Author: NBTC

Ethereum has long been the undisputed king of smart contract platforms. However, as 2025 progresses, cracks in its foundation have begun to show. The Ethereum Foundation (EF), a nonprofit organization tasked with stewarding the blockchain’s development, is facing one of its most turbulent moments yet. EF’s Leadership Turmoil: Conflict of Interest and Transparency Issues Leadership shakeups, internal conflicts, and a controversial $165 million DeFi investment have raised concerns over Ethereum’s governance and neutrality. These struggles have come at a critical moment. The crypto market is changing, and new contenders are emerging as serious challengers for Ethereum’s position as the second-largest…

President Donald Trump’s buddy, China’s President Xi Jinping, is hustling to fix things with America before the highly-expected trade war kicks off on Monday. He’s calling for a truce in a fight he never started, a fight he desperately tried to stop. According to a report from Wall Street Journal, Beijing is preparing to offer President Trump a trade deal designed to delay or eliminate the 10% tariffs he announced against China on Saturday, as well as technology restrictions. Reportedly, the proposal focuses on reviving the 2020 Phase One trade deal, which fell apart before it could deliver. But this…

In the last 24 hours, Toncoin (TON) has seen a significant surge in large transaction volume, which indicates whale activity. According to IntoTheBlock data, TON’s large transaction volume has risen 104% in the last 24 hours to reach $8.13 billion. A surge in large transaction volume often reflects increased activity from whales, buying or selling. The spike in TON’s whale activity coincides with a wave of short liquidations on the market. At the time of writing, TON was up 2.79% in the last 24 hours to $5.39, reflecting the current crypto market recovery, which has seen $127 million in shorts…

This is a segment from the Forward Guidance newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe. About two weeks after the SEC formed a crypto task force, unit leader Hester Peirce checked in. The rough message: We’re working on a bunch of things, but please be patient. Peirce (no surprise) criticized the previous path taken by the SEC. It “incessantly slammed on the enforcement brakes as it lurched along a meandering route with a destination not discernible to anyone.” Further, its handling of crypto “has been marked by legal imprecision and commercial impracticality” (in case you didn’t already know how Peirce felt).…

According to an email sent to concerned users, FTX creditors are set to receive their first refunds starting February 18. The refunds are currently available to FTX Bahamas creditors classified under the “eligibility class,” which includes claims under $50,000. The once-leading cryptocurrency exchange collapsed in November 2022 after a liquidity crisis led to mass withdrawals that FTX was unable to honor. Former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was later found guilty of embezzling customer funds to cover multibillion-dollar losses at sister firm Alameda Research. As part of the refund plan, nearly all affected customers are expected to receive around 119% of the…

Cryptocurrency analytics firm Alphractal has published an in-depth assessment of the Bitcoin market following the recent drop in its price. In its report titled “Where Is Bitcoin Headed After Capital Outflows?”, the firm outlines potential scenarios for the cryptocurrency as it seeks new equilibrium points amid shifting capital flows. According to Alphractal, the capital outflow from Bitcoin suggests that market makers may be developing strategies to set new price levels for re-entry. The analysis focuses on three key scenarios: Bull Scenarios STH Realized Price ($86,200): Alphractal has identified the Short-Term Holder (STH) Realized Price as the first target. This metric…

The first weeks of 2025 have been nothing short of turbulent for financial markets, with both cryptocurrencies and equities facing intense pressure. A major shake-up came from China’s DeepSeek AI, which rattled the tech sector promising superior performance at a fraction of competitors’ costs. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policies further unsettled markets, triggering even greater turmoil. The cryptocurrency market suffered historic liquidation, erasing $2.24 billion in value within 24 hours, with estimates reaching up to $10 billion. Ethereum (ETH) took the hardest hit, leading the liquidation spree with $617.35 million in losses, plunging 16% to a low of…

Crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) recorded a fourth straight week of inflows, bringing in $527 million last week, according to CoinShares‘ latest report. James Butterfill, the head of research at CoinShares, said that market sentiment fluctuated significantly throughout the week, shaped by broader economic concerns. According to him, a key factor was the impact of DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence company whose open-source R1 model outperformed OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The AI app soared to the top of the App Store rankings, raising concerns over its impact on major US tech firms like Nvidia. This uncertainty contributed to $530 million in outflows at…

According to the report, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is preparing to revise its guidelines to enable banks to operate crypto-related operations. The regulatory landscape for cryptocurrencies has witnessed a seismic shift in recent months. The newly-elected U.S. president Donald Trump vowed to create crypto-friendly policies, contrasting the stance of the previous government led by Joe Biden. BREAKING: The FDIC is planning to revise some crypto guidelines, allowing banks to engage in some crypto activities, per Barrons. This includes potential “tokenized deposits” that could put some checking accounts on blockchains. pic.twitter.com/LMYGRf5UEQ — The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) February 5, 2025…

Feb 4 (Reuters) – MercadoLibre is now offering transactions using its payment processors in Argentina through Pix, the Brazilian instant payment system, as Brazilian tourists flock to the neighboring country for vacation, MercadoLibre told Reuters on Tuesday. MercadoLibre’s (MELI.O), opens new tab payment processors, run by fintech arm Mercado Pago, have become ubiquitous for Argentines on the go and are popular for merchants looking for instant payments instead of waiting on credit cards to clear while their money depreciates. The central-bank-developed Pix, meanwhile, has taken up a similar position for Brazilians and is now residents’ favorite way to pay over…