Author: NBTC

PayPal is preparing to make its stablecoin, PayPal USD (PYUSD), available on the Stellar blockchain, pending regulatory approval from the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). Stellar is a blockchain network designed for fast and low-cost transactions. The potential integration would allow PYUSD to operate on Stellar alongside its existing availability on Ethereum and Solana. Stellar’s infrastructure offers advantages such as low transaction fees, fast processing times, and built-in compatibility with digital wallets and local payment systems. The move could benefit small and medium-sized businesses by providing new financing options through a model known as Payment Financing (PayFi).…

As President Donald Trump prepares to host a high-profile gala dinner on Thursday, May 22, 2025, for top holders of the Official Trump (TRUMP) token, the Solana-based meme coin is experiencing a surge in market momentum, and so far, the returns have been hard to ignore. Official Trump, launched on the eve of Trump’s second-term inauguration, is currently trading at $14.34 as of May 21 and has rallied approximately 56.7% since the gala dinner was first announced on April 23, when the token was priced at $9.15. According to Finbold research, a $1,000 investment at the time of the announcement…

CNBC has published a piece, talking about the recent speech of Strategy founder, Michael Saylor, during the Bitcoin 2025 event, and shared its observations regarding several other large companies that have begun to accumulate Bitcoin. “Explosion of interest” toward Bitcoin from companies This week, Trump Media voiced its plan to allocate $500 million to buy Bitcoin, while Tether, SoftBank and Strike’s Jack Mallers launched Twenty One — a public company that plans to add 42,000 BTC to its balance sheet. Saylor’s bitcoin buying strategy is ‘exploding’ globally, but Wall Street is skeptical https://t.co/NGk4LhyMLW — CNBC International (@CNBCi) May 31, 2025…

This is a segment from the Empire newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe. Yesterday, Coinbase hosted its annual State of Crypto summit. There were lots of announcements to unpack, especially if we’re talking about consumers. I want to focus on remarks from a chat between Coinbase’s Brett Tejpaul and BlackRock COO Rob Goldstein, who gave some insight into how the world’s largest asset manager is thinking about crypto. While he didn’t give a timeline (other than stating that BlackRock has been studying crypto since roughly 2017), he did say that BlackRock saw “incredible utility with regards to stablecoins.” “And…we saw…

Although the past 24 hours have been characterized by heavy selloffs, Bitcoin is still currently holding above the $100,000 level, trading around $103,700 as of the time of writing. Notably, signs of exhaustion are also beginning to surface for Bitcoin, especially in the past 48 hours. While long-term indicators suggest a bullish continuation for the Bitcoin price, short-term models indicate a breakdown of bullish strength, particularly as the cryptocurrency approaches the critical $100,000 support zone. This sentiment is relayed by popular crypto analyst Willy Woo, who shared the good and bad news based on Bitcoin’s current technicals. Good News: A…

This is a segment from the Forward Guidance newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe. Next week is the Fed’s FOMC Day, and it feels like it’s going to be a highly contentious one. On one hand, you have President Trump pressing Chair Jerome Powell to cut rates by 100bps as soon as possible: On the other hand, you have the FOMC toeing the line; they’re in a “wait-and-see” mode. This is because they don’t want to react in either a dovish or hawkish direction until they have a better idea of where the tariff policy will net out. However, doing…

Hippo, a popular Sui-based memecoin, is set to launch Splash, a new token launchpad, this week. Splash is a rebrand of the project initially named HipHop.fun, which focused on meme coin creation within the Sui ecosystem. The rebrand reflects an expanded vision to create a comprehensive, fair, and accessible platform for token launches, catering to builders, developers, and retail investors on the Sui blockchain. What is Splash? Splash is a token launch platform on the Sui blockchain, a Layer 1 blockchain known for its high throughput and low transaction costs. Unlike traditional launchpads that often favor insiders through private sales…

This is a segment from the Lightspeed newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe. As regulation becomes clearer and the number of national banks rumored to have stablecoin plans grow, it seems like much of America’s financial sector is coming to grips with a future involving stables. But compared to these well-heeled and technically-savvy TradFi institutions, local banks and credit unions — where a sizable percentage of Americans do their banking — are almost certain to lag behind in this trend. To help narrow this gap, Beam and Braid are partnering to offer stablecoin infrastructure to community banks and credit unions…

Prominent crypto exchange Kraken has highlighted how XRP has matured from a speculative coin to a key asset in the digital asset scene. The report, prepared by CF Benchmark, a wholly owned Kraken subsidiary, defined XRP and its role in the XRP Ledger. Furthermore, it emphasized the asset’s escalating maturity and dominance in the cryptocurrency industry. Notably, the May report followed XRP’s recent choppy price action despite Bitcoin’s bullish outing. The XRPL native token is down over 3% since Monday and 11% from its high of $2.65 last week. Mega-Capped XRP Commanding Respect With its $137 billion valuation, XRP currently…

Game industry veteran John Smedley—who helped bring games like EverQuest, H1Z1, and Planetside to life as president of Sony Online Entertainment (later Daybreak Game Company)—is back with a new studio, Distinct Possibility Studios, and a blockchain-powered debut first-person shooter called Reaper Actual. And while blockchain games have typically found a muted or hostile response from traditional gamers, Smedley believes his game could bring in “millions and millions” of players due to the shooter’s unique implementation of crypto tech. Reaper Actual is a PC-based, open-world multiplayer shooter that will see players upgrade and defend bases, placed on what Smedley told Decrypt…