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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.

Bitcoin ETFs take in $830 million amid positive inflows across ether, solana and XRP

Spot crypto exchange-traded funds recorded broad inflows on Wednesday, led by a sharp pickup in demand for U.S. bitcoin ETFs as institutional investors returned after a choppy start to the year. Data from SoSoValue shows spot bitcoin ETFs pulled in $843.6 million on Jan. 14, their largest daily inflow in several months. The move followed a volatile stretch earlier in January that saw multiple days of net outflows as traders reduced exposure. BlackRock’s IBIT dominated the session, drawing about $648 million, while Fidelity’s FBTC added roughly $125 million. Smaller inflows were spread across other issuers, lifting total net assets held…

Regulation

Luxembourg Allows Retail Investment Funds Limited Crypto Exposure Under New Rules

UCITS funds can now gain up to 10% crypto exposure through ETFs and ETPs. Direct crypto holdings are still not allowed, ensuring a cautious, regulated approach. Luxembourg’s financial regulator has confirmed that UCITS investment funds can now gain limited crypto asset exposure under strict conditions. This step brings cryptocurrency to the mainstream of investing. On February 4, Luxembourg’s financial watchdog, Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF), announced the decision. What has changed Under the new guidance, UCITS funds may invest up to 10% of their portfolio in crypto-related assets, but they cannot buy them directly; instead, they can invest…

Legal

Decisive Step Toward Revolutionary Decentralized Exchange Mainnet

The decentralized exchange landscape witnesses a significant development today as Aster launches its Aster Chain testnet, marking a pivotal milestone in blockchain infrastructure evolution. This strategic move follows an intensive testing period and a unique trading competition, positioning the platform closer to its highly anticipated mainnet deployment. Industry observers now closely monitor this progression, recognizing its potential implications for decentralized finance accessibility and performance. Aster Chain Testnet Launch: Technical Foundation and Purpose Aster officially activated its Aster Chain testnet after completing a rigorous one-month testing phase. The platform designed this test environment specifically for developers and validators to evaluate network…

Blockchain

Large Whales Are Active as Bitcoin Recovers – Here Are Their Transactions

The sharp declines in the cryptocurrency market in recent days have also accelerated the movements of whales. The transfers, particularly noticeable in the Ethereum market, suggest that market volatility may increase even further. According to market data, Trend Research has transferred a large amount of $ETH as part of a loan repayment. In the last 15 hours, the company sent a total of 246,075 $ETH (approximately $469.23 million) to Binance. This brings the total amount transferred to Binance recently to 434,663 $ETH (approximately $896.1 million). Meanwhile, another whale wallet that had been inactive for two years has become active again.…

Ethereum

What Will the Fed’s Interest Rate Decisions Be This Year? ‘Even If They Keep Rates Unchanged in January…’

Global banks have significantly divergent expectations regarding the Fed’s interest rate path. Brian Martin, Head of G3 Economic Research at ANZ Bank, argues that the pause in interest rate cuts will not last long, while J.P. Morgan paints a more cautious picture. According to ANZ, even if the Fed keeps rates unchanged at its January meeting, it could soon return to a rate-cutting cycle. Martin predicts that the Federal Open Market Committee could lower the federal funds target range to 3.00%–3.25% by mid-year with two 25 basis point cuts in March and June. This expectation is based on the view…

Regulation

Russia arrests a man for transferring cryptocurrency to Ukraine

A young man has been arrested in Russia for transferring a large amount of money in cryptocurrency to Ukraine, still invaded by his country. Russian authorities allege the digital coins went straight to a wallet used to fund the Ukrainian army amid a bitter war that’s yet to come to an end. Man jailed in Russia for crypto donation to the Ukrainian side A resident of the Russian city of Barnaul, administrative center of the Altai Krai, has been detained for sending some 24 million rubles’ worth of crypto (over $310,000) to neighboring Ukraine. Russian law enforcement claims the digital…

Legal

Bitcoin difficulty drops by over 11%, in sharpest drop since 2021 China ban

The Bitcoin network mining difficulty, a metric tracking the relative challenge of adding new blocks to the Bitcoin ($BTC) ledger, fell by about 11.16% in the last 24 hours, the worst drop in a single adjustment period since China’s 2021 ban on crypto mining. Bitcoin mining difficulty is at 125.86 T and took effect at block 935,429, data from CoinWarz shows. The average block time is over 11 minutes, overshooting the 10-minute target. Difficulty is projected to fall again in the next adjustment on February 23 by about 10.4% to 112.7 T, according to CoinWarz. The Bitcoin network mining difficulty…

Mining

Ethereum whales ignite market panic with major ETH offload

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and other prominent “whales” have offloaded millions of dollars in $ETH since the beginning of February, adding narrative fuel to a market rout that saw the world's second-largest cryptocurrency tumble below $2,000. While the high-profile sales by Buterin served as a psychological trigger for retail panic, a closer examination of market data suggests that the primary pressure came from a systemic unwind of leverage and record-breaking selling activity across the network. Nonetheless, these disposals, combined with significant selling by other industry insiders, have prompted investors to question whether project leaders are losing confidence or simply managing…

Ethereum

Silver Is Running Out — Buy Now Before There’s Nothing Left

Silver’s surge to record highs is flashing urgent warnings about collapsing supply, mispriced mining stocks, and eroding currency confidence, with mounting volatility risks as prices race toward triple digits, economist Peter Schiff says. Peter Schiff Warns: Silver Supply Is Collapsing and the Market Isn’t Ready Economist and gold advocate Peter Schiff shared on social media platform X on Jan. 14 that silver supplies are rapidly drying up, warning that accelerating price gains and tightening availability could soon leave buyers unable to secure metal, urging immediate action before inventories disappear. “ Gold and silver are both at new record highs. Gold…

Regulation

Brazil Prepares to Tax Cryptocurrency Flows

The Ministry of Finance will put a decree that equates cryptocurrency transactions to foreign currency exchanges to public consultation, a move that would allow the government to tax these flows. The subject is expected to spark a fierce discussion in Congress and even legal actions. Brazil Aims to Tax Crypto Flows by Decree, Strong Opposition Expected The Brazilian government is in the process of building a legal framework to apply the tax on Financial Operations (IFO) on cryptocurrency and stablecoin flows. The Ministry of Finance is preparing to issue a decree equating cryptocurrency transactions with the exchange of foreign currency,…

Legal