Author: NBTC

When Charles Hoskinson and others in the crypto space talk about operating with regulatory clarity today, one name rarely gets the credit it deserves: Ripple. That is the argument analyst Bradley Kimes made in a recent podcast, and it is starting to cut through as new money flows into crypto and asks the obvious question — how did we get here? The Fight Most People Have Already Forgotten The SEC versus Ripple case did not end quietly. It ended after years of litigation, and somewhere between $150 and $200 million was spent by Ripple defending its position. Brad Garlinghouse and…

A significant increase in the activity of the decentralized exchange sector was recorded in the week of April 23, 2026, with a total trading amounting to 88.99 billion, according to information published by Phoenix Group. The market registered a substantial improvement of 28.34 percent per week, which reflects a new wave of decentralized trading as users move to abandon centralized trading. TOP #DECENTRALIZED EXCHANGES BY WEEKLY TRADING VOLUME #Uniswap #PancakeSwap #Aerodrome #Curve #Orca #Raydium #Meteora #THORChain #Hyperliquid pic.twitter.com/Mr0L6wj8kX — PHOENIX – Crypto News & Analytics (@pnxgrp) April 23, 2026 Along with the increase in volumes, the decentralized exchange platforms increased…

Itau Unibanco, through its VC arm Itau Ventures, has made an undisclosed investment in Minter, a company that installs mobile data centers and bitcoin mining operations across Brazil. Minter’s approach allows it to take advantage of surplus energy that would otherwise be wasted. Key Takeaways: Itau Ventures invested up to $10M in Minter for mobile data centers that mine bitcoin. Brazil lost $1.2B to 20% energy curtailment in 2025, a market Minter targets. CEO Stefano Sergole plans to grow Minter to 500MW capacity by 2029 across Brazil and the U.S. Brazil’s Itau Invests In Bitcoin and Data Center Company Minter…

Aave is rallying the DeFi ecosystem under a coordinated effort it’s calling “DeFi United” to help make users whole after the April 18 Kelp bridge exploit left rsETH — a liquid restaking token — underbacked, putting funds at risk across multiple lending markets. Aave announced on X today, April 23, that “multiple strong indicative commitments are now in place” to join the recovery effort, with Lido Finance named as the first public participant. The announcement came just after Lido contributors submitted a governance proposal to contribute up to 2,500 Lido Staked Ether (STETH), worth appoximately $5.7 million, to the dedicated…

Russia is close to legalizing cryptocurrencies, but not quite. The State Duma has passed the “Digital Currency and Digital Rights” bill in its first reading, but only within a strictly regulated system shaped by the state. Legal, but not free? The bill recognizes crypto as property, but not as legal tender. This means they can be owned and traded, but not used for everyday payments. State agency TASS reported that only the rouble (and its digital version) will remain valid for transactions. Crypto use is limited to specific areas like foreign trade, service payments, and transfers of intellectual property. Source:…

Coinbase has filed documentation with the CFTC confirming it will activate Trade at Settlement functionality for $XRP futures on May 1, 2026, giving institutional traders a regulated mechanism to execute large block orders at the official closing price rather than against live, intraday market prices. Coinbase filed documentation with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission confirming it will activate Trade at Settlement for $XRP futures on May 1, 2026. The CFTC filing outlines how the mechanism will support block trades and structured execution under the Commodity Exchange Act, with Coinbase’s Market Regulation team overseeing all TAS activity to ensure market…

As part of efforts to scale AI models and consequently enhance DeFi user experiences, SumPlus, an AI-powered Web3 protocol, today entered into a strategic partnership with Cottonia.AI, an AI-native distributed cloud acceleration infrastructure. Using this collaboration, SumPlus aims to improve the scalability of its AI agents effectively by leveraging Cottonia’s AI distributed cloud computing technology. SumPlus is an AI-powered decentralized platform that allows users to take advantage of agents to manage DeFi tokens, analyze market conditions, and oversee overall DeFi activities. The AI-driven DeFi protocol, which is built on the Sui blockchain, enables users to enjoy the convenience of agents…

$ETH is going through another open interest crunch, as traders closed over $2B in futures positions. $ETH held above $2,300, but lower trading activity may signal a loss of momentum. $ETH open interest fell to $12.4B, according to Coinglass. In the past week, traders closed positions valued at $2B, in an ongoing stagnation for $ETH derivative trading. According to Coinalyze data, $ETH is also going through a period of negative funding, with 34% of open interest in short positions. The largest negative funding rate is on Binance, expected to reach 0.0058%, signaling a concentration of traders with a bearish outlook…

South Africa’s proposed capital flow management regulations 2026 introduce strict new requirements for travelers entering or leaving South Africa with cryptocurrency. Key Takeaways South African Treasury draft rules require visitors to declare crypto or face up to 5 years in prison. New 2026 capital flow laws grant officials invasive powers to search devices for Bitcoin or other coins. Stakeholders must submit feedback to South African authorities by June 10, 2026, before final enactment. Digital Assets Reclassified as Capital Traveling to South Africa with a digital wallet could soon involve more than just a quick pass through customs. Under the newly…

Prediction markets are betting that Hormuz will stay choked for longer, even after Washington and Tehran extended their ceasefire. Traders on Kalshi moved the odds lower for a quick return to normal shipping after both sides said very little about the one thing the market actually cares about: whether Iran will reopen the strait and whether the U.S. will stop blocking it with naval force. On Kalshi, bettors give Hormuz normal traffic just a 42% chance by June 1. The odds improve to 59% by July 1 and 61% by Aug. 1. Polymarket paints a similar picture. Bettors there give…