Author: NBTC
This is a segment from the Empire newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe. We’re thinking about stablecoin classification all wrong, Agora CEO Nick van Eck told me. It’s easy to lump all of the stablecoins into one single bucket, but the reality is that the offerings are quickly becoming more unique and different as the space matures. A lot of stablecoins are “very different, and have very different user profiles,” which means they “ultimately don’t even end up competing.” “Someone who is looking to use USDe as a form of collateral is 95% of the time probably not the same…
Bitcoin posted one of its worst Q1 returns in 2025, Ethereum performed even worse, with over 45% drawdown in its price. Ethereum’s price has been in a decline since the Dencun upgrade in March 2024. Ethereum’s downfall seems driven by the Layer 2 protocols amassing large transaction volume and passing on the fraction of the revenue to the ETH chain. Ethereum (ETH) leaned into its role as security infrastructure and the underlying blockchain for Layer 2 protocols, scaling the crypto ecosystem and losing its value throughout 2025. Traders and investors holding the largest altcoin ask the question whether Ethereum will…
US President Donald Trump has privately acknowledged that the sweeping tariff proposal he unveiled last week could send the US economy into recession, according to The Wall Street Journal. However, he said his intention was to avoid triggering a widespread depression. Citing people familiar with the matter, the newspaper reported that Trump had told advisers he was prepared to accept the economic “pain” that the tariff strategy could cause, though mounting bond market pressure forced a partial reversal of the policy. The plan, which includes significant tariffs aimed at protecting U.S. industries, has raised fears among economists that disruptions to…
Ripple’s $1.25 billion acquisition of prime broker Hidden Road has sparked renewed speculation around XRP handling trillions in institutional liquidity. Following comments from Ripple CTO David Schwartz regarding the acquisition, XRP community influencer Zach Rector presented an analysis of how the deal could impact XRP’s price and adoption. For context, Ripple’s purchase of Hidden Road is one of the most significant acquisitions in the crypto scene. Schwartz revealed that Hidden Road processes over $10 billion in daily liquidity across traditional financial markets. However, these transactions often take up to 24 hours to settle using legacy financial systems. Ripple’s CTO highlighted…
Crypto companies issuing or dealing with tokens that may be securities should provide detailed disclosures, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said on Thursday. The SEC published its latest staff statement on disclosures ahead of its second roundtable — which will focus on trading — “as part of an effort to provide greater clarity on the application of the federal securities laws to crypto assets.” The nonbinding guidance recommends companies filing disclosures be precise about what their businesses do and what role their tokens may play in those ventures. Much of it is based on observations about what companies…
While the crypto community has long gotten used to waves of speculation about who might be behind the Satoshi Nakamoto name, a recent legal move by lawyer James Murphy — known to many online as MetaLawMan — has once again nudged the conversation in unexpected directions, including toward Ripple Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz. Murphy has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, pressing for the release of documents that may, according to his argument, shed light on meetings reportedly held between the agency and individuals associated with Bitcoin’s early development. Murphy seems to believe that somewhere…
Today, twelve of the world’s leading human rights and humanitarian organizations gathered today at London’s Frontline Club to announce the formation of the Bitcoin Humanitarian Alliance. The coalition seeks to harness the power of Bitcoin to deliver civil liberties, support dissidents, and provide aid where traditional financial systems fall short, according to a press release sent to Bitcoin Magazine. The Bitcoin Humanitarian Alliance website states that it “is a coalition of human rights defenders, pro-democracy movements, and humanitarian organizations using Bitcoin to advance civil liberties and humanitarian aid worldwide.” “As a decentralized, borderless, and censorship-resistant financial tool, Bitcoin operates outside…
Hermetica has teamed up with Velar to provide a 5% annual yield for traders on the Bitcoin-backed stablecoin USDh through Velar’s futures exchange on Stacks. Hermetica, the issuer of the Bitcoin-backed stablecoin USDh, has partnered with Velar to offer a 5% annual yield to traders using Velar’s perpetual futures exchange on the Bitcoin Layer 2 network, Stacks (STX), according to a release shared with crypto.news. The new feature allows users to earn yield on USDh while trading leveraged Bitcoin (BTC) positions. You might also like: Why is crypto going up? 4 key reasons behind the rally Active collateral This marks…
Ethereum (ETH) dipped over 7% in the last 24 hours despite Trump’s 90-day tariff pause. Key technical indicators suggest that a full trend reversal might be unlikely in the short term. The BBTrend remains strongly negative, and whale accumulation has stalled, both signaling caution. Combined with a still-bearish EMA structure, Ethereum may need a stronger wave of buying pressure before it can break out of its current downtrend. ETH BBTrend Is Strongly Negative But Bigger Than Yesterday Ethereum’s BBTrend indicator has slightly improved, currently reading -18, up from -21.59 just before Trump’s tariff pause announcement. This shift suggests that bearish…
According to Fox News correspondent Charles Gasparino, the Trump administration is preparing to take steps towards the possible delisting of Chinese public companies from US stock exchanges. According to sources, the new SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) chairman Paul Atkins, who is expected to take office, will make this issue a priority on his agenda after officially taking office. While the possibility of delisting is being evaluated in the shadow of the ongoing trade war with China, it is stated that there is an increasing appetite in the Republican Party’s Congressional wing to remove Chinese companies from the US markets.…