Author: NBTC

Key Takeaways Mercado Bitcoin will issue $200 million in tokenized fixed income and equity instruments on the Stellar network. The initiative highlights Stellar’s growing role in bringing Latin American real-world assets onchain. Mercado Bitcoin, Latin America’s major digital asset investment platform, will issue $200 million in tokenized fixed income and equity financial instruments on the Stellar network, the company announced today at Stellar Meridian 2025. The project taps into Stellar’s proven track record in real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, especially in Latin America’s financial sector. The region’s crypto market is forecast to reach $442 billion by 2033, according to IMARC Group.…

A lending product unveiled by Coinbase that offers up to 10.8% returns on USDC deposits is receiving a temporary boost from DeFi lender Morpho. On X, Coinbase Head of Consumer and Business Products Max Branzburg said on Thursday that around 6% of the product’s returns stem from activity that takes place on Morpho’s platform, while an additional 5% is being “boosted” by the protocol itself. In a statement to Decrypt, a Coinbase spokesperson confirmed that Morpho is currently augmenting the lending product’s returns, but it declined to say whether the arrangement was the product of a deal, or when the…

Trend Research has moved back into Ethereum after a series of large-scale transactions this week. On-chain data shows the firm regained 43,377 ETH, valued at about $192 million. It follows an $80 million transfer of USDT to Binance. The move follows months of careful position management by the trading firm, which is led by investor Boss Yi. On September 4, two newly created wallets linked to Trend Research withdrew 34,000 ETH. This is worth around $150 million from Binance. The assets were deposited into Aave, a leading decentralized lending platform. This week, the same wallets borrowed $80 million in USDT…

The recent steep decline in the market-to-net-asset value (mNAV) of companies that hold large amounts of digital assets is amplifying market anxiety. On Monday, Standard Chartered Bank warned that the falling mNAV of small to mid-sized digital asset treasury (DAT) companies is heightening market risk. Shifting Landscape for DAT Firms DAT firms are publicly traded companies that hold and manage cryptocurrencies and other digital assets as core business assets. These companies raise capital by holding Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital assets as primary assets on their balance sheets. In contrast, traditional firms hold cash or bonds. This model allows investors…

Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the United States, stated that there should be uniform cryptocurrency regulation in the country. At this point, Coinbase sent a letter to the US Department of Justice requesting that federal regulators prevent state regulations from conflicting with national crypto policies and ensure uniform regulatory clarity. Coinbase’s request comes after the state of Oregon filed a lawsuit against Coinbase for unregistered securities, despite the SEC withdrawing its lawsuit against the cryptocurrency exchange. Coinbase states that although the country’s top regulator, the SEC, withdrew its lawsuit, states are filing lawsuits in defiance of the SEC’s decision.…

US Goes Back to the Future on Crypto Trading The CFTC’s decision to make it easier for global crypto platforms to accept US customers may open the door wider for US-based traders to access liquidity, but despite the hype it was a door that was already ajar. The politicisation of commodity trading in the US was highlighted again in late August when the acting chair of the CFTC outlined the foreign board of trade (FBOT) registration framework for non-US entities looking to provide customers in the US with direct market access to their trading platforms. Join IG, CMC, and Robinhood…

Aave reached $30.5 billion in active loans on Sept. 18, representing 65% of the $46.72 billion in total active loans across decentralized protocols. Data from Token Terminal shows that the lending protocol maintains a comfortable lead over competitors. Its nearest rival, Morpho, holds less than $5 billion in active loans. Aave also commands a total value locked (TVL) of $42 billion, making it the largest DeFi protocol by TVL, based on DefiLlama data. The deposit figures would position Aave as the 53rd largest US commercial bank if it operated under traditional banking structures, placing it among the top 2.5% of…

FBS, a leading global broker, has published a new market analysis highlighting Ethereum’s growing role as the financial backbone for Wall Street. According to FBS analysts, billionaire investor Peter Thiel’s backing of ETH-focused treasuries is a strong signal that institutional capital now views Ethereum not just as a crypto asset, but as core financial infrastructure. Ethereum’s transformation is being accelerated by its staking economy. With more than $170 billion worth of ETH staked, the asset is evolving into a yield-bearing instrument, comparable to bonds. Annual yields of 3–4% make it increasingly attractive for pension funds, corporate treasuries, and institutional investors…

Blockchain venture studio Thesis*, has appointed Victoria Chan as its new chief operating officer, the company said in a press release Tuesday. The new appointment is part of a push to scale the company’s BitcoinFi ecosystem, and follows the launch of Mezo in May and Thesis’ acquisition of Bitcoin rewards platform Lolli last month. Chan, a veteran operations leader with over 20 years in tech, joins Thesis* after serving as director of developer global services at crypto exchange Coinbase (COIN), where she oversaw vendor and operational teams across blockchain operations, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and developer tools, with an emphasis on…

The Central Bank of Russia (CBR) has listed cryptocurrencies among the main threats for the future of the country’s financial market. In an overview of its expected development, the regulator indicated it intends to boost crypto oversight and combat anonymous trading. Russia’s central bank sees crypto as a threat Cryptocurrencies and stablecoins will be a major risk for the Russian financial sector in the next few years, according to the monetary authority in Moscow. The conclusion comes from a report titled “Key Directions for the Development of the Financial Market of the Russian Federation” which covers the 2026 – 2028…