Author: NBTC

Table of Contents Rapid User Growth and MilestonesHow Does Gift Fest Work? Core Gameplay and ProgressionPrizes, Raffles, and RewardsEchoes of Tap-to-Earn and the Road to 2026Frequently Asked Questions Gift Fest has emerged as a seasonal mini-app within Telegram, drawing millions of users through its blend of casual gameplay and prize opportunities. Launched in late November 2025, the app centers on a holiday-themed festival where participants collect, merge, and level up virtual gifts to enter raffles. Built on the TON blockchain and tied to the DOGS project, which gained attention in 2024 for tap-to-earn mechanics, Gift Fest offers a straightforward way…

As Ethereum holds above the $3,000 level, projections from the Rainbow Chart suggest that by January 1, 2026, ETH is likely to trade below levels associated with market euphoria. By press time, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization was trading at $3,155, up about 1.7% over the past 24 hours. On a weekly basis, Ethereum has gained less than 1%. Ethereum price prediction For the projection, the Ethereum Rainbow Chart outlined a broad range of potential price outcomes for ETH on January 1, based on long-term historical trends and market sentiment. Notably, the Ethereum Rainbow Chart applies a logarithmic regression…

Investment bank William Blair reiterated its outperform rating on Circle (CRCL) shares after the stablecoin issuer’s third-quarter results topped both the bank’s and Wall Street estimates. The share were 3.9% lower in pre-market trading Wednesday, around $94.50. Analyst Andrew Jeffrey continues to see USDC as the likely stablecoin standard, putting Circle at the center of the programmable money revolution. While the muted market response reflects Circle’s premium valuation and limited near-term catalysts, the analyst recommends that investors use any weakness in the shares to build positions, arguing that rival proprietary stablecoins will struggle to match USDC’s scale and liquidity. Jeffrey…

Do Kwon’s legal troubles may be far from over. South Korean prosecutors say disgraced crypto founder Do Kwon could still face a separate criminal trial at home, one that may carry decades more behind bars—even after receiving a 15-year prison sentence last week in the United States for his role in the $40 billion collapse of TerraUSD and LUNA in 2022. The South Korean national may apply to the International Prisoner Transfer Program after completing half of his U.S. sentence, with American prosecutors agreeing not to oppose the request as part of his plea deal. If extradited back to South…

CME Group has launched Spot-Quoted futures for XRP$1.9313 and Solana SOL$126.83, expanding its lineup of crypto derivatives designed to trade closer to real-time market prices. The new contracts mirror the structure of CME’s existing Spot-Quoted Bitcoin BTC$86,982.70 and Ether ETH$3,008.64 futures. Unlike traditional futures, which often trade at a premium or discount due to financing costs, Spot-Quoted contracts track the spot price directly. Financing adjustments are handled separately at settlement. “We’ve seen strong demand for our current Spot-Quoted Bitcoin and Ether futures, with more than 1.3 million contracts traded since launched in June, and we are pleased to add XRP and SOL to our…

Ethereum ecosystem scaling has moved from theory to actual production-grade infrastructure. Optimistic Rollups, ZK Rollups, major Layer 1 upgrades like The Merge and The Dencun upgrade (EIP-4844), and other Layer 2 scaling solutions have helped transform Ethereum from a congested base layer into the core of a rapidly growing multi-layer ecosystem. The question is no longer if scaling for Ethereum will be possible, but what type of scaling will be implemented next? Which implementation will affect where developers build? How will rollup economics affect liquidity and value flows on-chain? Let’s take a look at some key predictions that will accelerate…

Ethereum price fell to lows of $3,034 as Bitcoin slumped below $88,000. The ETH price holding above $3,000 came as BitMine announced the purchase of 102,259 ETH last week. Bulls could ride the corporate sentiment to bounce higher. Ethereum (ETH) price showed broader weakness as it fell to the $3,000 level on Monday, with this coming amid further corporate accumulation. As Bitcoin’s dip below $88k reflects broader market weakness, the key question is whether Ethereum bulls can ride the confidence in the top altcoin’s long-term potential. BitMine Immersion Technologies’ huge purchases of ETH point to this outlook. BitMine buys another…

Cryptocurrency ATM operator Bitcoin Bancorp, formerly known as Bullet Blockchain, said it would deploy up to 200 machines in Texas as part of its national expansion strategy. In a Monday notice, Bitcoin Bancorp said the move into Texas, expected for the first quarter of 2026, is part of a strategy to deploy ATMs nationwide. The company said Texas was “one of the most crypto-forward jurisdictions,” citing the state’s “business-friendly regulation,” “modernized money-transmitter laws” and “pro-innovation policy environment.” With a population of about 32 million people and the second most populous US state, Texas has grown to become a significant cryptocurrency…

World Liberty Financial (WLFI) co-founder and CEO Zach Witkoff has confirmed that the XRP/USD1 trading pair is set to launch on Binance. The move marks the latest expansion of the USD1 stablecoin pair. Witkoff shared the update via social media, highlighting the stablecoin pair alongside DOGE/USD1 and SUI/USD1. He added that the launch reflects the continued global adoption of USD1 as a trading and settlement option. XRP/USD1 Added as Binance Expands USD1 Markets According to Binance’s official announcement, trading for XRP/USD1, DOGE/USD1, and SUI/USD1 will go live tomorrow, December 16, at 08:00 UTC. This move expands Binance’s USD1-denominated markets and…

People can now trade tokenized versions of American stocks right inside the Telegram messaging app. The xStocks platform started running on TON Blockchain on December 18, 2025, and works through Wallet in Telegram, giving roughly 100 million users access to buy and sell shares any time of day. Users can buy tokenized shares of Tesla (TSLAx), the S&P 500 ETF (SPYx), and Nvidia (NVDAx) alongside their crypto through a messaging service’s self-custodial wallet for the first time. The announcement came from St Helier, Jersey, where xStocks operates. People can own and transfer these digital stock tokens just like other crypto…