Author: NBTC

Table of Contents Where Did Aster Come From?Why Did CZ Pick Aster as His Favorite?What’s the CZ Effect Done for Aster?What Makes Aster Different From Other Perp DEXes?Is There Any Downside? Aster is the decentralized perpetual futures exchange that Changpeng Zhao (CZ) keeps mentioning. The former Binance CEO has publicly endorsed it, personally bought over 2 million $ASTER tokens with his own money, and maintains strategic ties through YZi Labs. For a perp DEX that only fully rebranded in early 2025, that level of backing from crypto’s most influential figure has turned heads across DeFi. Where Did Aster Come From?…

In recent weeks, the American Bankers Association and Bank Policy Institute sent several letters to Congress attacking the GENIUS Act, bipartisan stablecoin legislation that was passed and became law after thorough and careful compromise. Their arguments don’t cite newly discovered risks or technical flaws. They’re asking Congress to reopen settled law because they don’t want to compete with the next wave of financial technology. This matters beyond the world of cryptocurrency. It reveals how America’s largest financial institutions respond when they face competition: not by offering better services, but by lobbying to handicap the alternatives. As Americans prepare to celebrate…

Cboe Global Markets reported record financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2025. Strong derivatives activity lifted revenue and earnings across its core markets. Last year, Centroid Solutions integrated its platform with Cboe Global Markets. The integration gives broker clients direct access to real-time pricing for equities, options, indices, and derivatives from U.S. and European markets through a single connection. In the same period, Australia’s securities regulator, ASIC, approved Cboe to list companies, allowing initial public offerings and dual-listed foreign firms, ending ASX’s de facto monopoly on new listings. The company does not disclose retail trading share, nor…

Big banks are increasingly experimenting with tokenized deposits as a way to plug legacy balance sheets into blockchain rails for more efficient settlement. In a recent example, Raymond Chun, the CEO of TD Bank, one of Canada’s “Big Five” lenders, described the technology as real innovation with “terrific opportunities.” Speaking at the RBC conference earlier this month, Chun said tokenized deposits represent “the highest opportunity” for the bank and that TD is focused on them more than on crypto trading or stablecoins. “I think there’s huge benefits. It’s regulated. The benefits to — from a P&L perspective, from a client…

Polymarket was the most visited decentralized app in January, almost catching up with the traffic on Robinhood. The app reached peak on-chain traffic as well, while expanding its mainstream presence. Polymarket was the most visited crypto-native app, logging both peak on-chain volumes and site ranking. The prediction app is almost catching up with Robinhood in popularity. The app’s founder, Shayne Coplan, marked the achievement. Serious business. pic.twitter.com/RcF4leTZ2x — Shayne Coplan 🦅 (@shayne_coplan) February 6, 2026 Polymarket was among the most popular on-chain use cases in January, as activity shifted to the most liquid markets. The app also posted peak USDC…

Bitcoin miner Cango (CANG) completed the sale 4,451 $BTC over the weekend, raising roughly $305 million in USDT as it looks to reduce leverage and reposition its business around artificial intelligence infrastructure. The company said it raised $305 million from the sale, suggesting an average sale price of about $68,524 per coin, or not far above multi-year low prices for bitcoin. Shares are little-changed in Monday trading, but are lower by 83% on a year-over-year basis. The company’s bitcoin sales were “based on a comprehensive assessment of current market conditions,” the firm said, as it plans to shift into AI…

The UAE, through its own governmental technology advancements and private entities regulated within the country, is exporting its know-how to countries across the globe. This time, it is with Georgia, which will use the experience of PRYPCO, the UAE PropTech and real estate tokenization platform, to create its own compliant framework for real estate tokenization. PRYPCO, through its subsidiary PRYPCO Mint, the first licensed real estate tokenization platform in the UAE, had partnered with Dubai Land Department, VARA ( Dubai’s Virtual Regulatory Authority), and Ctrl Alt Blockchain to tokenize ownership certificates, with its first tokenized certificate attracting 224 investors from…

KiloEx, a decentralized exchange (DEX) that focuses on a fast, secure, and user-friendly perpetual futures trading platform, has unveiled its landmark integration with Conflux Network, a Layer-1 blockchain famous for its strong position in stablecoin and payment infrastructure. The core purpose of this partnership is to build seamless, stablecoin-powered payment solutions that finance daily. KiloEx is thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with @Conflux_Network ! 🔗✨🔥 Get ready for a powerhouse collaboration! 🔥🚀 This exciting alliance merges KiloEx’s cutting-edge trading experience with Conflux’s robust Layer-1 infrastructure, which is transforming… pic.twitter.com/WuJDdYhKm9 — KiloEx (@KiloEx_perp) February 6, 2026 KiloEx has established its…

Morgan Stanley initiated coverage of three publicly traded bitcoin BTC$70,151.59 mining companies on Monday, backing two names tied to data center leasing while taking a more cautious stance on a miner focused on bitcoin exposure. Analyst Stephen Byrd and his team started coverage of Cipher Mining (CIFR) and TeraWulf (WULF) with Overweight ratings and set price targets of $38 and $37, respectively. Shares of CIFR are higher by 12.4% Monday to $16.51, while WULF is ahead 12.8% to $16.12. He also initiated coverage of Marathon Digital (MARA) with an Underweight rating and an $8 target. Shares of MARA are marginally…

Key Takeaways Upexi, a digital asset treasury firm centered on Solana, is increasing its $SOL holdings by 12% through a $36 million deal with Hivemind Capital Partners. The transaction involves a convertible note for locked $SOL tokens, slated for completion by January 14. Solana-focused treasury firm Upexi has entered into a securities purchase agreement with Hivemind Capital Partners to issue a $36 million convertible note backed by locked Solana tokens. Upon closing, the transaction is expected to increase Upexi’s Solana treasury to more than 2.4 million $SOL, which would make the company the second-largest corporate holder of $SOL, trailing only…