Author: NBTC

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Dan Tapiero, founder of crypto-focused growth equity fund 10T Holdings, is betting that artificial intelligence and blockchain technology will converge in ways the market hasn’t yet priced in. “Blockchain is the money of AI,” Tapiero said in an interview with CoinDesk. “If you just imagine having thousands of these AI agents acting independently, they’re not going to be sending wires from JPMorgan. It’s all going to be smart contracts embedded on blockchains.” Tapiero said he expects around 20% of 10T’s next fund — currently raising capital through early 2026 — to be invested in companies operating…

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a warning in its December 2025 report, highlighting the potential risks posed by USD-pegged stablecoins to emerging markets (EMs). The report argues that these stablecoins could encourage currency substitution and facilitate capital outflows in countries with fragile economies. Stablecoins and Currency Substitution Risks The IMF’s report points out that stablecoins pegged to the U.S. dollar could prompt currency substitution in countries with high inflation or unstable currencies. This could lead locals to move away from their national currency and adopt dollar-pegged stablecoins instead. The result would be a reduction in the control central banks…

Binance has announced it will be removing some trading pairs it supports for margin trading. According to the official statement, Binance Margin will discontinue a total of 15 different margin trading pairs on the platform as of December 23, 2025, at 09:00. The decision covers both cross and isolated margin markets. The cross-margin trading pairs to be delisted include DOT/FDUSD, ENA/FDUSD, SEI/FDUSD, FIL/FDUSD, BONK/FDUSD, ZK/FDUSD, ETC/FDUSD, WLD/FDUSD, OP/FDUSD, NEAR/FDUSD, WIF/FDUSD, APT/FDUSD, DYDX/FDUSD, TIA/FDUSD, and UNI/FDUSD. Regarding isolated margin trading, it was stated that similar pairs will be delisted, with the exception of APT/FDUSD and UNI/FDUSD. Binance announced that, with the…

Key Notes Standard Chartered has launched a tokenized deposit solution with Ant International. The system enables multi-currency transfers across HKD, CNH, and USD. It aligns with Hong Kong’s push to expand tokenization under Project Ensemble. Standard Chartered has launched a new blockchain-powered tokenized deposit solution under Hong Kong’s growing push toward onchain finance. The product allows real-time treasury and liquidity transfers across Hong Kong dollars, offshore yuan, and US dollars, operating on a 24/7 basis. According to reports, the system aims to improve cash management efficiency while maintaining the regulatory protections of traditional banking infrastructure. Standard Chartered has implemented the…

OKX Wallet, the native wallet of the top crypto exchange OKX, has collaborated with RaveDAO, a popular DAO for a community-led Web3 network. The partnership endeavors to permit consumers to smoothly access DeFi with the seamless $RAVE token swaps via the DEX aggregator of OKX Wallet. As per OKX Wallet’s official X announcement, the development leverages the liquidity from over five hundred DEXs to deliver decreased slippage and competitive slippage to traders. Additionally, the collaboration allows consumers to utilize unique incentives via the Boost feature of OKX Wallet, improving overall engagement. We’re happy to announce that @RaveDao has joined us…

On several recent TV interviews, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) founder Michael Saylor has boasted about the benefits of tax-deferred dividends that it pays to preferred shareholders. Sadly, there is never a free lunch on Wall Street. These Return Of Capital (ROC) dividends are ballooning a tax debt onto preferred investors at an accelerating growth rate. Tax deferred does not mean tax free. Although Strategy’s peculiar form of ROC dividends do not impose immediate taxes, their mounting obligations increase at an ever-faster rate as future deadlines near. Strategy advertises generous, “tax equivalent” yields as high as 21.6% for its preferred dividends under…

South Africa’s crypto market is accelerating into a higher-confidence phase as the FSCA confirms 420 CASP license applications, approvals stacking up, compliance pathways clarifying, and institutional-grade oversight reinforcing momentum around which firms are positioned to scale under authorization. South Africa Crypto Market Builds Momentum as 420 Providers Flood Licensing Pipeline The regulation of crypto-related financial activity continues to evolve in South Africa as oversight expands. The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), a South African financial markets regulator, updated the public on its crypto asset service provider (CASP) licensing process on Dec. 12, outlining application volumes, approvals, and enforcement expectations. Detailing…

Solana users could soon swap Singapore dollars (SGD) for U.S. dollars (USD) instantly online, marking the popular high speed blockchain’s first access to digital tokens tied to one of the premier Asian currencies. That’s because, crypto infrastructure firm StraitX said Tuesday, that it’s planning to launch its Singapore dollar stablecoin XSGD and U.S. dollar stablecoin XUSD on the Solana public blockchain, creating an easy to way to exchange these currencies. The early 2026 debut, targeted in collaboration with the Solana Foundation, will enable instant swaps between Singapore dollars (SGD) and U.S. dollars (USD) on Solana, per a press release. Think…

Institutional demand for streamlined post-trade workflows is accelerating, and the lynq settlement network is positioning itself at the center of this shift. Phase 1 of the Fireblocks integration goes live Client overlap and network effects Operational impact for trading and treasury teams Phase 2 roadmap and automation focus Lynq’s role in evolving settlement infrastructure Broader institutional expansion and partnerships Growing client base and market traction Phase 1 of the Fireblocks integration goes live Lynq, a real-time interest-bearing settlement network, has launched Phase 1 of its integration with Fireblocks, enabling institutional clients to connect Lynq accounts directly to the Fireblocks platform…

Market conditions remain fragile as the Ethereum quotation trades under pressure around key technical levels within a broader risk-off environment. Daily chart (D1): Main scenario and macro bias Daily RSI (14) Daily MACD Daily EMAs (20 / 50 / 200) Daily Bollinger Bands Daily ATR (14) Daily Pivot Levels Hourly chart (H1): Short-term pressure with early signs of stabilization for Ethereum quotation today H1 EMAs H1 RSI (14) H1 MACD H1 Bollinger Bands H1 ATR (14) H1 Pivot Levels 15-minute chart (M15): Execution context M15 EMAs M15 RSI (14) M15 MACD M15 Bollinger Bands M15 ATR (14) M15 Pivot Levels…