Author: NBTC

Markets · Regulation · Long Read Summary Senate Republicans released updated CLARITY Act text on July 22, 2026, merging the Banking and Agriculture committee drafts into a single 616-page bill with more than 70 pages of new language, including a government ethics title negotiated with the White House. The bill divides digital assets into three statutory categories: digital commodities overseen by the CFTC, investment contract assets under the SEC, and permitted payment stablecoins governed by the $GENIUS Act, with a maturity certification process that lets tokens graduate from securities treatment as their networks decentralize. An ETP grandfather clause permanently classifies…

Robinhood (HOOD) topped Wall Street’s second-quarter expectations, but shares fell about 4% in after-hours trading, adding to their 3.1% decline during Wednesday’s session. The online brokerage reported adjusted earnings per share of $0.62, well ahead of analysts’ $0.43 estimate, while revenue climbed 32% from a year earlier to a record $1.31 billion, narrowly topping the $1.29 billion consensus forecast. The results reflected strength across Robinhood’s expanding product lineup, even as crypto trading cooled. Crypto revenue fell 38% year over year to $100 million from $160 million, while transaction revenue was lifted by surging options, equities and prediction markets activity. “Whether…

Crypto forensics and compliance company AMLBot has launched its AI Tracer, described as a self-service blockchain analysis tool that maps visible fund movements from a transaction hash across blockchain networks. AMLBot said the tool aims to address the current need for specialist software and knowledge to trace transactions. The company said the tool also traces through bridges that move assets cross-chain or when the assets are split among multiple wallets. “The process is automatic: the AI traverses the transaction graph, follows the movement of funds from the starting address through intermediate wallets toward whatever endpoint the money reached, and matches…

Delphi Digital recently shared insights on the changing dynamics within the cryptocurrency market, particularly concerning Bitcoin’s influence. Jason from Delphi Digital stated, ‘I don’t think crypto will be the market where Bitcoin has to dictate if things can be positive or not.’ This perspective highlights a potential shift in how traders view the broader crypto landscape, independent of Bitcoin’s price movements. For more details, see the original tweet here. Market Snapshot The current state of the broader cryptocurrency market reveals mixed signals, with various assets displaying different momentum levels. Market observers note that while Bitcoin has historically dictated the trends…

Crypto markets remained relatively flat over the weekend with low volatility and total capitalization hovering around $2.3 trillion. Nevertheless, military action in the Middle East has continued with the US Central Command reporting on Sunday that it was conducting a new wave of strikes against Iran for the ninth consecutive night. “The strikes will continue degrading Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” it stated. Meanwhile, crude oil prices jumped again, with WTI hitting $85 and Brent topping $90, and US stocks continued to cool last week as inflationary pressures returned.…

Whales and institutional investors are continuing to accumulate $HYPE, according to a report from on-chain analytics firm Lookonchain. The firm noted that Galaxy Digital withdrew 179,000 $HYPE, valued at approximately $12.62 million, from Coinbase in the past seven hours. Additionally, a new wallet address, designated as “0x6436,” withdrew another 135,824 $HYPE (around $9.73 million) about eight hours ago. This new address has withdrawn a cumulative total of 399,730 $HYPE, worth about $28.92 million, over the past two days. Institutional Accumulation Signals Strong Confidence The recent withdrawal by Galaxy Digital, a prominent institutional crypto investment firm, is a significant signal of…

Binance.US plans to apply for a designated contract market license from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission next month as the exchange prepares to expand into prediction markets. Chief executive Stephen Gregory disclosed the plan Wednesday during the Rare Evo conference in Las Vegas, according to Bloomberg, citing a Binance.US spokesperson. Receiving designated contract market status would allow Binance.US to operate a derivatives exchange under CFTC oversight and potentially list event contracts for retail customers. A designated contract market is a federally regulated exchange that can offer futures, options, and other derivative contracts. Applicants must satisfy CFTC requirements covering market surveillance,…

Coinbase says Base is processing more stablecoin volume than any other blockchain — and the company is earning less from the network each quarter. In its second-quarter earnings presentation filed Thursday, the exchange said “other” transaction revenue fell 11% quarter-over-quarter to $47.4 million, “largely driven by lower Base revenue,” even as stablecoin transaction volume on Base grew seven times year-over-year. The disclosure lands in the middle of the question hanging over every Ethereum L2: whether networks that compete on sub-cent fees can turn scale into revenue. Coinbase is engineering the trade-off deliberately, touting sub-cent, sub-one-second settlement as a product goal…

Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), the world’s largest institutional Bitcoin holder, caused a major stir in the cryptocurrency markets with its recent Bitcoin sale. The company’s decision to sell only 32 Bitcoin (worth approximately $2.5 million) has raised questions among investors about whether the company’s strategy is faltering. Speaking on the matter, Strategy CEO Phong Le shared the background to the decision and the company’s long-term plans. Phong Le argued that, contrary to market speculation, there was no financial necessity or panic behind this sale. Describing the move as “injecting the market,” Le stated: “Our debtors and bondholders, as well as credit…

U.S. Central Command disclosed that Iran fired ballistic missiles and drones at Muwaffaq Al Salti Air Base in Jordan late on July 17. Two service members died, a third remains missing, and four others were hospitalized and later discharged. CENTCOM called the barrage retaliation for the ongoing U.S. bombing campaign, now in its eighth night as of July 19. American jets struck Qeshm Island near 6:10 a.m. local time Sunday, reportedly hitting coastal surveillance sites, air defenses, and drone facilities. Iranian media reported additional hits near Shadegan in Khuzestan province and around Sirik, with no immediate reports of new mass…