Author: NBTC

The promise of decentralized finance was once a clarion call for a democratic financial revolution. It envisioned a world where the rigid, exclusionary walls of traditional banking would be replaced by transparent, automated, permissionless systems. As we move through 2026, that early optimism has given way to a more sober reality. Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don’t!) While the technology remains powerful, the economic foundations of most DeFi lending protocols are still structurally weak. Much of the system operates on reflexivity, where value is borrowed from the future to support the present.…

The leading cryptocurrency, Bitcoin (BTC), is struggling around $70,000 amid the uncertainty and tension created by the US-Iran conflict. The war between the two countries has driven up oil prices, indirectly increasing inflation concerns. Analysts worry that inflation, which the US Federal Reserve (FED) has long been trying to bring down to its 2 percent target, may come under renewed upward pressure with this increase in energy prices. While there is talk that the Fed might even raise interest rates in the face of inflation risk, the US February inflation data, which the Fed closely monitors when making its interest…

General Updates Bane Labs launched the Neo Oracle Gateway, enabling Neo X smart contracts to request and receive external data through Neo N3’s built-in oracle service via the Arbitrary Message Bridge. Bane Labs is the development entity comprising Neo Global Development, AxLabs, and Neo SPCC. SpoonOS announced a partnership with Sumplus, combining SpoonOS’s AI agent ecosystem with Sumplus’s composable financial tools, including Maria, Arsenal, and Yield, to enable AI agents to access secure on-chain financial capabilities. NeoRedPill noted that Coinbase Commerce no longer supports merchants in Germany for BTC, ETH, and USDC payments, and confirmed that direct NRP and $GAS…

$XRP is in the spotlight again as a top crypto exchange, BitMEX, teases a major announcement involving the XRPL native token in Vegas. BitMEX shared a cryptic message on X, eliciting reactions from the $XRP community. The exchange stated that “all eyes on $XRP in Vegas for us,” teasing that a major development involving the asset could be unveiled at the conference in Las Vegas this week. Key Points BitMEX shared a cryptic message on X, suggesting that a major development involving $XRP could be unveiled in Las Vegas. The tweet followed an earlier post in which BitMEX disclosed that…

Recent analyses of Bitcoin’s price in the cryptocurrency market point to a significant resistance zone. According to a report based on CryptoQuant data, Bitcoin could face strong selling pressure between $71,000 and $81,000. According to the analysis, the main reason for this resistance zone is the weakening demand from large-scale investors. Specifically, “whale” wallets holding between 1,000 and 10,000 $BTC have become net sellers, with their total assets decreasing by approximately 188,000 $BTC in the past year. This is considered a significant factor that could limit upward movements in the market. In addition, a noticeable slowdown in the buying appetite…

Cryptocurrency analytics platform Santiment has shared the projects that developers in the DeFi sector are focusing on most, based on GitHub data from the last 30 days. According to the data, projects developing infrastructure, staking, and decentralized finance (DeFi) solutions stood out, with some projects showing remarkable monthly increases. According to Santiment’s analysis, developer activity remains a key indicator of projects’ technical development, long-term sustainability, and ecosystem growth. Related News U.S. President Donald Trump Responds to Iran’s Proposal According to the data released, the DeFi projects with the highest developer activity in the last 30 days are ranked as follows:…

After retreating back to the $69,000 area during early U.S. morning hours Wednesday, bitcoin BTC$69,593.87 has quickly spiked to nearly $71,000. Other crypto assets, including ether (ETH), solana (SOL) and XRP, saw the same sharp moves higher. The gains appeared to come as crude oil quickly reversed most of its session’s large gains, dropping $3 per barrel in a matter of minutes. At press time, WTI crude futures for April were at $85, up 2% for the day. Crude’s drop also benefited stocks, with the Nasdaq moving from a small decline to a gain of 0.5% in early U.S. trade.…

A newly released independent accountant’s report by Big Four firm Deloitte has verified that Ripple’s U.S. dollar-denominated stablecoin, $RLUSD, is fully backed by reserves. The attestation covering February 2026 confirms that the stablecoin is overcollateralized and fully compliant with the NYDFS’s regulatory framework. Ripple is setting the industry standard for compliance with its attestation reports. Notably, Tether, the current market leader, also recently hired a “Big Four” auditing firm to check the reserves behind USDT. The audit findings As of Feb. 27 (the last date), the reserve held $1,568,986,016 in market value against 1,495,023,851 $RLUSD units, according to the results…

Powerful Russian businessmen and state-run banking institutions have been profiting from schemes designed to evade Western sanctions, according to a new investigation into Moscow’s “shadow financial system.” Russia has deployed a multi-billion-dollar network for cross-border money transfers, often using cryptocurrency, that has allowed it to import almost anything it needs, from iPhones to drones, the authors have found. Here’s how the system works Russia’s isolation from global finances, achieved by measures like its disconnection from SWIFT, has actually benefitted oligarchs like Roman Abramovich, state-owned sanctioned banks such as PSB, and people connected to the Federal Security Service (FSB). The findings…

Binance has hit a significant milestone with its XAUUSDT perpetual futures surpassing $100 billion in total trading volume within months of launching in early 2026. This surge highlights how rapidly traders are embracing crypto-based exposure to gold and other traditional assets, marking a major shift in how commodities are accessed through digital platforms. Binance Gold Futures Reach $100 Billion in Months After Launch“Investor demand remains solid, especially since this market is accessible 24/7 on the platform, unlike traditional markets that close on weekends.” – By @Darkfost_Coc pic.twitter.com/4m7nEuKkRH — CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) April 29, 2026 What Makes XAUUSDT Perpetual Futures Different XAUUSDT…