Author: NBTC

Coinbase’s (COIN) partnership with Circle (CRCL) and exposure to Circle’s USDC stablecoin is generating significant financial upside, both through equity appreciation and high-margin revenue streams, according to a new report from Wall Street bank JPMorgan. The total value of Circle-related economics to Coinbase shareholders is estimated at $55 to $60 billion, the bank said, suggesting the market may be underestimating the strategic importance of the USDC ecosystem. The crypto exchange holds 8.5 million shares in Circle, valued at $1.6 billion as of July 25. The larger story, however, lies in USDC-related income, according to the report. In the first quarter…

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins has commented on the long-awaited resolution of the legal battle with enterprise blockchain company Ripple. “With this chapter closed, we now have an opportunity to shift our energy from the courtroom to the policy drafting table,” Atkins, a pro-cryptocurrency libertarian, said in a social media post. A four-year legal saga The SEC took Ripple to court back in December 2020 under the leadership of former Chair Jay Clayton. The lawsuit was brought during one of Clayton’s last days on the job. Ripple (as well as CEO Brad Garlinghouse and chairman Chris Larsen)…

Aave, one of the largest decentralized lending protocols, could see its net deposits soar to $100 billion before the end of this year, according to the platform’s founder, Stani Kulechov. In an Aug. 10 post on X, Kulechov explained that the DeFi protocol’s current growth rate could push it to that figure sooner than expected. Antonio Garcia-Martinez, Director of Base Ads at Coinbase, claimed that the $100 billion scale would place Aave among the 35 largest banks in the world and on par with Deutsche Bank. Notably, US Federal Reserve statistics back the comparison, ranking Aave’s deposit volume 41st among…

Ethereum dev Fede’s Intern detained in Turkey over vague “misuse” of blockchain accusations. Developer insists he’s “just an infrastructure builder,” creating open-source tech, not committing crimes. Legal team working on his case, with possible plans to leave Turkey for Europe. The Ethereum community is in shock after one of its well-known developers, Fede’s Intern, was detained in Izmir, Turkey, over the weekend. The accusation? Turkish authorities say he helped people “misuse” the Ethereum network, a charge many in the crypto community are calling vague, unfair, and potentially dangerous for blockchain innovation. So, what’s next, now? “We’re Just Infra Builders” This…

China-based e-commerce giant JD.com has reportedly registered entities tied to a potential stablecoin rollout just days ahead of Hong Kong’s new stablecoin regulations going into effect. JD.com, often referred to as China’s Amazon, has registered two potential stablecoin-linked entities, Jcoin and Joycoin, through its fintech subsidiary, JD Coinlink Technology, according to a report by Hong Kong news outlet Ming Pao on Tuesday. JD Coinlink is one of the official participants in the stablecoin issuer sandbox program by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), which launched last year. JD stablecoin description on the JD Coinlink website. Source: JD Coinlink According to…

The family of a former OpenAI researcher found dead in his San Francisco apartment in November 2024 is using Solana-based meme coins to help finance their legal battle with the city. While the medical examiner ruled Suchir Balaji’s death a suicide and found no evidence of foul play, Balaji’s parents have rejected that conclusion, calling the scene “staged” and have launched their own investigation into what they allege was a botched and allegedly covered-up probe. Balaji, who had publicly criticized OpenAI for allegedly training ChatGPT on copyrighted material without permission, had been an outspoken figure in the AI ethics debate.…

NOTE leads DeFi with 56.3% weekly TVL surge, reaching $11.3M despite small market cap. Large-cap protocols like LDO and ETHFI maintain dominance with multi-billion TVL holdings. Smaller-cap projects post faster growth, signaling rising capital in emerging DeFi platforms. The decentralized finance (DeFi) market recorded a total value locked (TVL) growth in the week ending August 10, 2025, with several protocols posting double-digit percentage increases, according to DeFiLlama data. Gains were spread across a range of categories, from liquidity pools to staking platforms, indicating increased locked capital in both large-cap and smaller-cap projects. Phoenix Group’s NOTE token registered the largest weekly…

The cryptocurrency world is always buzzing with intriguing movements, and recently, an anonymous Ethereum whale has truly captured attention. Since June 22, this mysterious entity has amassed a staggering 68,000 ETH, valued at approximately $120 million. This significant ETH accumulation highlights a powerful conviction in Ethereum’s future, sending ripples through the market. Who is This Mysterious Ethereum Whale? According to diligent on-chain analysis by crypto observer @ai_9684xtpa on X, a specific address has been consistently adding to its Ethereum holdings. This large-scale acquisition began on June 22, with the average purchase price hovering around $2,597 per ETH. Such focused buying…

JPMorgan (JPM) set its 2026 price target for trading platform Robinhood (HOOD) to $98, up from $47 in 2025, citing new product launches and acquisition of European crypto exchange Bitstamp. Robinhood reports second-quarter earnings Wednesday. JPMorgan, which maintains a neutral rating on the stock, said it expects the company to post earnings per share of 31 cents, up from 21 cents in the year-earlier period and in line with estimates by FactSet and transaction-based revenue reaching $515 million. Crypto trading revenue is expected to double to $169.3 million from $81 million the year before, according to FactSet estimates. Still, that’s…

Customers of the bankrupt crypto exchange FTX are looking to update their lawsuit against Fenwick & West, one of the law firms once contracted by the company, claiming new information shows it was central to FTX’s collapse. The criminal trial of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried and investigations in the exchange’s bankruptcy proceedings “produced specific evidence supporting that Fenwick played a key and crucial role in the most important aspects of why and how the FTX fraud was accomplished,” FTX customers wrote in a court filing to amend their suit on Monday. “Simply put, the FTX Fraud was only possible…