Author: NBTC

Crypto exchange Coinbase Global has launched a mortgage structure with Better Home & Finance that lets qualified borrowers pledge digital assets held in Coinbase accounts to fund down payments on standard conforming mortgages designed in accordance with Fannie Mae guidelines. According to Coinbase, the structure enables borrowers to pledge digital assets such as Bitcoin ($BTC) or $USDC ($USDC) as collateral for a separate loan used to fund the down payment, while the primary mortgage remains a standard, Fannie Mae–backed loan. Better will originate and service the mortgages. When rolled out, the new development could mark a shift in how crypto…

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced sweeping restrictions on gambling advertising across television, radio, online platforms, and sporting venues on April 2. The new rules take effect from January 2027 and aim to reduce children’s exposure to betting promotions during live sports broadcasts and everyday media. Australia’s Per-Capita Gambling Losses Drive Reform Australia has the highest per capita gambling losses globally. In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, Australians lost $31.5 billion on gambling, averaging roughly $1,527 per person. The country holds less than 0.5% of the world’s population, yet accounts for nearly 20% of its poker machines. Under the new measures,…

Global payments leader Mastercard has launched its Crypto Partner Program, signaling a major step into blockchain-based payments. The initiative focuses on connecting traditional financial systems with crypto infrastructure, marking a shift from experimentation to long-term integration. This move shows that large institutions are actively preparing for a future where digital assets play a central role in global finance. LATEST: Mastercard launches its Crypto Partner Program with Aptos as a founding partner, pushing onchain payments into the mainstream pic.twitter.com/ccydueF9Jb — crypto.news (@cryptodotnews) April 2, 2026 Aptos Takes Center Stage A key highlight of the program is the inclusion of Aptos as…

In brief Bitcoin miner MARA cut 15% of its workforce amid the firm’s shifting focus to AI. The layoffs, reportedly not due to financial constraints, follow its recent $1.1 billion Bitcoin sale. Shares in MARA finished Thursday up more than 8%, but are down 53% in the last six months. Publicly traded Bitcoin miner MARA has cut its workforce by 15% shortly after it sold $1.1 billion worth of the top crypto asset, the company confirmed to Decrypt following an initial report from Blockspace Media. Citing sources close to the matter, the publication reported that the cuts impact full-time employees…

Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI, acknowledged that his company mishandled the rollout of its newly announced agreement with the US Department of War, calling the announcement “opportunistic and sloppy” after a sharp user backlash. In a series of posts on X Monday, Altman said the artificial intelligence developer moved too quickly in formalizing the deal and failed to adequately explain the complexity of the issues involved. “One thing I think I did wrong: we shouldn’t have rushed to get this out on Friday,” he wrote. The contract, disclosed Friday, permits deployment of the company’s technology on classified military…

The ongoing war between the US and Iran has reignited inflation concerns in the US. While inflation is still far from the Fed’s 2% target, it had seen a significant decline last year. However, the war increased the risk of inflation rising again, while expectations of a Fed interest rate cut decreased. However, a Reuters poll revealed that expectations for a Fed interest rate cut remain. Economists surveyed by Reuters said that despite concerns that the war in the Middle East will lead to inflation, they expect the Fed to keep interest rates steady until September and to implement at…

America’s top financial regulator has made a bold statement about traditional money. CFTC Chair Michael Selig says current financial systems are outdated and that blockchain networks are exactly what we need to bring finance into the 21st century.Let’s see why he says so. Why Selig Believes the Current System Is Outdated CFTC Chair Michael Selig says blockchain is not just a tech trend, but a necessary upgrade to old finance systems, one he believes can rebuild the trust that has been lost in America’s financial and information systems. He argues that banks and markets built decades ago cannot match the…

Polymarket has expanded beyond crypto and event-based contracts into traditional financial assets, integrating oracle provider Pyth Network as the resolution source for a new suite of equity, index, and commodity markets. The collaboration, announced on Wednesday, launches with daily up/down and daily close markets for major equity indices, commodities including gold, silver, WTI crude, and natural gas, and more than a dozen U.S. equities such as TSLA, COIN, PLTR, NVDA, and AAPL. Alongside the integration, Pyth unveiled Pyth Terminal, a live data interface that allows traders to explore and verify price feeds in real time. The tool includes benchmark comparisons…

Bitcoin is often celebrated as a decentralized network, with mining power distributed globally to ensure security and neutrality. However, a closer look at mining activity suggests that this decentralization may not be as evenly distributed as it appears. While individual theories can participate in mining, the majority of the network’s hash power is concentrated among a relatively small number of large mining pools and geographic regions. Why Bitcoin’s Mining Distribution Deserves A Closer Look Bitcoin mining is not as globally decentralized as many assume. Analyst Lucky revealed on X that while the network is technically permissionless, a significant share of…

Bitcoin BTC$68,845.75 slipped below $69,000 on Thursday as a broader pullback in risk assets gathered pace, with early optimism around Iran-U.S. peace and easing Middle East tensions fading. The largest crypto lost more than 3% from its overnight high above $71,000, while major altcoins ether (ETH), $XRP ($XRP), Solana’s $SOL ($SOL) and Cardano’s $ADA ($ADA) plunged 4%-5% during the same period. Oil prices remain the barometer for the broader market. Crude oil futures rose about 4%, reversing earlier declines and reinforcing concerns about inflation and supply disruptions tied to the Iran conflict. U.S. stocks were at session lows just after…