Making sense of crypto.
NBTCNEWS

Author: 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.

EU Parliament backs the digital euro with both online and offline functionalities

The European Union Parliament showed its first support for the launch of the digital euro on Tuesday. The Parliament endorsed the European Council’s call for a central bank digital currency with both online and offline functionality. The parliamentary decision comes as two amendments were added to the European Central Bank’s annual report shortly before the vote. Up to 420 lawmakers voted for the First Amendment, with 158 voting against and 64 absent. However, 438 lawmakers voted for the Second Amendment, with 158 against and 44 absent. European lawmakers urge ECB to boost its monitoring of digital assets Today’s vote in…

State Street warns dollar could fall 10% if Fed cuts more than expected

Strategists at State Street, one of the world’s largest asset managers, say the US dollar’s worst run in nearly a decade could deepen if the Federal Reserve eases policy more aggressively than markets expect, which is a distinct possibility following a possible leadership change at the central bank. Speaking at a conference in Miami, State Street strategist Lee Ferridge said the dollar could decline by as much as 10% this year if financial conditions loosen further. While he described two rate cuts as a “reasonable base case,” he warned that the risks are skewed toward more reductions. “Three is possible,”…

Mike Selig: CFTC and SEC collaboration marks a regulatory shift, Project Crypto aims for unified definitions, and blockchain enables self-custody

Key Takeaways The CFTC and SEC are working together to create a unified regulatory framework for crypto. Project Crypto aims to align definitions and regulatory philosophies between the CFTC and SEC. The distinct roles of the CFTC and SEC are crucial for managing different financial market aspects. Tailored regulatory approaches are necessary for technologies like AI and crypto. Blockchain technology offers self-custody and censorship-resistant asset management. Derivatives are key financial instruments for risk management and speculation. The previous lack of a regulatory framework led to rapid product development in the market. Exchanges play a critical role in ensuring listed contracts…

CZ Makes a Subtle Post Following Goldman Sachs’ Announcement of Its Cryptocurrency Portfolio

Goldman Sachs announced in its 13F filing for the fourth quarter of 2025 (Q4 2025) that it holds a total of $2.36 billion in crypto assets in its portfolio. The bank stated that crypto investments constitute approximately 0.33% of its total portfolio. According to the data released, the portfolio includes $1.1 billion in Bitcoin, $1 billion in Ethereum, $153 million in XRP, and $108 million in Solana. The bank also revealed that its crypto assets increased by 15% compared to the previous quarter. This increase is noteworthy as it occurred during a period of high market volatility. Following the development,…

Court rejects dev's bid to shield software from money transmitter laws

A Texas court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by crypto developer Michael Lewellen, seeking a declaratory judgment that his software, Pharos, which facilitates donations to charitable crowdfunding campaigns, won’t be prosecuted for violating money-transmission laws. Chief US District Judge Reed O’Connor dismissed the case on Wednesday, finding that Lewellen had failed to demonstrate a credible threat of imminent prosecution. “Disappointed to see the court dismiss my suit today,” said Lewellen on X on Wednesday. In its dismissal, the court also cited a Department of Justice memo stating that it will no longer target virtual currency exchanges, mixing and tumbling services…

Credit card balances hit $1.28 trillion in Q4 2025, up $44 billion in three months

Americans are carrying more credit card debt than ever. Balances hit $1.28 trillion by the end of last year’s fourth quarter, a $44 billion jump in three months, according to data the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released Tuesday. The year-over-year number looks worse. Balances climbed 5.5% compared to the same period in 2024. Holiday shopping always pushes credit card use higher, but New York Fed researchers say there’s more going on. Despite problems in the job market, people kept spending through the final months of 2025. The catch? Most spending came from wealthier households, not regular families. “You…

Swan Bitcoin Drags Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Into Tether Mining War

Swan Bitcoin filed an ex parte application in the Southern District of New York seeking court authorization to subpoena Cantor Fitzgerald and its former CEO, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The discovery request, filed under 28 U.S.C. § 1782, would support foreign proceedings against Tether-appointed directors of 2040 Energy, Swan’s joint mining venture with Tether. Those directors include Tether Chairman Giancarlo Devasini and Bitfinex CEO JL van der Velde. What Led to the Subpoena Swan and Tether established 2040 Energy as a joint venture for mining Bitcoin (BTC). Tether provided funding while Swan handled operations. However, in mid-2024, the partnership unraveled…

Proposed bill seeks to ban US president, Congress from prediction markets

US lawmakers have introduced a bill aiming to ban members of the US Congress, the president and other high-ranking government officials from wagering on prediction markets. The proposed bill, a bipartisan effort from US Representative Adrian Smith and Representative Nikki Budzinski, was introduced on Tuesday and is called the Preventing Real-time Exploitation and Deceptive Insider Congressional Trading Act (PREDICT Act). "In recent months, we've seen instances of little-known traders making massive profits on events ranging from war with Iran to how long a government shutdown will last, raising necessary questions about the use of inside information," Budzinski said. The move…

South Korea crypto liquidity tumbles as stablecoin balances plunge 55% and stock buying rises

Stablecoin balances in South Korea have fallen sharply since July even as stock inflows rise, underscoring a shift in where money is flowing. The total amount of these so-called tokenized versions of fiat currencies held in wallets tied to South Korea’s five largest crypto exchanges have plunged 55%, with on-chain data pointing to a sharp wave of outflows triggered by the won’s break past 1,500 per dollar in mid-March. Data from Allium Labs, tracking Ethereum and Tron wallets across Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and GOPAX, shows that combined stablecoin holdings dropped from $575 million in July 2025 to roughly $188…

Tokenized commodities hit $6.126B market cap based on gold-backed token demand

On-chain data shows the market for tokenized commodities surpassed $6 billion this week, driven by a surge in demand for gold-backed tokens. At the time of publication, the market cap of tokenized commodities is $6.126 billion. The market cap of all tokenized assets as of February 9 is $328.156 billion. It means that the market cap of tokenized commodities accounts for roughly 1.87% of all tokenized assets. Tether and Paxos account for most tokenized commodities BREAKING: The market cap of tokenized commodities surpassed $6 billion. Leading issuers: @tether & @Paxos pic.twitter.com/3BVjGCMbAP — Token Terminal 📊 (@tokenterminal) February 11, 2026 The…