Author: NBTC

Solana cements structurally low, predictable fees versus rollup-heavy rivals, reinforcing its role as a high-throughput chain for cost-sensitive, high-volume apps. Summary Solana posts one of the lowest median fees among major chains, second only to Avalanche in recent fee comparison data. High throughput and parallel execution keep Solana’s median user fee several times below Base and well under Ethereum’s persistent base-layer gas costs. Low, stable fees position Solana as an execution-focused chain for payments, gaming and on-chain trading, while rollup stacks trade slightly higher fees for Ethereum alignment. Solana ($SOL) recorded the second-lowest median transaction fees among major blockchain networks…

Brian Armstrong, the chief executive officer (CEO) at the largest U.S.-based publicly-traded cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase, has taken to his social media account to make an important statement to the global community. He spoke about crypto wallets, their actual purpose and importance, which many users underestimate. The crypto community supported the Coinbase CEO in the comments. Armstrong’s crucial statement The Coinbase CEO reminded the community that crypto wallets are not just for holding one’s coins; there is something much bigger than that to these devices. Armstrong’s statement is not so much about crypto wallets as about cryptocurrency itself, and wallets come…

In a significant development for cryptocurrency accessibility, Robinhood Markets, Inc. announced on March 15, 2025, that it has officially listed spot $SKR trading on its platform, thereby expanding digital asset options for its 23 million funded accounts across the United States. This strategic move represents Robinhood’s continued commitment to democratizing finance while navigating the evolving regulatory landscape that governs cryptocurrency exchanges and trading platforms. Consequently, retail investors now gain streamlined access to $SKR alongside traditional investment vehicles through a single, user-friendly application. Robinhood Spot $SKR Listing Expands Crypto Accessibility The Robinhood spot $SKR listing marks a pivotal moment for cryptocurrency…

Chainlink, a decentralized oracle network connecting smart contracts to real-world data, has been chosen to join the Bank of England’s Synchronisation Lab, an experimental program testing how blockchain-based assets can settle alongside traditional central bank money. JUST ANNOUNCED: Chainlink has been selected to participate in the Bank of England’s Synchronisation Lab. Chainlink is supporting synchronized settlement between central bank money and onchain securities. This is how the UK financial system moves onchain. pic.twitter.com/b3ho0gN1DY — Chainlink (@chainlink) February 10, 2026 The initiative, announced today, positions the oracle provider among 18 firms selected to explore settlement coordination between sterling held at the…

Singapore Gulf Bank (SGB), a fully licensed digital bank regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain, has taken a major step in expanding its global payment capabilities by opening a correspondent banking account with J.P. Morgan. The move grants SGB direct access to J.P. Morgan’s established USD clearing network, strengthening its ability to deliver fast, secure, and reliable cross-border payment services to clients worldwide. Based in Manama, SGB says the partnership is designed to support businesses and investors that rely on seamless international money flows, particularly across major financial corridors linking the Middle East, Asia, and global markets. Rolling Out…

Circle announced on Thursday, Feb. 5, that it has partnered with Polymarket, the largest on-chain prediction market by trading volume, to provide its U.S. dollar stablecoin settlement infrastructure. The partnership focuses on integrating Circle’s stablecoin $USDC as the primary collateral currency for trading on Polymarket. The prediction market, which operates on Polygon, currently uses Polygon Bridged $USDC ($USDC.E), but will move to native $USDC “in the coming months.” With a supply of $70.77 billion, Circle’s $USDC is the second-largest stablecoin by market capitalization after Tether’s USDT. Circle said the partnership is focused on making settlement on Polymarket more “institutionally aligned”…

Ledger, the Paris-based hardware wallet manufacturer, is teaming up with OKX DEX to let users swap crypto assets directly from their wallets without relying on intermediaries, the companies announced Tuesday. The feature, expected to launch soon, keeps assets fully self-custodial, with every transaction approved by a Ledger signer, Ledger stated. OKX DEX, the permissionless trading portal operated by crypto exchange OKX, will enable token swaps across Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, and BNB Chain directly within the Ledger Wallet app. With access to aggregated liquidity across multiple blockchains, Ledger Wallet users can benefit from enhanced trading efficiency and expanded DeFi…

ClearBank has chosen digital asset infrastructure provider Taurus to support its push into stablecoin-related services, as the U.K.-based clearing bank looks to broaden its payments and digital asset offerings for clients, the company said in a press release Tuesday. Under the agreement, ClearBank will use Taurus-PROTECT as its wallet infrastructure provider, enabling it to offer digital asset services in a way that is designed to be secure, scalable and compliant. The partnership forms part of ClearBank’s wider digital asset strategy, with an initial focus on stablecoins, the fintech company said. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies pegged to assets like fiat currencies or…

Key Notes Gemini exits UK, EU and Australia. It also reduces up to 200 employees (~25%). Gemini guided to ~$11,000,000 in pre-tax restructuring charges. Gemini Space Station Inc. approved a plan to exit the UK, the EU, and Australia and cut up to 200 jobs, equal to about 25% of global headcount, according to an official statement on Feb. 5, 2026. According to a recent SEC filing, Gemini informed regulators that it expects the wind-down plan to be completed in 1H 2026 and to book about $11,000,000 in pre-tax restructuring and related charges, with “substantially all” recognized in Q1 2026.…

Alphabet reaches a $4 trillion market value, driven by its intensified AI focus. The Google parent is only the fourth company in history to hit the $4 trillion milestone after Nvidia, Microsoft and Apple. On January 12, Alphabet’s Class‑A shares surged to $334.04, briefly pushing the company’s market capitalization to $4 trillion, the highest ever for the Google parent. The rally follows a multi‑year agreement to base Apple’s next‑generation artificial intelligence (AI) models on Google’s Gemini platform and reflects renewed investor confidence in its AI‑driven growth strategy. The milestone underscores Alphabet’s shift from a cloud‑centric turnaround to a broader AI leadership…