Author: NBTC

Welcome to The Protocol, CoinDesk’s weekly wrap-up of the most important stories in cryptocurrency tech development. I’m Margaux Nijkerk, the Ethereum protocol reporter on CoinDesk’s Tech team. In this issue: Solana To Get Major Design Overhaul Proposal For New Ethereum Nodes to Make Them Easier to Run World Network’s $135 Million Token Sale Solana Seeker Mobile Coming Early August Network news SOLANA TO GET MAJOR DESIGN OVERHAUL: Solana developers are planning what could be the blockchain’s most ambitious core upgrade to date — one that replaces its current technology stack with a redesigned consensus protocol built for near-instant finality and…

Coinbase stock price had its best week since November last year, even as the company moved from one bad news to another. Coinbase shares ended the week at $266, their highest level since February and 88% above their lowest level this year. This gives Coinbase a market cap of over $67.8 billion. Coinbase stock price weekly performance | Source: TradingView Coinbase experienced major headwinds This rally happened in a difficult week for the company and the crypto market. First, the recent crypto market rally stalled, with Bitcoin (BTC) remaining stubbornly below $105,000 and many altcoins crashing by double digits from…

USDT Faces Restriction in Russia: New Central Bank rules likely exclude USDT from domestic use, citing concerns over sanctions and wallet freezes. Russia Shifts to Alternative Payment Systems: While USDT may still be used for international trade, Russia is pushing tokenized assets and CBDCs for cross-border settlements. As Russia tightens its grip on the crypto sector, a fresh wave of Central Bank regulations could severely affect USDT trading within the country. While Russian firms may still be able to use stablecoins like Tether for cross-border settlements, domestic investor access to USDT appears increasingly at risk. No Explicit Ban, but All…

Sophon uses zkTLS to convert private Web2 credentials into verifiable on-chain assets without compromising privacy, enhancing user experiences and enabling new perspectives on applications. Dubai, UAE, May 21 — Sophon, a platform built to power consumer crypto experiences, has unveiled its integration of zkTLS (zero-knowledge Transport Layer Security) as the foundation for a new class of personalized and privacy-preserving blockchain applications. At the center of this effort is the Social Oracle, a system that verifies off-chain personal data, such as achievements, credentials, and social influence, on-chain, while preserving user privacy. While many blockchain apps focus on financial primitives or public…

Widely followed crypto analyst Michaël van de Poppe says this week could prove pivotal for Bitcoin as BTC stages a recovery from a 2025 low of $74,000. Van de Poppe tells his 785,200 followers on the social media platform X that there’s a chance that the Federal Reserve will slash interest rates at its meeting this week, slated for May 6th to 7th. According to the analyst, a Fed rate cut may serve as a catalyst that fuels Bitcoin’s run to greater heights. “Big week coming up with the FED. The likelihood of a rate cut is significant, and if…

Bitcoin-mining stocks closed higher Friday, with Applied Digital Corporation jumping 22.18% to top the leaderboard. Bitcoin Miners Rally as Volatility Breeds Opportunity Applied Digital posted the largest single-day gain among bitcoin miner-exposed equities, climbing more than 22% to close at $6.83. Bitdeer Technologies Group followed with a 10.63% advance to $15.19, while Hut 8 Corp. rose 9.95% to $17.13. IREN Limited gained 8.52%, and Riot Platforms added 5.17%. Cleanspark, MARA Holdings, and Galaxy Digital posted more modest daily increases, while Northern Data AG was nearly flat. Looking at weekly performance, Applied Digital also led the pack with a 28.62% increase…

Dubai’s crypto regulator Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) has updated its rulebook for digital asset trading. The emirati regulator has introduced greater leverage controls and collateralization requirements through provisions in its Broker-Deal and Exchange Rulebooks. This will help VARA’s rules to align with global risk standards, the regulator said in an emailed announcement on Monday. VARA has also introduced sections of its rulebook to properly oversee areas of the crypto industry that were previously lightly regulated, such as broker-dealers and wallets. The rules previously laid out by VARA have helped establish the city as a crypto hub, winning praise from…

Four years after attracting $203 million in NFT land sales, Ethereum game Ember Sword has shut down, with developer Bright Star Studios citing a lack of funding required to continue its operations. It’s the latest example of a growing trend of crypto games closing up shop. “We were ultimately unable to secure the funding needed to continue,” the game’s official site now reads. “We explored every possible way forward. But in today’s market—where even some of the most promising projects are shutting down—we couldn’t find a path to keep building.” Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Ember Sword rose to…

Alchemy Pay, a renowned platform offering a gateway for fiat-crypto payments, has announced its latest collaboration with Story, a well-known intellectual property (IP) blockchain platform. The partnership aims to enhance the accessibility of the Story ecosystem among everyday consumers. The platform disclosed this noteworthy partnership in a recent social media post. We’re proud to integrate with @StoryProtocol, the world’s IP blockchain to power a fiat onramp.This includes support for Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, local mobile wallets, and bank transfers across 173 countries.Protecting, licensing, and monetizing your IP just… pic.twitter.com/NerRY9cwEX — Alchemy Pay|$ACH: Fiat-Crypto Payment Gateway (@AlchemyPay) May 21,…

Robert Kiyosaki, a renowned investor, financial education advocate, and the author of the classic book on finance management “Rich Dad Poor Dad”, has addressed the community with an important message about the current market state and Bitcoin. He also shared a bullish price prediction about an asset which he considers to have a similar massive potential as BTC in the future. Biggest stock market crash in history Kiyosaki admitted that he might be repeating himself, however, he reminded the community about the prediction he made in his other book, the one called “Rich Dad’s Prophecy.” In it, he predicted that…