Author: NBTC

Open USD, a bank-backed group developing a dollar-pegged stablecoin, is the most credible threat yet to Circle Internet’s (CRCL) $USDC because it targets the economics at the heart of the company’s business, crypto asset manager CoinSharessaid in a Monday report. Unlike traditional stablecoin issuers, who keep the income generated by their reserves, Open USD plans to distribute the yield to participating businesses, retaining only a management fee. CoinSharessaid the model could squeeze Circle’s margins while raising the cost of maintaining $USDC distribution. “If successful, Open USD could push stablecoins further into mainstream payments by making the economics and governance more…

With nearly 200,000 active users, the $XRP Ledger is getting close to one of its highest activity milestones in months. According to the most recent on-chain data, the number of daily active users is close to 190,800, which would indicate a significant recovery in ecosystem participation. Activity is back up The current increase has grown steadily throughout the second half of July, in contrast to earlier brief spikes. After varying between 110,000 and 150,000 active users for the majority of the month, $XRP Ledger activity increased dramatically in the last trading week, reaching its highest level in recent months. Source:…

If you’ve been scrolling past crypto headlines wondering what the CLARITY Act actually is, here’s the quick version, straight from Fundstrat’s Tom Lee. What it actually does Right now, crypto in the US doesn’t have one clear rulebook. The CLARITY Act would fix that by creating a single national body to oversee it, the CFTC. That matters more than it sounds like it should. Here’s why. Big banks and asset managers want to build stablecoin systems and put real-world assets on the blockchain. But if every state gets to set its own crypto rules, companies get nervous fast. Nobody wants…

The debate over CEX vs Self-Custodial Wallets has resurfaced after X user MASTR published a database listing dozens of centralized cryptocurrency exchanges that have shut down over the past decade. The list includes exchanges that ceased operations following bankruptcies, hacks, seizures, disappearances, or planned closures. Among the latest entries are BitMEX, which is scheduled to close on September 23, 2026, BitMart on January 31, 2027, and AscendEX, which ended operations on July 1, 2026. CEX vs Self Custodial Wallets Return to Focus According to the database shared by MASTR, exchange closures span from MyBitcoin in 2011 to recently announced shutdowns…

Bitcoin has fallen back toward $65,000 after renewed tensions involving Israel and Lebanon tempered optimism surrounding a potential U.S.-Iran agreement, while traders also reduced risk ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy decision. According to crypto.news market data, Bitcoin (BTC) price dropped from an intraday high near $66,900 on June 16 to a low around $65,400 before stabilizing near $65,700 at press time. Bitcoin price retreated following reports that Iran’s military accused Israel of violating the ceasefire in southern Lebanon dozens of times since the U.S.-Iran deal was announced, warning of a “harsh response” if attacks continue. The decline interrupted a…

Liquidity management in decentralized finance has always come with a trade-off: convenience often means giving up some control over your own assets. 1inch, the decentralized exchange aggregator known for hunting down the best token swap prices across platforms, is betting that its new feature, Aqua, can close that gap. The 1inch Aqua liquidity tool lets users build and manage liquidity positions across more than a dozen blockchains while keeping their tokens in their own wallets the entire time. Key takeaways 1inch has launched Aqua, a feature designed to simplify how users create and manage liquidity positions in DeFi. Aqua supports…

Historically, bitcoin has exhibited relatively low correlations with traditional asset classes over full four-year crypto cycles. While those relationships have evolved as cryptocurrencies have become more integrated into financial markets through futures, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and ETPs, bitcoin has generally maintained diversification characteristics distinct from many traditional assets. The question becomes more complicated when investors move beyond bitcoin. Ether and $SOL are generally less liquid and more volatile than bitcoin. Since the start of 2026, ether and $SOL have exhibited volatility approximately 35% and 44% higher than bitcoin, respectively. Diversification within crypto therefore often increases volatility. Whether that improves diversification…

Bitwise has released its latest Staking Report, showcasing important insights about $NEAR Protocol. The report covers $NEAR’s revenue growth, stable staking despite halved inflation, and increasing momentum in $NEAR Intents. This analysis could prove significant for investors looking to understand the evolving landscape of staking in the crypto market. For more details, refer to the original tweet. Breaking It Down The $NEAR Protocol continues to make strides in the competitive crypto landscape, as highlighted in Bitwise’s latest Staking Report. The report emphasizes $NEAR’s stable staking performance, even amidst a backdrop of halved inflation rates and increasing revenue. While trading volumes…

Maine’s new virtual-currency unclaimed-property rules take effect July 29 with a five-year dormancy clock, while the State Treasurer’s current reporting manual still shows three years. The mismatch leaves businesses that hold customer crypto without published transition instructions as the statute becomes effective. Public Law Chapter 675, approved April 13, creates section 2067-A of Maine’s Revised Unclaimed Property Act. The Legislature identifies July 29 as the general effective date for nonemergency laws passed during its 2026 Second Regular Session. The new section presumes virtual currency abandoned five years after an apparent owner’s last indication of interest. If a holder sends first-class…

A New Way to Trade the Biggest US Stocks The launch covers 77 contracts in total, i.e. 55 standard-sized futures, each representing 100 shares of the underlying stock, and 22 micro-sized contracts covering 10 shares apiece. The lineup spans mega-cap technology names such as Alphabet, Meta and Tesla alongside the recently public SpaceX, plus household names including Micron, Pfizer and Walmart, according to CME Group’s own announcement. All contracts are cash-settled against the underlying stock’s closing price and follow a quarterly expiration structure, similar to CME’s existing equity index futures. Tim McCourt, CME Group’s global head of equities, FX and…