Author: NBTC
A special court in Mumbai has moved forward with proceedings in the high-value “Gain Bitcoin” money laundering case, issuing summons to businessman Ripu Sudan Kundra, widely known as Raj Kundra, following the filing of a supplementary prosecution complaint by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The summons was issued on Monday after the court took notice of the ED’s complaint linked to an alleged Rs 6,600 crore Ponzi scheme involving Bitcoin investments. Special Judge R.B. Rote directed Kundra and co-accused Rajesh Ram Satija to appear before the court on Jan. 19, 2026. The order followed arguments presented by Special Public Prosecutor Kavita…
In 2026, alongside the hotly anticipated Gloas-Amsterdam (Glamsterdam) and Heze-Bogota (Hegota) hard forks, Ethereum (ETH), the largest smart contracts platform, might onboard a crucial innovation. With ERC-8004, Ethereum (ETH) will finally become AI-ready in terms of tech context and economical behavior. This EIP brings agentic economy to Ethereum Ethereum (ETH), the biggest programmable blockchain, is on its way to become AI-ready as EIP-8004 “Trustless Agents” discussion gains traction. With this EIP and its corresponding token standard, Ethereum (ETH) will become technically capable of hosting autonomous AI agents. https://t.co/2uI4EiqNxg — Vitto Rivabella (@VittoStack) January 9, 2026 To ensure the execution of…
Key Highlights The U.S. Federal Reserve has withdrawn its 2023 guidance that effectively blocked uninsured banks from becoming Fed members and engaging in crypto. This announcement comes after recent developments, like the FDIC and OCC withdrawing earlier joint statements that had warned banks about the danger of cryptocurrency. This development will boost the integration of cryptocurrency in traditional finance On December 17, the United States Federal Reserve made another major decision that could open the door for the nation’s banks to embrace cryptocurrencies. 🚨NEW: Big news from the @federalreserve today: It’s withdrawing its 2023 guidance that effectively blocked uninsured banks…
Crypto companies serving EU residents began collecting tax data on Jan. 1, 2026, under the European Union’s DAC8 rules. That start date has fed viral claims on X that the bloc has “ended crypto privacy.” The European Commission’s guidance for DAC8 set Jan. 1, 2026, as the operational start date for data collection. However, many commentators are overreaching in their conclusions, and the implied timeline is compressed. What DAC8’s Jan. 1 start date actually means in practice Providers collect data through 2026, while the first full-year reports are due in 2027. The Commission describes a nine-month window, from the end…
Ethereum’s spot price hovered at $3,087 per coin on Saturday, while derivatives traders quietly stacked risk across futures and options markets. The data shows leverage building even as price action stays choppy, a setup that has a habit of punishing crowded positions. Ethereum Futures and Options Signal Trader Tension Near $3,100 Ethereum futures open interest climbed to 13.01 million ETH, representing roughly $40.22 billion in notional value across major exchanges. Despite minor pullbacks in the past hour and four-hour windows, open interest posted a 0.69% increase over 24 hours, signaling that traders are adding exposure rather than stepping away. Binance…
Moody’s Ratings is diving into the $300 billion stablecoin market with a new rating system. Summary Moody’s is proposing a new system to rate stablecoins based on reserve quality, market value risk, and operational safeguards. The firm aims to provide investors with a clearer picture of redemption reliability. Ratings would be determined by the “weakest link” in a stablecoin’s reserve pool, factoring in liquidity, governance, regulatory context, and technology risks, while algorithmic stablecoins are excluded. The venerable 116-year-old credit rating firm unveiled a proposal to assess stablecoins like any other deposit: by looking at the quality of reserve assets, market…
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has appointed four crypto-friendly figures to its board to strengthen oversight. The newly appointed crypto policy hitters will bring experience across financial services, regulation, industry leadership, and public pension management. FINRA oversees the organization’s mission to protect investors and ensure market integrity for broker-dealers handling everything from stocks to crypto trades. The board has appointed four figures, including Rostin ‘Russ’ Behnam, Tim Carter, Dan Gallagher, and Heather Traeger, to strengthen its oversight as crypto continues to form ties with traditional financial markets. Former CFTC head Behnam brings crypto expertise to FINRA According to FINRA’s…
In an announcement posted on X, Tim Beiko, one of the more recognizable names in the Ethereum Foundation and a contributor to core protocol development, has announced his transition from Layer 1 research and development. Beiko clarified that he would remain at the foundation but shift to an advisory role within the Protocol team while stepping back from his responsibilities coordinating the All Core Developers Execution (ACDE) calls, which serve as the primary forum for coordinating changes to Ethereum’s execution layer. He simply noted his transition to exploring “frontier use cases” for the blockchain platform. Beiko did not exit the…
Nasdaq-listed VivoPower (VVPR) is expanding its XRP-linked strategy through a new joint venture that aims to acquire hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Ripple Labs shares, giving investors indirect exposure to nearly $1 billion worth of underlying XRP. The company said in a Tuesday release its digital asset unit, Vivo Federation, has been engaged by South Korea–based asset manager Lean Ventures to source an initial $300 million of Ripple Labs equity. Based on current XRP prices, VivoPower estimates the stake represents roughly 450 million XRP tokens, valued at about $900 million. The structure stops short of buying XRP outright,…
The Bharat Web3 Association has asked the Indian government to reform cryptocurrency taxation ahead of the 2026 Union Budget. The industry group raised concerns about high taxes, limited access to banking, and regulatory uncertainty. The appeal was made during a pre-budget discussion organized by the Egrow Foundation. Industry leaders warned that existing policies are limiting growth in India’s Web3 sector. Association Raises Concerns at Pre-Budget Discussion Since 2022, gains from crypto assets have been taxed at 30%, while a 1% tax is deducted at source for every transaction. During the consultation, association Chairperson Dilip Chenoy presented the industry’s concerns, focusing…