Author: NBTC

Toncoin ($TON) surged from roughly $1.32 on May 1 to an intraday high of $2.90 by May 7, pushing its market cap to approximately $7.8 billion. The catalyst was Pavel Durov’s announcement that Telegram would replace the $TON Foundation as the network’s primary driving force and become its largest validator within two to three weeks. Alongside that, ton.org was updated to state that the domain is “controlled by MTONGA.” Traders took the combination as confirmation that $TON had, in substance, become Telegram’s chain. This means being directed by the same company whose 1 billion users would determine its value. Toncoin…

The US Department of Justice has charged Owe Martin Andresen, 49, with laundering over $2 million in cryptocurrency by converting it into gold bars. Andresen was arrested in Germany on US charges connected to darknet-market activity and money laundering. From darknet marketplace to bullion dealer Andresen’s case traces back to Dream Market, one of the most prominent darknet marketplaces of the last decade. The platform operated from 2013 to 2019, processing significant volumes of illicit goods with Bitcoin serving as the primary payment method. The conversion of crypto into gold bars is a well-documented laundering technique. Instead of trying to…

Bitcoin’s network difficulty, a measure of how hard it is for miners to solve the cryptographic puzzles required to add a new block to the blockchain, increased by 1.72% in its latest automatic adjustment. The new difficulty level now stands at 138.96 trillion (T), reflecting the ongoing computational arms race among miners securing the network. What the Adjustment Means for the Network This uptick, which occurred at block height 890,304, signals that the average computing power, or hash rate, dedicated to mining Bitcoin has increased over the past two weeks. The difficulty adjustment is a core feature of Bitcoin’s design,…

Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy’s largest bank, significantly increased its exposure to cryptocurrency assets in the first quarter of 2026. According to the shared data, the bank increased its crypto-related assets from approximately $100 million in the fourth quarter of 2025 to approximately $235 million as of March 31. According to the published table, the bank’s largest position is concentrated in spot Bitcoin ETFs. Intesa Sanpaolo’s ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF position increased from 2.49 million to 3.61 million, while its iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF holdings rose from 470,000 to approximately 647,000. The bank also opened a new position of 2.49 million in…

The latest excitement in the Cardano ecosystem comes from crypto analyst Eilert, who revealed that Grayscale could potentially launch a dedicated Cardano ETF, referred to as “GADA,” before October 23, 2026. According to the analyst, the SEC’s approval of new generic listing standards for spot crypto ETFs has created a much smoother path for future launches. Under the updated framework, a crypto asset must first complete six months of CME futures trading before becoming eligible for a spot ETF review process. Cardano ETF 2026 Launch Timeline August 9, 2026 — $ADA becomes eligible for the streamlined ETF approval process after…

Two Democrats voted to advance the Clarity Act out of the Senate Banking Committee alongside all of the panel’s Republicans, and several more indicated they might be willing to support the overall bill with some changes. The market structure legislation isn’t at the finish line yet, but the crypto industry can probably take a sigh of relief. You’re reading State of Crypto, a CoinDesk newsletter looking at the intersection of cryptocurrency and government. Click here to sign up for future editions. The narrative The Senate Banking Committee advanced its crypto market structure bill, the Clarity Act, to the Senate floor…

Nasdaq-listed Bitcoin mining company Cango (CANG) reported a preliminary net loss of $261.1 million for the first quarter of 2026, driven largely by non-cash impairment charges on mining equipment and a decline in the value of its Bitcoin holdings. The Shanghai-based firm mined 1,266 $BTC during the period, underscoring the persistent volatility facing the cryptocurrency mining sector. Revenue Breakdown and Core Mining Business Total revenue for the quarter reached $102 million, with the Bitcoin mining segment contributing $98.4 million — or approximately 96% of the company’s total sales. This heavy reliance on mining income highlights Cango’s focused business model, but…

Despite the bearish atmosphere at the start of 2026, bitcoin is still drawing price targets from nearly every corner of the market, with veteran traders, institutional analysts, and high-profile executives placing calls that range from a near-term drop to $40,000 to a long-term ceiling of $1.5 million. Key Takeaways: Arthur Hayes targets $125K bitcoin by December 2026, citing returning liquidity and Fed policy shifts. Bernstein analysts set a $150K–$200K end-2026 target, pointing to exchange-traded fund (ETF) flows and institutional adoption. Peter Brandt warns of a potential $40K–$60K bottom by fall 2026 before a cycle peak near $500K in 2029. Others…

Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Ryozo Himino wants the world to stop treating digital money like a side project. In a speech delivered at the Japan Society of Monetary Economics on May 16, he laid out an ambitious vision: a unified framework that treats central bank money, bank deposits, stablecoins, and tokenized deposits as parts of one interconnected system, not separate regulatory headaches. The speech, titled “Singleness of Money and the Role of Central Banks,” is essentially a warning shot. As digital currencies proliferate and private money gains traction, Himino argues that the monetary system risks splintering into incompatible silos.…

Pi Network just sent a clear message to its entire ecosystem. WorldBanksPi, once one of the highest-ranked DApps inside the Pi Browser, with over 140,000 users. The platform completely removed it without warning. No explanation, no appeal process, and no second chances. The Pi Core Team deleted it instantly and made clear this is only the beginning of a broader cleanup. For Pi Network price 2026 watchers, this is not just a housekeeping move. It is a signal about where the ecosystem is heading. What WorldBanksPi and Why It Got Banned WorldBanksPi operated by exploiting Pi’s brand and its community’s…