet tailored for commercial transactions, with a focus on speed, data security, and merchant-level customization. The project will leverage Ava Cloud, a service that enables enterprises to deploy and manage their own Layer 1 blockchains. Payment Network Development Under the agreement, NHN KCP and Ava Labs will work together to create a network designed specifically…

Origin Dollar integrates Morpho’s new markets on HyperLiquid, enabling $USDC lending against WHYPE and kHYPE collateral with yields exceeding 6%. The strategy utilizes Circle’s CCTP technology to automatically bridge interest generated from HyperLiquid back to the Ethereum mainnet. The protocol optimizes yield for mainnet users without requiring them to manually manage positions or bridge assets across different chains. The Origin Dollar (OUSD) platform has deployed its capital strategies on the HyperLiquid network. This expansion aims to capture native $USDC yields by providing liquidity to decentralized lending markets. Technically, the protocol leverages markets offering an APY of approximately 6%, outperforming standard…

Ethereum is trading at $2,255.04 in April 2026, up 7.09% on the monthly chart, after the $2,017.09 monthly low tested and held the ascending support trendline connecting Ethereum’s major lows since 2019. The monthly MACD histogram has turned positive at 129.89, marking the first constructive macro momentum signal since the late 2025 decline from the $4,800 peak. Ethereum ($ETH) price is at $2,255.04 in April 2026, up 7.09% on the monthly close, after the monthly low of $2,017.09 tested and held the ascending support trendline annotated on the chart connecting Ethereum’s lows from the 2019 base through the current cycle.…

Tomorrow, 44 million users in Japan will be able to convert their loyalty points into $XRP and spend it at over 5 million merchants. Rakuten Wallet – the digital asset arm of Japan’s largest consumer ecosystem – is listing $XRP for spot trading tomorrow, alongside Stellar, Dogecoin, Shiba Inu and Toncoin. More significantly, users will be able to convert Rakuten Points directly into $XRP and spend it through Rakuten Pay across Japan’s merchant network. What Rakuten Actually Is For context on why this matters: Rakuten is Japan’s Amazon, bank, travel platform, telecom and loyalty programme rolled into one. Its points…

Circle is planning its next big move in crypto. The company behind $USDC is now working on a new blockchain project called Arc. At a recent event “Circle in Seoul”, Jeremy Allaire shared updates about the project. He said Arc is already running on testnet and could become a major part of Circle’s future. 吴说获悉，Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire 在首尔活动 Circle in Seoul 演讲中提到，Circle 正推进原生网络 Arc，目前处于测试网阶段，并探索发行网络代币，用于治理、激励及经济利益对齐，后续希望逐步过渡至 PoS 机制。他表示，这可能是自创建 $USDC 以来，Circle 最重大的平台级战略举措。… — 吴说区块链 (@wublockchain12) April 14, 2026 He also revealed that Circle is exploring a native token for the network. While the company may shift to a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) system later.…

The Chainlink price narrative shifted this week when the protocol upgraded its Data Streams infrastructure to deliver near-real-time pricing for US stocks and ETFs on a 24/5 basis, giving DeFi protocols access to the same equity data that covers roughly $80 trillion in global market value. CoinMarketCap’s April 12 coverage of the upgrade notes that most existing on-chain data solutions provide only a single price point for equities during standard trading hours from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET, creating a gap where on-chain markets cannot reliably replicate market conditions at all hours. Chainlink’s 24/5 streams eliminate that gap, enabling…

Ether ($ETH) is pulling ahead of bitcoin in a clear rotation, with capital shifting as bitcoin ETFs see outflows and ether funds and prices move higher. $ETH is up about 8% over the past 24 hours versus bitcoin’s roughly 5% gain, according to CoinDesk market data, extending its outperformance to about 4 percentage points over the past week and nearly 9 points over the past month. U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs recorded $325.8 Million in net outflows on April 13, led by $229 Million from Fidelity’s FBTC and $63 Million from ARK’s ARKB, according to SoSoValue data. The pullback marks a…

A major update from Japan is putting $XRP back in the spotlight, as Rakuten Wallet rolls out a large-scale integration that could bring crypto into everyday payments. According to reports, starting April 15, 2026, Rakuten Wallet will support $XRP not just for trading, but as a payment method. Users can convert Rakuten Points into $XRP and load it into Rakuten Cash for spending via Rakuten Pay. This effectively plugs $XRP into one of Japan’s most widely used consumer platforms, bringing it closer to real-world usage beyond just exchanges. 44 Million Users, 5 Million Merchants This is important because: 100 million+…

ASI Alliance and Matterhorn announced a partnership to develop safer tools for building decentralized applications. The project focuses on “vibecoding,” where software is created through natural language prompts, a trend that is quickly moving into mainstream use. Matterhorn develops tools for blockchain coding with AI, while ASI Alliance unites SingularityNET, Fetch.ai, and CUDOS. Together, they aim to mitigate risks associated with AI-generated smart contracts, which can result in the loss of funds if deployed with errors. The platform will include a system called Vibe-Audit. It combines a trained AI security model with human review to check smart contracts before launch.…

AEON has announced a strategic partnership with Reserve to bring $RSR into real-world commerce. The partnership will increase the utility of digital assets that will enable people to go beyond trading to daily expenditure using an international payment system. This step indicates a wider trend towards the crypto industry in which projects are emphasizing useful applications over speculative activity. By embedding the Reserve ecosystem into the AEON payment rails, both organizations are striving to make crypto a viable option in everyday transactions. AEON partners with @reserveprotocol to bring $RSR into real-world payments & agentic economy.With AEON, users can now spend…