Author: NBTC

The 2026 FIFA World Cup drove $20 billion in blockchain-based prediction market volume and $24 million in digital collectible trades, with more than 400,000 wallets participating in blockchain-based betting, according to a report from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. The $20 billion figure includes trading before and during the tournament, with bettors placing roughly $5.7 billion in wagers over the five-week World Cup itself. World Cup-related markets accounted for about 63% of all prediction market activity during that period, the report said. According to Chainalysis, users from every continent except Antarctica participated in World Cup prediction markets, with the United States…

Russia is set to impose a sweeping ban on cryptocurrency mining in Moscow, the Moscow region, and eight municipalities within the Kursk region, effective from August 15 through December 31, 2031. The decree, signed by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, was formally published on August 14, according to Bits.media. The restrictions also extend to residents involved in related activities, including participation in mining pools. Energy Strain Drives the Ban The decision follows a formal request from the Moscow region’s energy ministry in April, which urged the central government to curb crypto mining due to excessive power consumption. The regional energy…

The Bitcoin [$BTC] recovery in March and April restored some positive sentiment in the market, but the retracement below $60k in early June dented this optimism once again. The $60k-$70k was a key demand zone, both from a technical standpoint and based on on-chain metrics’ findings. AMBCrypto reported that 20% of the $BTC circulating supply has changed hands within this key structural support zone. It was argued that this was one of the largest transfers from weak to strong hands in Bitcoin’s history. Forced Bitcoin selling is not over yet Long-term holders have been steadily offloading their tokens. At the…

TD Cowen has reduced its price target for Smarter Web Company (SWC), a London Stock Exchange-listed firm pursuing a strategic Bitcoin accumulation strategy, to 0.64 pound from the previous 1 pound, while maintaining a Buy rating. The revision, reported by The Block, reflects a combination of factors including adjustments to the investment bank’s Bitcoin price outlook, the company’s recent treasury activity, potential share-price dilution from future stock issuance, and an increase in second-quarter $BTC holdings. Behind the Price Target Revision The decision to lower the target price comes as Smarter Web continues to execute its Bitcoin treasury strategy, which has…

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse recently took to social media to celebrate the 14th anniversary of $XRP, one of the leading altcoins by market capitalization. Garlinghouse stated that it is still the honor of his lifetime to be part of the $XRP family. He has made it clear that the network’s growth is a collective achievement. The Ripple executive has extended his gratitude to developers, validators, businesses, and community members. The birthday debate However, the exact birthday of the $XRP token is now immediately clear. It has reignited an ever-simmering debate within the cryptocurrency community regarding the exact “birthday” of $XRP.…

The latest inclusion in the CySEC MiCA register, payments company Unlimit, underscores the practical necessities of doing business in the EU. As Irene Skrynova, Chief Executive of Global Payments at Unlimit, pointed out in the announcement, operating crypto asset services in the bloc previously meant adhering to disparate local standards across jurisdictions. “Now there is one,” she said. But MiCA is not all-encompassing. While the regulation has provided a simplified cryptoasset framework, specific stablecoin activities remain firmly rooted within electronic money mandates. The Overlap of Crypto Assets and Electronic Money The European Commission has recently launched a public consultation on…

Perpetual futures tied to tokenized stocks and commodities generated nearly as much trading volume as Bitcoin perpetuals on two of the largest venues for the products over the past week, according to Talos. Combined seven-day volume across tracked real-world asset (RWA) perps reached $61.7 billion, equal to 99.2% of Bitcoin perpetual volume on Hyperliquid and Binance, where most trading activity is concentrated, Talos told Cointelegraph in an email summary citing a data snapshot taken on Thursday. Tokenized equity contracts accounted for 57.8% of the total, followed by commodities at 28.2%. The value of onchain RWAs has grown to about $36.8…

Brian Armstrong Reaffirms Bullish Bitcoin Outlook and Long-Term Position Coinbase Global Inc. (Nasdaq: COIN) CEO Brian Armstrong reaffirmed his bitcoin stance in an X post, writing that he remains long the crypto asset and continues to hold a bullish view. His comments accompanied a video he shared discussing bitcoin’s role, market cycles, and his expectation of much higher prices over the long term. The remarks placed Armstrong’s BTC outlook within a broader view of crypto adoption. He described bitcoin as “the new digital gold” and tied his position to long-term economic use, rather than short-term market moves or near-term trading…

Bitcoin Treasury Capital (BTCB), a Sweden-listed company, has introduced Europe’s first Bitcoin-backed preferred stock, trading under the ticker symbol PREF on the Spotlight Stock Market. The security offers a 10% annual dividend, with monthly payouts, marking a significant step in the integration of digital assets with traditional equity markets. What Is a $BTC-Backed Preferred Stock? Preferred stocks are hybrid securities that combine features of both stocks and bonds. They typically pay fixed dividends and have priority over common stock in the event of liquidation. In this case, PREF is backed by Bitcoin held by the company, linking the security’s value…

Bitcoin’s brief slide under $66,000 dragged the broader market into one of its sharpest selloffs in months, with more than $1.8 billion in positions liquidated. Yet on-chain data shows large wallets or crypto whales are not fleeing in unison. BeInCrypto tracked four tokens where whale positioning split during the crash, with accumulation in two corners and a clear exit in others. Maple Finance ($SYRUP) As leverage flushed out of the market, some whales used the drop to add a token tied to real yield rather than speculation. Crypto whales holding Maple Finance ($SYRUP) lifted their balance by about 220% in…