Author: NBTC

BNB Chain has successfully deployed its much-anticipated Maxwell Hard Fork on the testnet. This launch delivers a high-speed, low-latency blockchain performance. Maxwell’s mainnet activation is scheduled for June 30, 2025. Nevertheless, this deployment positions BNB Chain to rival Solana and Ethereum blockchains on specific metrics. BNB Chain’s Maxwell Upgrade: What Users Need to Know The upgrade, activated at block 5,255,2978, represents a foundational overhaul of BNB Chain’s consensus and networking infrastructure. It significantly reduces block times, enhances validator communication, and improves sync efficiency, which are integral factors for scaling user and developer experiences on-chain. “Maxwell HardFork Successfully Activated on BNB…

Bo Hines told the 2025 Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas on May 27 that the federal government will hold every Bitcoin (BTC) already in custody and pursue additional budget-neutral ways to increase its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Hines, who serves as the executive director of the President’s Council of Advisers for Digital Assets, described Bitcoin as “digital gold” and said the asset’s scarcity requires permanent custody. He distinguished the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) from the broader Digital Assets National Stockpile by stressing an absolute prohibition on disposals. On March 6, an executive order signed by President Donald Trump established both concepts.…

This is a segment from the Empire newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe. Have you heard about Cove? Given that the protocol didn’t have a testnet, you might not have, or you might have seen its $3 million pre-seed raise led by Electric Capital, with participation from Accomplice, Daedalus, and Robot Ventures. Cove is launching its mainnet today, the team exclusively told Blockworks. They’re also launching coveUSD, which lets folks earn yield on Ethereum. But let’s back up: The Cove protocol aims to deliver “risk-adjusted yield” through curated DeFi vaults. It came about as a solution for Cove founder Sunil…

Metaplanet stock appeared on hedge funds’ radar following a 57% gain over the past week and a 163% gain on the monthly chart. The stock is currently trading at a yearly high of 933 JPY. However, Metaplanet stock has become the most shorted, with many analysts comparing it to the euphoric GME short of 2021. According to BitconTreasuries, an estimated 1,082,164 BTC ($110.8 billion) is currently held by publicly listed and private corporate treasuries, reaching a new all-time high of 5.5% of the current circulating supply. That’s four times more bitcoins on corporate balance sheets than three years ago, with…

A report suggests the adoption of XRP and Ripple blockchain-based payment innovation is crucial in meeting the G20’s cross-border transaction target. Ripple’s cross-border business is gaining more traction in the global payment industry. Its blockchain-based, low-cost, and split-second transactional acumen has been touted as crucial to meeting the payment needs of the G20, a conglomerate of the top 19 economies in the world, including the European Union and the African Union. The 2025 edition of the confidential report from the US Faster Payments Council (FPC), mentioned by SMQKE, identified the G20’s 2027 and 2030 cross-border payment targets and how the…

This is a segment from The Drop newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe. Apparently, it’s a controversial take in crypto to ask for more single-player games (and fewer multiplayer games). When juicing up an in-game economy with crypto elements, a multiplayer game seems like the obvious choice. Players can flex their purchasing power to others in the game. They can crush others with their NFT that cost $1,000, showing other players that they are, indeed, willing to spend that much on a single game item. But is that use case worth the cost? And can most crypto game studios —…

SOPH, the native token of the entertainment-focused Layer 2 network Sophon, is set to make its official debut on Binance and other tier-1 exchanges later today. In a May 28 announcement, Binance confirmed that SOPH will be available for trading on Binance on May 28, 2025, at 13:00 UTC. The listing will mark the token’s first official appearance and will go live alongside Sophon’s Token Generation Event (TGE), and an accompanied listing on Binance Alpha, the exchange’s early-access section that showcases trending and promising Web3 projects scheduled earlier for the day. As part of the launch, Binance Alpha will host…

Introduction to Verifiable Computing Digital trust has become a critical issue as more systems rely on computational verification. The Nexus Project addresses this challenge by building what researchers call a “Verifiable Internet” — a system where every computation can be cryptographically proven correct. Nexus Labs developed this technology to create a planetary-scale supercomputer powered by the Nexus Layer 1 blockchain and zero-knowledge virtual machine (zkVM). The project aims to verify everything from artificial intelligence computations to digital identities using open-source technology and zero-knowledge cryptography. Currently in testnet phase with mainnet launch scheduled for Q3 2025, the system represents a significant…

Today at the Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas, Cowbolt, an app that lets you split expense payments and settle in bitcoin, will launch their mission: turn peer-to-peer payments into a Bitcoin onramp, starting with family and friends. Cowbolt will let their clients split costs and settle instantly using Bitcoin and USDT, with no middlemen, no bank friction and with self-custody. They will try to convert everyday transactions into Bitcoin adoption. “We believe the most powerful onramp to Bitcoin isn’t an exchange — it’s people,” said the co-founder of Cowbolt Daniel Ekström. “That’s why we built Cowbolt. For friends, not hedge…

PancakeSwap earns $52.1 million weekly, surpassing Circle and trailing only Tether. Hyperliquid climbed past Pump and Jito by collecting $21.6M in fees over just one week. Boosted by V3 upgrades, PancakeSwap exceeded $100B in trading volume during May alone. PancakeSwap is now the second leading platform on the global weekly fee list. In the last week, the decentralized exchange brought in $52.1 million in fees. The result helped it surpass Circle, which raised $44.6 million in the corresponding period. Now, Tether is the only crypto left in the lead. This achievement is an important milestone for the biggest DEX on…