Author: NBTC

Institutional interest in crypto is expected to grow in 2026. According to Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) will play a central role in this trend. His insights explain why ETFs are increasingly the preferred route for financial advisors and institutions alike. Why ETFs Appeal to Advisors Firstly, Hougan highlights that most advisors do not spend their days immersed in cryptocurrency. For many, digital assets constitute only a small portion of client portfolios. Consequently, advisors often think about crypto for minutes rather than hours. Therefore, investing directly in crypto can feel complex and time-consuming. Moreover, ETFs simplify…

Erden Timur, former Galatasaray vice chairman and real estate developer worth $550 million, has been formally arrested on money laundering charges linked to Turkey’s illegal betting investigation. Erden Timur’s real estate company, NEF, is believed to have engaged in suspicious transactions involving cryptocurrency platforms. The arrest is part of a broader investigation that has already led to the arrests of Turkish players, referees, and club executives and caused Galatasaray’s shares to plummet over 20% in two months. Why was Galatasaray’s former vice chairman arrested? Turkish authorities have formally arrested Erden Timur, a popular real estate developer and former executive of…

Crypto derivatives activity picked up sharply in 2025 as traders increasingly turned to onchain perpetual futures, according to Coinbase researcher David Duong. By late in the year, decentralized exchanges were processing more than $1 trillion in monthly perpetual futures volume, underscoring the growing role of onchain derivatives markets. In a post published Monday on X, Duong said the trend was driven in part by the absence of a traditional altcoin season, which led traders to seek higher returns through leverage rather than spot markets. He added that the “unprecedented degree of leverage” available in perpetual futures allowed traders to amplify…

Ondo Finance’s SLVon token has seen an impressive 155% price increase over the past 30 days, according to market reports. With a market capitalization of around $18 million, the token is quickly gaining attention from crypto investors seeking alternative asset exposure. What Is SLVon? SLVon is a tokenized version of the iShares Silver Trust (SLV), one of the world’s most popular silver ETFs. Essentially, it allows investors to gain SLV-like exposure in the crypto space. Unlike traditional ETFs, SLVon operates on the blockchain, enabling fractional ownership, easy transferability, and seamless reinvestment of dividends. This approach makes it easier for crypto-native…

The US government has filed a letter opposing the introduction of an amicus brief from the digital asset advocacy group DeFi Education Fund as the court considers a possible retrial for two brothers allegedly behind a $25 million exploit of the Ethereum blockchain. In a Tuesday filing in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, interim US Attorney Jay Clayton submitted a letter to Judge Jessica Clarke requesting that a brief from the DeFi Education Fund (DEF) not be accepted while the court considers a motion to dismiss the case against Anton and James Peraire-Bueno. “Detached…

Binance continues to expand its product range on its futures trading platform. According to a statement from the exchange, Binance Futures will open pre-market trading for the USDⓈ-M settled BREVUSDT perpetual futures contract starting December 30, 2025 at 1:45 PM. The new contract will offer investors the opportunity to trade with up to 5x leverage. The underlying asset of the BREVUSDT contract has been announced as Brevis (BREV). Brevis is described as a platform that develops a verifiable intelligent computing infrastructure, enabling scalable and trust-based computations across blockchain, data, and artificial intelligence systems. The total supply of the project is…

Global currency markets see significant shifts as the U.S. dollar experiences substantial decline, with euro gaining 13.5% and other major currencies making strong gains amid economic uncertainties. The U.S. dollar is set to close 2025 with its biggest annual drop since 2017, declining 9.5% against a basket of major currencies. Factors driving the downturn include potential Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, fiscal concerns, and ongoing political pressures from the Trump administration. The euro and British pound are poised for their strongest yearly gains in eight years, with the euro rising 13.5% and the pound surging 7.6%. Goldman Sachs strategists anticipate…

Ugandan politician and opposition leader Bobi Wine is encouraging his constituents to download Jack Dorsey’s decentralized peer-to-peer messaging service, Bitchat, in the lead-up to the country’s election, alleging the ruling party will try to cut off communication services. During the 2016 election, long-time Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni blocked internet and social media access for the entire population, citing security and safety concerns, and again in 2021, according to a report from the Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network. Wine alleged in a X post on Tuesday that a similar action is on the agenda in the lead-up to the Uganda 2026…

Binance has suspended card-based withdrawals for users in Ukraine, according to a notice sent to customers this week. The changes took effect on Monday and include the temporary halt of direct withdrawals to bank cards issued by Visa and Mastercard, several local Ukrainian news outlets reported. A Binance spokesperson confirmed the news to Cointelegraph, adding that the “announcement regarding changes to payment methods applies exclusively to users from Ukraine who previously used Bifinity services.” On Dec. 15, Binance informed users that its fiat payment provider, Bifinity UAB, would stop offering services by the end of the month due to regulatory…

Prenetics Global, the supplement company backed by David Beckham, announced it has abandoned its Bitcoin accumulation strategy following volatility in the cryptocurrency markets. The Nasdaq-listed company raised $48 million in October to build a cryptocurrency treasury and grow its main consumer brand, IM8. However, less than three months later, company management decided to halt Bitcoin purchases. Prenetics Global announced that it will no longer pursue plans to purchase Bitcoin and will instead focus its resources entirely on the growth of the IM8 brand. Describing IM8 as “the fastest-growing nutritional supplement brand in industry history,” the company emphasized that its board…