Author: NBTC
Botanix Labs has onboarded a couple of crypto industry heavyweights as node operators for its bitcoin layer-2 network. Mike Novogratz’s digital asset financial services firm Galaxy and crypto custody specialist Fireblocks are among 16 new node operators on Botanix, the company announced on Thursday. The operators have been onboarded and will be live once the Botanix mainnet launches later this quarter. With the creation of a federation of different entities running nodes, Botanix Labs is establishing its eponymous network as “decentralized from the start.” “The network will soon migrate to a dynamic federation to support hundreds of nodes, with the…
The price of several tokens tied to Ethereum-based projects in decentralized finance, or DeFi, spiked on Tuesday after the Securities and Exchange Commission signaled that it’s taking steps internally to become more accommodative of the emergent subsector. Ethereum was recently changing hands around $2,700, an 7.2% increase over the past day, according to crypto data provider CoinGecko. Uniswap, Aave, and Sky, were up 23%, 16%, and 15% respectively, rising to $8, $305, and $0.90. On Monday, SEC Chairman Paul Atkins said during a DeFi-focused roundtable in Washington, D.C., that the agency was working on an “innovation exemption” allowing companies to…
Ethereum plummets near the $2,400 mark as the Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s fallout rocks the crypto market as more major tokens get dragged down. According to data from crypto.news, the Ethereum price has dropped nearly 6% in the past 24 hours of trading. The second-largest token by market cap has been seeing red in the past few hours, dropping from a peak of $2,634 to as low as $2,408. At press time, ETH (ETH) is trading hands at a price of $2,456, barely recovering from the sudden price drop at about 2:00 AM UTC. The recent Ethereum price dip…
US President Donald Trump once again targeted FED Chairman Jerome Powell in his statements on social media. Trump pointed out that the European Central Bank has cut interest rates 10 times this year and described the FED’s failure to take any action as an “economic disaster.” “Interest rates are being lowered in Europe all the time, but there is still no change in our country. Despite this, our country is doing well, but if interest rates were lowered by one point, it would create a rocket fuel effect on our economy,” said Trump, adding that if the FED lowered interest…
This is a segment from the Empire newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe. Plasma received $500 million in stablecoin deposits rather quickly yesterday, shocking some and affirming that the token sales appetite is back in full force. But let me back up for a second. Plasma, which raised $24 million from the likes of Framework Ventures, is gearing up for a sale of its XPL token. Plasma team member Googly was careful to clarify that the sale hasn’t yet happened. Ahead of the deposits, Blockworks Research penned a subscriber-exclusive note from analyst and 0xResearch podcast host Boccaccio, which dropped before…
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has increasingly scrutinized cryptocurrencies amid their rising adoption by countries. While many nations explore digital assets to diversify their economies, the IMF emphasizes cautious regulation and highlights risks, especially concerning energy consumption and legal frameworks. Pakistan’s Bitcoin Ambitions and IMF Concerns Just recently, Pakistan officially announced its strategic Bitcoin reserve at the Bitcoin Vegas 2025 conference. The country revealed plans to hold Bitcoin as a long-term investment and integrate digital assets into its economy. Pakistan’s government also aims to utilize excess electricity for Bitcoin mining, seeking to convert idle energy into economic value. The Pakistan…
Crypto payment cards have become increasingly popular in recent years as a means of spending digital assets in everyday scenarios. Once seen solely as an investment, cryptocurrencies in 2025 are widely being used for payments, particularly by younger, tech-savvy users who seek convenience without sacrificing control over their finances. A recent study by Coupon Follow reveals that 42% of U.S. millennials have used cryptocurrency for purchases in the past year, marking a 12% increase since 2022. With more people looking to spend their crypto, several new payment cards now make the leap from wallet to checkout much easier. Here are…
Illegal Truck-Based Mine: Russian authorities found a KamAZ truck with 95 mining rigs stealing village power in Buryatia. Seasonal Mining Ban: Crypto mining is banned in parts of Russia during peak energy months to conserve electricity. Cyber Threats Rise: Hacker group “Librarian Ghouls” is running cryptojacking campaigns targeting Russian users. Russian authorities in the Republic of Buryatia have exposed an illegal cryptocurrency mining operation that was concealed inside a KamAZ truck and powered by stolen electricity meant for a local village. The discovery took place during a routine inspection of a 10-kilovolt power line in the Pribaikalsky District, according to…
High throughput blockchain Keeta and credit data platform SOLO, companies both backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, are introducing an on-chain credit bureau to give digital asset owners access to mortgages, small business loans, and other traditional lending services. Keeta and SOLO have created PASS, a blockchain-based, bank-grade financial identity layer, using know-your-customer, income, crypto assets, and business credentials, according to a press release on Thursday. Blockchain infrastructure is synonymous with trust, so it makes sense to use the tech to store real world financial credentials, and cater to new digital paradigms within lending. The PASS product creates modern…
Whale inflows drop to $2.99B, lowest since early 2023, signaling reduced sell pressure. Bitcoin forms bull flag breakout, projecting upside target around $144K. Derivatives skew shows risk of major short squeeze if BTC rallies by 10%. Whale inflows of Bitcoin to Binance have declined to $2.99 billion, the lowest since early 2023, as noted by CryptoQuant. The data indicates a decisive change in behavior, where inflows of more than $5 billion have in the past been precursors to sharp corrections. At the last two cycle tops, Binance experienced $5.31 billion, $8.45 billion, and $7.24 billion in 30-day whale inflows, followed…