Author: NBTC

NBTC

NBTC is the editorial account for NBTC News, covering Bitcoin, Ethereum, DeFi, blockchain infrastructure, exchanges, mining, regulation and digital asset markets. The editorial team focuses on clear sourcing, timely updates and practical context for crypto readers.

Public miners dump record BTC and are pivoting to AI — is Bitcoin’s security backbone starting to hollow out?

MiningApr 21

Publicly listed Bitcoin miners liquidated more than 32,000 Bitcoin during the first quarter of 2026, marking a record sell-off as the industry's largest operators redirect billions in capital toward artificial intelligence. This historic shift is unfolding precisely as the economics of Bitcoin validation reach a critical pressure point. With mining profitability hovering near cyclical lows, weighted production costs surging, and network hashrate showing persistent signs of strain, the infrastructure giants that defined the last crypto boom are fundamentally reengineering their business models. Public $BTC miners turn to the balance sheet The sheer magnitude of the first-quarter liquidation reflects the severity…

SEC CLARITY Act Roundtable Opens in Washington Today

LegalApr 21

The SEC CLARITY Act roundtable convened in Washington today, April 16, bringing regulators and industry together for a public discussion on digital asset market structure as the Senate Banking Committee targets a late-April markup of the most consequential crypto bill the US has ever seen. The SEC CLARITY Act roundtable opened in Washington today as the US Securities and Exchange Commission convened a public forum on digital asset market structure, placing the bill’s trajectory on full display for the first time since the Senate returned from Easter recess on April 13. Today’s session is not a vote or formal markup,…

Cango bets on infrastructure to close power gap as EcoHash launches commercial AI inference platform

MiningApr 21

EcoHash Technology LLC, the dedicated HPC and AI inference subsidiary of Cango Inc. (NYSE: CANG), launched its public digital portal on 13 April 2026, announcing the start of commercial operations. It also unveiled plans to operate a portion of its 50-megawatt (MW) Georgia mining facility as a live proof-of-concept hub for the AI compute industry. What is EcoHash, and why is it entering the market now? Cango (CANG) founded EcoHash in 2025 as part of its goal to convert the company’s global energy infrastructure into a distributed AI compute network. EcoHash’s commercial launch targets AI developers seeking low-latency, near-source compute…

Russian banks call for relaxed cryptocurrency regulations

LegalApr 21

Russian bankers are now urging their government to soften upcoming crypto rules and admit more coins to the country’s market for digital assets. Their call comes after lawmakers warned against the overly strict framework currently under review, suggesting regulation in line with global standards. Russian banks push for liberal cryptocurrency law The Association of Russian Banks ($ARB) has come up with ideas on how to “liberalize” the pending bill “On Digital Currency and Digital Rights.” The draft law is part of a legislative package meant to comprehensively regulate crypto operations in Russia which is under consideration in the State Duma.…

Insiders may be using secret government knowledge to profit on prediction markets

LegalApr 21

Washington is starting to ask hard questions about whether government insiders are using what they know to make money on political betting platforms and whether anyone has the power to stop them. Platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket have pulled prediction markets out of the shadows in recent years, drawing ordinary people into wagering on everything from storm paths and game scores to wars, elections, and government decisions. But a string of unusually well-timed, large-dollar bets has put both platforms and federal regulators under pressure. Polymarket uses cryptocurrency for all transactions. It has opened markets on whether Iran’s government will collapse…

Stablecoin issuer Circle faces lawsuit over $230M Drift Protocol hack

LegalApr 21

Circle Internet Group is facing a class action lawsuit led by a Drift Protocol investor claiming it failed to freeze funds stolen in a $280 million exploit of the protocol on April 1. The lawsuit was filed by Drift investor Joshua McCollum on behalf of over 100 members in a US district court in Massachusetts on Wednesday, which accused Circle of allowing the attackers to transfer about $230 million worth of $USDC ($USDC) from Solana to Ethereum via Circle’s Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) over several hours without intervention. “Circle permitted this criminal use of its technology and services,” attorneys representing…

Brazilian Police Arrest Singers Linked to $320 Million Crypto Laundering Ring

LegalApr 21

The arrests of the two singers and others were part of Operation Narco Fluxo, a high-level operation executed by the Brazilian Federal Police across several states. The flows intermediated using cryptocurrency reached well over $320 million, according to an official statement. Key Takeaways: The Federal Police arrested MC Ryan SP in a $320M crypto laundering ring, with suspects facing charges next. Operation Narco Fluxo busted a $320M crypto ring across 8 states, seizing assets to possibly compensate victims next. In November, Fernando Haddad noted Brazil will increasingly target future illicit crypto flows next. Operation Narco Fluxo Disbands $320 Million Crypto…

Coinbase Says Markup Could Come This Month and Floor Vote in May

LegalApr 21

Coinbase Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad told Fox Business on Thursday that the CLARITY Act could reach a Senate Banking Committee markup as early as this month, with a full floor vote possible in May if negotiations hold. “I think we feel great about it,” Shirzad said. “Hopefully Chairman Scott will schedule a markup as early as this month. We should be able to get to the floor in May and give the President and Congress another big bipartisan win.” The Stablecoin Yield Fight Is Effectively Over The central dispute that stalled the bill for months has been the question…

After Kalshi appeal, prediction markets fight could head to US Supreme Court

LegalApr 20

Some legal experts speculated that the state vs. federal jurisdiction battle over regulating prediction markets companies could soon be headed to the United States Supreme Court. On Thursday, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit heard oral arguments from lawyers representing prediction markets platform Kalshi and Nevada authorities over the state's ban on the prediction markets' event contracts. The appeal was over a lower court decision preventing Kalshi from offering certain event-based contracts in Nevada, based on claims that the company needed a gaming license. Thursday oral arguments by Kalshi and the State of Nevada. Source: US Court…

Anthropic CEO to meet top Trump aide today amid Pentagon dispute

LegalApr 20

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei is set to enter the West Wing on Friday for a meeting with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, in what could mark a turning point in the company’s dispute with the Pentagon over its advanced AI systems, Axios reported. The Trump administration is weighing the significance of Anthropic’s Claude model, Mythos, a new frontier AI model focused on cybersecurity. Mythos is seen as highly advanced and potentially capable of breaching cybersecurity defenses. The AI system, unveiled earlier this month, can scan software, detect serious security flaws, and even figure out how those flaws could…