Author: NBTC
This is a segment from the Forward Guidance newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe. With Circle’s IPO in progress and the wrap of yesterday’s inaugural Stablecon event in NYC, it’s a great time to talk about stablecoins. If you haven’t heard of them, the living-under-a-rock quip is probably warranted. I bet that’s a peaceful life, though, so in some ways I envy you. But a misconception from those in the know?“To say that stablecoins are simply a new form of payment or a new digital currency would be like saying that the internet is a better version of the fax…
On the 1st of July, the crypto community will witness the launch of the second phase of Vechain Renaissance, Hayabusa. The Vechain Renaissance upgrade comes in three phases that will enhance the staking security and the scalability of the network. The VeChain Renaissance is an initiative launched in 2025 to transform the VeChainThor blockchain into a more scalable, decentralized, and enterprise-ready platform.CNF previously mentioned that this plan is structured into three distinct phases, Galactica, Hayabusa, and Intergalactic, each introducing significant technological and economic enhancements. On an X post, the Vechain team stated that “Renaissance represents the most comprehensive upgrade to…
Crypto news this week has been highlighting the shifting landscape, especially in terms of regulation. While it mainly focused on stablecoin regulation, the U.S. is swiftly moving towards creating regulations to govern the broader crypto market. The U.S., for the longest time under the previous SEC, painted digital assets in a negative light. This was because the U.S. government, along with other governments across the world, initially saw cryptocurrencies as a threat. The current U.S. administration is pro-crypto and has been rapidly moving towards introducing proper regulation for the crypto market. The recently introduced Clarity Act aims to achieve just…
E-commerce giant Shopify (SHOP) is bringing stablecoin payments to its merchants over Base, crypto exchange Coinbase (COIN)’s Ethereum layer-2 network, the companies said on Thursday. The integration is set to roll out on June 12 to a limited group of early access merchants, with broader availability expected later this year for all merchants using Shopify Payments, the companies said. Once the rollout is complete, merchants will be able to accept payments of Circle’s (CRCL) USDC token on-chain while receiving local currency settlements without incurring foreign transaction fees. Shopify said it plans to give 1% cash back to customers who pay…
One of Ethereum’s oldest wallets has just been revived, and the numbers are truly mind-blowing. According to blockchain tracking service Whale Alert, a dormant pre-mine address holding 2,000 ETH worth just $620 back in 2015 has been activated after nearly 10 years of silence. At today’s price, that stash is valued at over $5 million — a staggering 816,760% gain. The wallet address “0xcF264” has been confirmed as a Genesis Block participant, and it’s linked to one of Ethereum’s original funding addresses. After years of inactivity, it suddenly moved 500 ETH worth $1.27 million to another wallet, “0x2C12,” just 11…
Public Keys is a weekly roundup from Decrypt that tracks the key publicly traded crypto companies. This week: GameStop sinks after buying a boatload of Bitcoin, BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF continues flying high, and Metaplanet makes a potentially risky sprint to amass a lot of BTC very quickly. GameStop Bitcoin flop GameStop found out this week that sinking half a billion dollars into Bitcoin isn’t universally flattering for share prices. The video game retailer spent $512 million on Bitcoin earlier this week, and the GME share price climbed as high as $35.78 the morning the BTC buy was announced. But it…
Monero (XMR) continues to grow despite a coordinated campaign against privacy tokens and the previous delisting from major centralized exchanges. The price is currently holding above a crucial support level at $340 after declining from a monthly high of $420. Amidst the fast-growing interest in tokens centred on full decentralization and anonymity, Monero has emerged as one of the most preferred and resilient of all. Created in 2014 as a fork of Bytecoin, Monero (XMR) exists as one of the oldest and most popular privacy coins. The asset combines new technologies to deliver a high level of confidentiality. Looking into…
Anti-money laundering reports involving cryptocurrencies rose by 8.2% in Germany last year, according to the annual report from the German Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). Total crypto-related reports climbed from 8,049 in 2023 to hit 8,711, accounting for a record 3.3% of all suspicious activity reports (SARs) submitted to the FIU, the agency responsible in Germany for combating money laundering. The total figure marks a 23.6% increase since 2020, with Bitcoin predominating in the vast majority of last year’s reports, followed by Ethereum, XRP, Tether and Litecoin. According to the FIU, credit institutions and banks submitted over 6,000 of the crypto-related reports,…
On June 17, Kaspa City, the leading community X account for Kaspa, shared exciting news about a new development within its blockchain ecosystem. The post introduced Kasia, a fully encrypted peer-to-peer (P2P) messaging system built on the Kaspa blockchain. The open-source project, led by developer @auzghosty, aims to expand Kaspa’s utility beyond financial transactions, potentially positioning it as a widely used proof-of-work (PoW) blockchain. However, as a new and untested product, users are advised to exercise caution when exploring Kasia. Kaspa, a blockchain platform known for its high scalability and rapid block times, operates on the innovative GHOSTDAG protocol. This…
India’s harsh crypto tax regime burdens investors with 30% tax, 1% TDS, and no loss set-off, stifling Bitcoin trading growth. Bitcoin ETFs offer Indian investors tax relief with lower rates, no TDS, and better regulatory protection compared to direct crypto. India’s crypto investment scene is under pressure. Despite ₹1 crore in current Bitcoin trading volume, the Indian tax regime is stifling growth with its harsh tax policies. Investors once enjoyed a massive 123% gain on Bitcoin holdings in recent years — but now, they’re calling the current tax system “daylight robbery.” The Harsh Reality of India’s Crypto Tax Under India’s…