Author: NBTC

Georgia is reporting a surge in cryptocurrency mining spurred by affordable electricity prices and the legalization of the industry. According to official stats, mining enterprises are now using around 5% of the electric energy generated in the South Caucasian nation. Georgian mining farms almost double their power usage Cryptocurrency mining in Georgia is seeing record growth as evidenced by a significant increase in electricity consumption in the sector, local media revealed. Power usage by large data processing centers is growing rapidly, according to a report by the Business Georgia portal. The computing facilities, located mainly in the Tbilisi and Kutaisi…

Qubic has excitedly entered the blockchain transaction market with a unique and innovative feature-based transaction. The main purpose of this step is to enable a frictionless blockchain transaction method with zero cost. Qubic is a decentralized Layer 1 blockchain protocol for merging high-speed, feeless transactions with decentralized artificial intelligence (AI) training by utilizing a “Useful Proof-of-Work” (uPoW) system. Most blockchains make users compete in a fee market.Higher demand means higher costs.Block space becomes a toll road.Qubic removes the toll road entirely.Every transaction on Qubic costs exactly zero. Not subsidized.Not promotional.Not temporarily low.The protocol… pic.twitter.com/jJ0j209Cmd — Qubic (@_Qubic_) January 18, 2026…

In a significant move for decentralized finance security, the Zero-Knowledge verification platform Brevis has announced a pivotal partnership with the innovative stablecoin protocol USD8. Together, they aim to construct a fully decentralized insurance compensation system, a development poised to address one of DeFi’s most persistent vulnerabilities. This collaboration directly targets the creation of a resilient safety net for digital asset holders, leveraging cutting-edge cryptography to potentially redefine trust in blockchain-based finance. The initiative represents a concrete step toward realizing the “walk-away test” ideal championed by Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin, where systems operate autonomously without reliance on their original creators. Decentralized Insurance…

According to Phoenix Group data engagement on social media is the top indicator of NFT business performance in 2026. With 4,200 engaged posts and 733,000 interactions PENGU has the most. APE has 2,100 more posts than PENGU and is listed third in total interaction volume with 116,800. AXS has 2,100 posts less than APE and is ranked 3rd overall in interaction volume with 371,500 total interactions as of January 19th. Following APE on January 19th were four other tokens: MASK, RARE, FLOKI, ME, GALA, CHZ, and SAND. This highlights how community engagement is now shaping the cultural significance of digital…

In a move underscoring institutional confidence in digital assets, cryptocurrency mining giant Bitmain (BMNR) executed a significant $109 million Ethereum purchase last week, further solidifying its position as a major force in the blockchain ecosystem. This strategic acquisition, confirmed on January 19, 2025, adds 35,268 ETH to the company’s already substantial treasury. Consequently, this action brings Bitmain’s total Ethereum holdings to a staggering 4.2 million ETH, valued at approximately $12.96 billion. This substantial stake now represents 3.48% of Ethereum’s entire circulating supply, highlighting a profound long-term commitment to the network’s future. Bitmain’s Ethereum Purchase and Portfolio Expansion Bitmain’s latest transaction…

Wall Street placed a $500 million bet on Ripple in November, lifting the company to a $40 billion valuation. The deal locked in protections that gave investors the right to sell shares back at set returns and jump ahead of other owners if Ripple is sold or fails. The buyers in this $500 million deal were Citadel and Fortress Investment, joined by funds tied to Marshall Wace, Brevan Howard, Galaxy Digital, and Pantera Capital. For some backers, the bet was not on software or payment rails but on XRP itself. Two funds in the round calculated that at least 90%…

U.S. senators have filed over 130 amendments ahead of this week’s landmark crypto market structure legislation hearing, according to a document detailing the provisions obtained by CoinDesk. These provisions range from prohibiting stablecoin yields entirely to blocking “public officials from profiting from crypto interests” to modifying how digital asset mixers and tumblers are defined, and they’re being offered by senators from both the Republican and Democrat parties. The Senate Banking Committee is holding a Thursday markup hearing, where lawmakers will debate amendments, vote on whether to adopt any of them and ultimately vote on whether to advance the underlying bill.…

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is calling for an overhaul of decentralized autonomous organizations, or DAOs, which are core to blockchain-based democratization of finance, arguing that most have strayed from their promise to shift financial power from banks to everyday token holders. In a post published on social media, Buterin said that the dominant approach, DAOs governed by token-based voting, has become too easy to manipulate and fails to deliver on the promise of decentralized governance. “The concept of DAOs has migrated to essentially referring to a treasury controlled by token holder voting – a design which “works”, hence why it…

Bitcoin inched higher on Sunday, reclaiming the $90,000 price tag as traders await the Federal Reserve’s last interest-rate decision for the year and this week’s latest jobs data. The world’s largest crypto is up 1.8% on the day to $91,950 and has since recovered from its early December lows near $85,000, according to CoinGecko data. The asset is up 5.3% for the month. Bitcoin has been caught in a narrow trading range following the $19 billion leverage wipeout in early October, amid fears of sticky inflation that could complicate the Fed’s path to future rate cuts. “Shifting rate expectations ripple…

Galaxy Research warned that a draft crypto market-structure bill circulating in the Senate Banking Committee would significantly expand U.S. financial surveillance powers, arguing in a note that new Treasury authorities targeting decentralized finance frontends and transaction freezes could represent the largest such expansion since 2001. The analysis focuses on certain provisions from the draft that would grant the U.S. Treasury Department new escalation tools, including an expansion of “special measure” authority over digital assets and a statutory framework allowing transaction holds without a court order. The draft “includes substantially enhanced financial surveillance authorities to combat illicit finance than the House’s…