Author: NBTC

Prosecutors in Brooklyn said on Friday that a 23-year-old resident, Ronald Spektor, was charged with stealing $16 million in cryptocurrency from approximately 100 Coinbase users. The individual, who went by “lolimfeelingevil” online, was allegedly behind a phishing and social engineering scheme. Pretending to be a Coinbase representative, Spektor would convince users to send cryptocurrency to accounts he controlled, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said that Spektor motivated victims by claiming that their digital assets were at risk of being stolen by a hacker. He would then allegedly try to launder the digital assets using cryptocurrency mixers, swapping services, and crypto gambling websites.…

Ethereum price dropped nearly 18% over the past week as U.S. Ether ETFs logged six straight days of outflows that seem to be weighing on investor sentiment. A bearish reversal pattern on the daily chart now flags the risk of more losses ahead. Summary ETH price dropped nearly 18% over the past week. U.S. Ether ETFs recorded $630 million in outflows over a six-day outflow streak. Multiple bearish patterns have formed on the daily chart. According to data from crypto.news, Ethereum (ETH) price dropped to an intraday low of $2,781 on Friday, Dec. 19, down 18% from last week’s high…

Bitcoin jumped past $106,000 for the first time in nearly a week amid multiple reports that the U.S. Senate had reached an agreement to end the 40-day government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history.  The largest cryptocurrency by market value was recently up more than 4%, according to data provider CoinGecko. Other major digital assets also moved strongly into positive territory with Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization recently trading above $3,600, a more than 7% gain and XRP and Solana, the fourth- and sixth-largest coins, both climbing about 6%.  The government impasse seemed to weigh increasingly as it…

Federal prosecutors moved to return seized cryptocurrency after a court ordered forfeiture tied to an elderly-targeted scam, clearing the way for restitution as authorities traced bitcoin and USDT used in a multistate fraud scheme. Forfeiture Order Finalizes Recovery of Bitcoin and Tether From Elder Fraud Scheme A federal court action advanced efforts to recover funds lost in a fraud scheme. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana announced on Dec. 18 the forfeiture of seized cryptocurrency tied to an elderly-targeted scam, enabling the return of assets to victims. The announcement states that U.S. District Judge Brian A.…

Bitcoin’s (BTC) network hash rate has dropped 4% over the last 30 days, marking the sharpest decline in nearly 2 years. At the same time, increased volatility and a decline in prices highlight mounting stress among miners as profits dwindle. However, according to investment management firm VanEck, the miner capitulation may signal a bottom. Bitcoin Mining Power Falls as Price Weakness and China Shutdowns Hit Network VanEck’s mid-December 2025 Bitcoin ChainCheck report highlighted that 4% dip in the network hashing power was the largest since April 2024. The contraction comes amid a difficult month for Bitcoin, with the price sliding…

In a move that has captured the crypto community’s attention, BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes has made a significant transaction. On-chain data reveals that Arthur Hayes deposits ETH worth approximately $1.5 million to the institutional giant, Galaxy Digital. This action, spotted by the analytics firm Lookonchain, is more than a simple transfer—it’s a potential signal of a major strategic shift from one of the industry’s most influential figures. What Does Arthur Hayes Depositing ETH Really Mean? The transaction involved 508.647 Ethereum tokens. When a high-profile founder like Hayes moves such a large sum, analysts immediately look for the motive. Lookonchain suggests…

Bitcoin’s price plunged at the start of the week. However, it significantly recovered losses through a weekend rebound, stabilizing near $106,000 mark. The weekly decline, which had approached -10%, ultimately closed at -4.99%. The rebound was driven by news of an imminent end to the US government shutdown and a social media post from President Trump. ‘Big Short’ Rumors Triggered Initial Plunge The initial drop was sparked by deteriorating sentiment in the US stock market. On Tuesday, news broke that famous bear Michael Burry had established a $1.2 billion short position in AI stocks like Nvidia (NVDA) and Palantir (PLTR).…

A South Korean lawmaker has urged the country to swiftly move forward with the institutionalization of stablecoins to protect its payment sovereignty. According to Rep. Min Byoung-dug of the Democratic Party of Korea, the move will also help the country stay competitive in a rapidly changing financial system. The Korean lawmaker made this known while speaking at the final session of the eighth Global Business Forum, hosted by Herald Business in Seoul. He urged the Korean government to work with traditional financial institutions to accelerate efforts to legalize and expand the use of stablecoins in the country. The Korean lawmaker…

The number of mining farms in Russia has seen a significant increase over the past year, since Moscow legalized the crypto activity in 2024. The upward trend is largely due to growing investments in the sector following its recognition as a legitimate business, industry sources say. Others claim illegal mining is contributing, too. Russia counts its cryptocurrency farms using AI tech Farms minting digital currencies like Bitcoin have increased by 44% this year despite a ban that’s now covering a dozen Russian regions, affected by energy shortages blamed on the mining boom. Their total number has reached 196,900, according to…

Ethereum price today trades near $2,950, stabilizing after a sharp rejection from the $3,100 area earlier this week. The rebound follows a sweep into the $2,750 to $2,800 zone, where aggressive bids emerged and forced short-term sellers to step back. While the bounce offers near-term relief, Ethereum remains capped below key EMA resistance, keeping the broader structure under pressure heading into December 20. Buyers Defend $2,800 As Order Book Support Emerges Short-term downside momentum slowed after Ethereum dipped into the $2,750 to $2,800 region. Order book data from Binance shows more than $150 million in bids stacked across that zone,…