Author: NBTC

WalletConnect has added support for Canton Network, a blockchain built for institutional finance. The two companies first revealed the partnership at EthCC in Cannes, during a panel moderated by The Defiant’s senior editor Olivia Capozzalo, before releasing the news publicly today, April 22. The deal aims to bring Canton’s privacy-focused infrastructure to WalletConnect’s global ecosystem, enabling access to stablecoin payments, tokenized real-world assets, and DeFi applications. According to a press release viewed by The Defiant, the crypto infrastructure firm’s ecosystem supports 700 crypto wallets, 70,000 decentralized applications, and 55.5 million users, all of which can now connect to the protocol,…

In brief The Ronin blockchain will migrate to Ethereum layer-2 on May 12 after four years as a sidechain. $RON token inflation will drop dramatically from over 20% to less than 1%. Ronin’s token is down nearly 98% from peak, reflecting flagging momentum across the crypto gaming industry. Ronin, the gaming-focused blockchain that powers games like Axie Infinity and Pixels, will migrate to become a true Ethereum layer-2 scaling network on May 12, marking a fundamental shift after four years operating as an Ethereum sidechain. The migration will trigger at block 55,577,490, transitioning Ronin to the OP Stack, Ethereum layer-2…

Uzbekistan has created a special crypto mining zone across Karakalpakstan under a presidential resolution signed on April 17, opening a supervised framework that lets approved mining companies sell mined digital assets on foreign platforms while keeping the proceeds inside the country’s banking system. A presidential decree effective April 20 creates the “Besqala Mining Valley,” a special mining zone across the Republic of Karakalpakstan, where registered legal entities can carry out crypto mining, use a mix of power sources and apply for resident status through a new directorate under the republic’s Council of Ministers. The framework gives miners in the zone…

Uzbekistan is launching a special area in Karakalpakstan called “Besqala Mining Valley” where crypto mining is officially regulated and allowed under government rules, with income from mining operations exempt from taxes until January 1, 2035, according to a new decree signed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The initiative aims to attract investment, expand renewable energy use, and boost employment through regulated mining activities. Mining is restricted to registered legal entities and is mainly intended to use renewable energy sources such as solar power, with additional provisions allowing the use of other controlled energy systems. Licensing and supervision will be handled by…

Mining firms HIVE Digital (HIVE) and Keel Infrastructure (KEEL) are doubling down on artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, which continues the theme of a broader shift across the sector away from bitcoin mining exclusively. HIVE raised $115 million through a zero interest convertible note offering, with proceeds earmarked for expanding its global data center footprint and GPU capacity, according to an announcement on Wednesday. The company has increasingly leaned into Tier III data centers across Canada, Sweden and Paraguay, positioning them for both bitcoin mining, AI and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads. The capital raise, paired with capped call protection to limit…

DoorDash and a group of fintechs are moving stablecoins into their live payment flows with Stripe-led blockchain Tempo, the latest sign that blockchain-based money is entering mainstream financial infrastructure. Payments-focused blockchain Tempo, developed by Stripe and venture firm Paradigm, said Tuesday in a blog post that companies including DoorDash, Stripe, Coastal Bank and Latin American fintech ARQ are now running or preparing to run parts of their payment operations on stablecoin rails. DoorDash, which operates in more than 40 countries and generated nearly $75 billion in sales for local merchants last year, is working with Tempo to roll out stablecoin-powered…

Ethereum is back at a major resistance zone, but the chart suggests the move may not be as strong as it looks. Traders are now watching whether $ETH can break through or set up another fakeout before the broader downtrend resumes. Ethereum Struggles to Hold Trendline as Trader Waits for Strong Close Ethereum is testing a key support area again after failing near a prior local top, and trader Elja says only a strong close would turn the setup convincing. The chart shows $ETH pulling back after another rejection near the upper boundary of its rising structure. ETHUSDT Spot 4H…

The cryptocurrency sector has been clamoring for regulatory clarity, but concerns about the contents of the CLARITY Act have risen. Galaxy Digital’s (NASDAQ: GLXY) research head, Alex Thorn, highlighted sanctions data and surveillance concerns, warning that the CLARITY Act may not be all good news as the community is hoping. Is the CLARITY Act a surveillance bill in disguise? The U.S. Senate has returned from its recess, and debates regarding the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act have begun; however, Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy Digital (NASDAQ: GLXY), has urged caution. He warned in a January 2026 client note…

The impact of stablecoins on the banking sector appears “limited” at the current phase of the adoption cycle, but banks could face increasing competition and an erosion of market share as the stablecoin sector and tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) grow in market capitalization. “So far, the use of stablecoins remains limited, but their market capitalization exceeded $300 billion at the end of last year,” Abhi Srivastava, associate vice president of Moody’s Investors Service Digital Economy Group, told Cointelegraph. The stablecoin market cap has surged past $300 billion. Source: RWA.xyz The role of stablecoins in payments, cross-border commerce and onchain finance…

Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the US, continues to expand its presence in the UK. At this point, Coinbase recently announced the launch of its cryptocurrency-backed lending service in the UK. Coinbase stated in a press release that users in the UK can borrow in $USDC using Bitcoin ($BTC), Ethereum ($ETH), and cbETH as collateral. Users can borrow $USDC by offering $BTC, $ETH, or cbETH as collateral. Accordingly, Coinbase allows users to borrow up to $5 million in $USDC in exchange for other crypto assets through Morpho on Base. The service is offered through Morpho, an open-source lending protocol…