Author: NBTC

Crypto platform Backpack has expanded its services in Japan with the launch of a new Borrow and Lend feature. The rollout makes Japan the first market where Backpack offers crypto-backed lending at launch. The feature allows users to earn yield on assets or borrow funds without selling their holdings. The company confirmed the update on December 22. The service supports major assets including Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, XRP and USDC. However, Backpack clarified that the feature does not include spot or perpetual trading at this stage. Borrow and Lend Goes Live for Japanese Users With the new product, users can lend…

BLIFE Protocol is officially merged with Portal and formed a new entity under the brand Portal. The integration represents a major move in the Web3 gaming and interoperability business sector and was announced on December 22, 2025. The merger unites the Bitcoin-centric infrastructure and community of BLIFE and the cross-chain gaming and liquidity platform of Portal, which is expected to minimize fragmentation among blockchain gaming ecosystems. Today we are incredibly excited to announce that Portal has merged with @BLIFEProtocol, supported by @animocabrands and G-20.This is a major milestone in our mission to build the leading Web3 gaming platform – pushing…

Token swaps let users trade crypto directly via DeFi smart contracts and AMMs, tapping liquidity pools for instant, permissionless access to assets and yields. Summary Token swaps use smart contracts and AMMs to route trades through liquidity pools instead of order books or centralized intermediaries.​ Swaps act as the entry point into lending, staking, yield farming, and governance, moving liquidity seamlessly across DeFi protocols.​ Users keep self-custody, avoid account checks, and can trade 24/7, lowering barriers to experimenting with multiple on-chain strategies. Token swaps represent a decentralized finance (DeFi) mechanism that allows users to exchange one cryptocurrency token for another…

A prominent economist is pushing for a major change in how cryptocurrency markets operate, arguing they need rules similar to those of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to stop extreme drops in the values of digital assets. In a November 6 post on X, Alex Krüger said the absence of regulated market makers has left crypto vulnerable to drastic price collapses during volatile trading. The Case for Market Maker Rules In the post, the market expert explained that in traditional finance (TradFi), market makers, responsible for providing liquidity, have a legal duty to keep trading orderly. On the NYSE,…

Key Takeaways Caroline Ellison was moved from federal prison to community confinement after about 11 months served. She remains under federal custody with an early release date of February 20, 2026. Caroline Ellison, the former boss of Alameda Research and a key figure in the FTX collapse, relocated from a federal prison to community confinement, according to the Bureau of Prisons. Ellison was originally sentenced to two years in prison last September for her role in the FTX and Alameda fraud and began serving her sentence shortly afterward. Her transfer, which occurred in October, means she is now in community…

Justin Sun-owned HTX has an unusual set of reserves that raises worrying implications about how Sun uses them, and about its internal controls. While HTX has been cagey about its ownership, about Sun’s role, and that of the HTX DAO, it’s more forthright than many other exchanges about the current contents of its reserves. Indeed, it distributes a tool that allows us to gain a much greater insight into its reserves than most other exchanges. HTX’s reserves raise worrying questions about how Sun uses them. This tool is owned on GitHub by an account called “huobiapi.” We can verify that…

Nubila Network, an artificial intelligence (AI), real-world data, and Web3 entertainment, has partnered with Audiera, a Web3 music and audio platform. The main purpose of this strategic partnership is to merge real-world signals with AI-generative music for an interactive experience. AI can create.AI can perform.But can it feel the moment?Nubila 🤝 @Audiera_web3 Real-world signals meet AI music, dance, and play.From generative tracks to full-body gameplay — powered by perception, verified on-chain.This isn’t Web3 entertainment.This is the next… pic.twitter.com/cuLhl1WuoX — Nubila Network (@nubilanetwork) December 22, 2025 Audiera is very famous and earned fame very early in the market for creating Web3…

Over 130 countries are developing CBDCs, raising concerns about their impact on crypto’s future. Experts say CBDCs could threaten decentralization but also drive wider digital asset adoption. The growing CBDC race signals a global shift toward regulated digital finance. More than 130 countries, covering almost 98% of global GDP, are now developing or testing Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). What started as small pilots has turned into a full-scale race to digitize money. As CBDCs move closer to launch, one big question hangs over the crypto market – will they replace cryptocurrencies, or can both exist side by side? The…

Screenshots of an internal email outlining plans to wind down Shima Capital have surfaced online, days after the US Securities and Exchange Commission sued the crypto venture firm and its founder over allegations of investor fraud. On Nov. 25, the SEC charged Shima Capital Management LLC and its founder, Yida Gao, with making false and misleading statements while raising almost $170 million from investors, the agency announced on Dec. 3. The complaint, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, alleged that Gao inflated his investment track record in marketing materials used to raise capital for…

South Korea’s financial regulators have taken decisive action against one of the country’s prominent cryptocurrency exchanges. The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has officially initiated a sanction process against Korbit, marking a significant escalation in the nation’s crypto regulatory enforcement. This development signals South Korea’s commitment to strict compliance in the digital asset space. What Triggered the South Korea FIU Sanction Process? According to exclusive reports from Aju Business Daily, the South Korea FIU sanction process began when Korbit received a preliminary notice on December 18. The Financial Services Commission’s intelligence unit identified potential violations of anti-money laundering obligations. This notice…