Author: NBTC

Bitcoin investor Strategy is facing a rough stretch this year, prompting speculation that its high-conviction Bitcoin play is coming undone. A look beyond the one-year chart tells a different story. Google Finance data shows that Strategy (MSTR) stock is down almost 60% over the last year, and has declined by over 40% year-to-date (YTD). The stock traded near $300 in October, before dropping to about $170 at the time of writing. While some interpret this as its Bitcoin model being “exposed,” Strategy is still sitting on double-digit profits on its Bitcoin purchases, and its long-term equity performance continues to outpace…

DeFi TVL rebounds near $140b as perp DEXs, spot volumes, and stablecoin flows jump, but hacks and regulation keep sentiment fragile. Summary DeFi TVL has rebounded to around $140b after a sharp drop from near $170b, still a small slice of multi-trillion crypto market cap. Perp and spot DEXs, led by Hyperliquid and a few rivals, now clear hundreds of billions in volume, outpacing many smaller CEXs. Stablecoin and TVL growth concentrate in blue-chip protocols like AAVE and Uniswap, while sentiment stays fragile amid hacks and regulatory risk. DeFi is expanding again. TVL is rising. Volatility stays high. The sector…

The Fed, which has been unable to access critical data for a long time due to the US government shutdown, is preparing for its December decision. While the FED’s actions are eagerly awaited under limited data, the FED is experiencing a major division within itself. As you may recall, Wall Street Journal reporter Nick Timiraos, known as the Fed spokesman, recently noted that there was deepening disagreement within the Fed regarding the December interest rate cut. He also noted that such a level of division had never existed before during Jerome Powell’s nearly eight-year tenure. While the market outlook for…

Swapper Finance, a fiat-to-DeFi payments platform, has launched a feature that lets users deposit funds directly into decentralized finance applications using traditional banking cards. The new service, dubbed “Direct Deposits,” is launched in collaboration with Mastercard and Chainlink, according to a press release shared with The Defiant. The process is powered by Chainlink’s Runtime Environment, which handles identity verification, compliance, token swaps and settlement on-chain. Commenting on the launch, Swapper Finance chief technology officer Arthur, said in the release: “Seeing leading platforms adopt Direct Deposits on day one confirms what we’ve believed from the beginning – the industry is ready…

Coinbase’s (COIN) recent slump is an “air pocket,” not a warning sign, investment bank William Blair said in a report on Monday. The bank reiterated its outperform rating on the stock and urged investors to treat the crypto sell-off as a buying opportunity. Coinbase shares were 2.6% higher in early trading, at $246.53. The report made the same argument for outperform-rated Circle (CRCL), down nearly 80% from its 52-week high even as USDC’s market cap holds firm. With both firms tied to USDC, William Blair expects their stocks to move together, positioning Coinbase as the broader crypto gateway and Circle…

tauntAI and GaFin are entering into a strategic partnership between GaFin’s decentralized gaming infrastructure and tauntAI’s technology for building fully interactive GameFi and GambleFi experiences from live video content. The goal of the collaboration is to provide more engaging, dynamic, and immersive gameplay. Connecting AI innovation and Community Gaming The partnership will fulfill the increased demand for more intelligent, interactive GameFi experiences across Web3 networks. tauntAI has already created a community of over 50k active users as well as created AI-driven solutions enabling developers to build immersive digital experiences utilizing real-time artificial intelligence technology. One of its main products are…

Kraken has taken over Backed Finance, a Swiss platform that turns real-world assets into tradable crypto tokens, according to Bloomberg. This acquisition gives Kraken more control over tokenized stocks and ETFs that already trade on its platform and signals its plan to dig deeper into around-the-clock equity trading powered by blockchain rails. Backed issues crypto tokens that mirror stocks and ETFs.They’re backed one-to-one by the actual securities, so when someone buys a tokenized share, it’s tied to the real thing sitting in custody. Kraken didn’t share how much it’s paying to buy the company, but Arjun Sethi, Kraken’s co-CEO, said…

Key Takeaways The Trump meme coin project has launched a mobile and web game offering $1 million in $TRUMP rewards. The game is powered by Open Loot, enabling real-world trading of in-game NFTs and collectibles without requiring a crypto wallet. The TRUMP meme coin project announced today the launch of a mobile and web-based game called Trump Billionaires Club, offering players a chance to win $1 million in $TRUMP tokens. The game is built in partnership with Open Loot, a marketplace for digital game collectibles that supports real-world trading of in-game assets. The new release brings a play-to-earn element to…

RedotPay, a fintech company that specializes in stablecoin-based payments, has integrated Ripple’s cross-border payment technology to expand its global transfer capabilities. The move includes the launch of a new option allowing users to send cryptocurrency and have the recipient receive Nigerian naira (NGN) directly into a local bank account. The update, announced on December 2, aims to make it easier and faster for users to convert digital assets into NGN. Verified RedotPay customers with Nigerian bank accounts will be able to receive funds within minutes when a sender transfers XRP or other supported cryptocurrencies. Focus on Faster Global Transfers Cross-border…

Enlivex Therapeutics (ENLV), an Israel-based clinical-stage biotech firm, said it’s raising $212 million in a private placement to become the first publicly traded U.S. company to adopt a blockchain-based prediction markets token as its main treasury reserve asset. The token, RAIN, powers a decentralized protocol built on the Arbitrum blockchain that allows users to create and trade predictions markets on real-world events using smart contracts. As with other prediction markets, like Polymarket, traders on Rain can bet on topics ranging from elections to sports, with outcomes settled via oracles or AI-based tools. The platform also includes a deflationary “buyback and…