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.

Is Pengu card the next step for Pudgy Penguins’ real-world utility?

ExchangesMar 31

This report examines how the pengu card enables stablecoin spending across Visa merchants, linking $NFT branding with real-world finance. As crypto projects race to bridge Web3 and everyday finance, Pudgy Penguins is pushing ahead with its new Pengu card, targeting mainstream stablecoin spending. Visa-backed stablecoin debit card goes global Pudgy Penguins has launched the Pengu Card, a Visa-backed crypto debit product designed for worldwide use. Announced on March 24, 2026, the rollout lets holders spend stablecoins at more than 150 million merchants in over 170 countries. This move signals a clear shift from pure $NFT speculation toward practical, payments-focused utility.…

'Be Greedy When Others Are Fearful,' Metaplanet CEO Quotes Buffett as Crypto Fear Goes Extreme

RegulationMar 31

As market sentiment becomes extremely sensitive following the recent crypto market crash, cryptocurrencies have seen their prices drop significantly, with leading crypto assets returning to multi-year lows. While the high market volatility has sparked fear among investors, many crypto experts, including Metaplanet’s CEO Simon Gerovich, believe it is time to go contrary and act against the looming fear seen across the crypto market. Metaplanet's Gerovich quotes Buffet amid market fear On Saturday, Feb. 7, the Metaplanet CEO sparked debate across the crypto market after quoting the long-time investor Warren Buffett as CoinMarketCap reported its Crypto Fear and Greed Index plunging…

Binance Vietnam expands presence with new general manager role amid crypto pilot program

ExchangesMar 31

Binance Vietnam looks to expand in Ho Chi Minh City as it hires a general manager amid a country-wide crypto pilot and tighter regulation. Vietnam’s rapidly growing digital asset ecosystem is drawing renewed attention as binance vietnam deepens its local footprint through a new senior leadership role in Ho Chi Minh City. Binance opens recruitment for Vietnam general manager Binance, one of the largest global cryptocurrency exchanges, has begun recruiting a General Manager for its office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The position underscores the exchange’s intention to scale operations in the country while aligning with evolving local regulations…

Google launches Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite as fastest and cheapest Gemini 3 model

BlockchainMar 31

Google today introduced Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite, a new artificial intelligence model designed to deliver faster responses and lower operating costs within the company’s Gemini 3 model family. The model is rolling out in preview to developers through the Gemini API in Google AI Studio and to enterprise customers through Vertex AI. Google described Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite as the fastest and most cost-efficient model in the Gemini 3 series, built specifically for high-volume workloads where latency and cost are critical. Pricing for the model starts at $0.25 per million input tokens and $1.50 per million output tokens, positioning it…

RWA Perpetuals Surge in 2026 as Gold and Silver Hit Record Volatility

RegulationMar 31

According to a recent X post from CoinMarketCap, projects following the price surge of gold and silver the RWA Perpetuals market is carving a new sector. Over the past two weeks bets on real-world commodities like gold and silver using crypto derivatives has seen a massive growth. Source: CoinMarketCap RWA perps trading volume reportedly surpassed $15 billion as gold and silver reached its ATH of $5,500 and $121.64 per ounce, signifying that traders are actively using these markets and not just testing them. RWA perpetuals are crypto contracts that let users bet on the price of RWAs such as gold…

Exchange listings doubled this cycle, despite token project weakness

ExchangesMar 31

Exchange listings accelerated during the latest market cycle, as centralized exchanges doubled down. Listing expanded despite the loss of enthusiasm for altcoins. Exchange listings doubled compared to previous market cycles, led by MEXC additions. While previously tokens would wait for months, MEXC was willing to provide almost immediate listings to new tokens. The listings often resulted in losses, but the market still offered a wider selection of new assets. Based on Cryptorank data, listings reached 5.35K new tokens in just 700 days, compared to 1,444 days during the previous cycle. Returns on new listings remained relatively low, with a median…

Aave rolls out v4 on Ethereum, aiming to expand DeFi into real-world credit markets

DeFiMar 31

Aave, one of the largest decentralized lending platforms, debuted its long-awaited v4 upgrade on Ethereum, aiming to push DeFi beyond crypto trading and into broader financial markets. The upgrade has been in development for about two years and is designed to make it easier to use Aave for a wider range of lending and borrowing activities, including those tied to real-world assets. The introduction follows months of internal debate over governance and value flow through the protocol. Disputes over interface fees, contributor roles and proposals to redirect product revenue to the decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) have highlighted tensions between decentralization…

Tokenized Gold hits an all-time high in perp volume on Binance

ExchangesMar 31

Tether Gold (XAUT), a tokenized gold asset, smashed its previous daily perpetual trading volume record on March 23 on Binance. As XAUT traded at approximately $4,552 on March 25, its perpetual trading, a crypto derivatives product that allows traders to speculate on the price of gold without ever owning the actual asset, peaked on the largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume. On Monday, the XAUT perpetual volume on Binance spiked to $6.40 billion, thereby climbing to become the fifth most traded perpetual pair on the exchange, according to data from CryptoQuant. Earlier this month, XAUT’s perpetual volume on this exchange…

MixMax and GamePad.co Join Forces to Tackle DeFi Scalability and Performance Challenges

DeFiMar 31

The fast-growing decentralized finance (DeFi) market is increasing in size and adoption, which is creating more demand for the systems that support it. One of the biggest challenges facing both DeFi platforms and their associated developer communities is the efficiency of executing transactions and the confidence in the long-term viability of existing automated processes (“smart contracts”). To address these issues, MixMax has entered an official partnership with GamePad.co in order to create a better, more reliable, higher performing ecosystem for the next level of DeFi users. Bridging the Gap in DeFi Infrastructure GamePad.co has established itself as an important provider…

Japan's Crypto Industry Faces Critical Test Ahead of Snap Election

RegulationMar 31

As Japan heads to the polls on Sunday, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is staking her political future on translating approval ratings of 60-80% into a parliamentary majority that could accelerate crypto reforms. Takaichi has turned the election into a referendum on her leadership, declaring she is "putting my future as prime minister on this election." She called the parliament dissolution move an “extremely weighty decision” that would “determine Japan’s course together with the people,” setting up the country’s second general election in as many years. Japan has endured inflation above 2% for 45 consecutive months, with falling real wages and…