Author: NBTC

NBTC

NBTC is the editorial account for NBTC News, covering Bitcoin, Ethereum, DeFi, blockchain infrastructure, exchanges, mining, regulation and digital asset markets. The editorial team focuses on clear sourcing, timely updates and practical context for crypto readers.

Professor Coin: Can Bitcoin Replace Gold?

Professor Andrew Urquhart is Professor of Finance and Financial Technology and Head of the Department of Finance at Birmingham Business School (BBS). This is the seventh installment of the Professor Coin column, in which I bring important insights from published academic literature on cryptocurrencies to the Decrypt readership. In this article, I study the relationship between Bitcoin and gold, and explore whether Bitcoin can replace gold. For centuries, gold has been the ultimate store of value—used by civilizations as currency, collateral, and insurance against economic crises. But in the past decade, a new contender has emerged: Bitcoin. Often referred to…

BitcoinJul 24

Bitwise CIO points to demand shock driving ETH higher

Key Takeaways Bitwise projects institutions and treasury firms will buy more ETH than will be issued, a dynamic Hougan says will push prices higher. Ethereum currently outpaces Bitcoin as ETH/BTC climbs from 0.018 to 0.031 and BTC dominance slips from 66% to 61%. Ethereum is poised for further gains amid surging institutional demand and corporate buying that far outpaces new supply, Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan wrote in a note to clients Tuesday afternoon. More than $10 billion in ETH has been purchased by ETPs and corporations since mid-May, representing 32 times the amount of new ETH issued during…

EthereumJul 24

Are Stablecoins the Hidden Blueprint for a US Digital Dollar?

Stablecoins, digital currencies pegged to the U.S. dollar, have surged in popularity, but their quiet resilience under slim regulatory scrutiny may signal a deeper role as a testing ground for a central bank digital currency (CBDC). Stablecoins and the Silent Rise of a Central Bank Digital Dollar These blockchain-based tokens, designed to maintain a stable value, offer a glimpse into a future where governments could leverage their infrastructure to introduce a state-controlled digital dollar. As the U.S. grapples with the implications of a CBDC, stablecoins like Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC, which have thrived with fairly minimal government interference, raise…

MarketsJul 24

NEAR Intents Enables Frictionless Cross-Chain Swaps Into Sui Ecosystem

NEAR Intents enables one-click swaps into Sui from 20+ chains without using bridges. Integration supports 100+ assets, improving cross-chain access to Sui’s growing DeFi ecosystem. Sui’s TVL hits $1.7B as NEAR Intents boosts liquidity and developer adoption. A new blockchain integration has gone live, linking NEAR Protocol and Sui Network through NEAR Intents, a product intended to simplify asset transfers across different chains. The launch will enable users to swap assets from over 20 blockchains directly into Sui without requiring bridges, gas on multiple networks, or multiple wallet approvals. NEAR Intents allows users to perform cross-chain asset swaps by expressing…

AltcoinsJul 24

Analysis Company Issues Current Warning for Altcoins, Caution Advised

Cryptocurrency analysis company Alphractal made remarkable assessments regarding the altcoin market in its latest report. The report stated that altcoins have performed better than Bitcoin in recent days, and investors have achieved higher returns by taking positions in altcoins instead of BTC, according to daily signals. However, one chart highlighted by Alphractal is a warning for the market: the Correlation Heatmap. This map shows that the average correlation between altcoins and Bitcoin is rapidly declining, even turning negative in some cases. This means that altcoins are no longer tracking Bitcoin's price movements. According to Alphactal analysis, this is a warning…

BitcoinJul 24

Here's Why Ethereum ETF Investors Are Outperforming Their Bitcoin Counterparts

Ethereum has staged a comeback to become one of the best-performing digital assets over the past few months. The stark growth has positioned U.S.-based Ethereum ETF investors ahead of Bitcoin ETF holders, according to experts and inflow data. “Purchases from U.S.-based Ethereum ETFs have outperformed Bitcoin’s,” CryptoQuant’s head of research, Julio Moreno, told Decrypt. He cited a high growth in Ethereum to Bitcoin ETF holdings and spot trading volume ratios since April. “Rising institutional interest—especially around digital asset trusts,” is a primary reason, Delory Fong, Amber Group’s Head of Flow Trading, told Decrypt. While Bitcoin still leads Ethereum in year-to-date…

EthereumJul 24

RWA-related M&A picks up as companies hunt for US licenses

This is a segment from the Forward Guidance newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe. M&A hasn’t slowed as Congress mulls crypto legislation and efforts to get more real-world assets onchain continue. I chatted with Ondo Finance CEO Nathan Allman last month about the RWA space ahead of the company’s tokenization platform launch slated for this summer (Ondo doesn’t yet have a go-live date). Saying the vast majority of regulated financial assets will ultimately settle on blockchain rails is “not a crazy prediction” anymore, Allman told me. Others agree, including Larry Fink (the man leading the world’s largest asset manager) and…

MarketsJul 24

Hex Trust & Algorand Join Forces to Enable Institutions to Earn ALGO Staking Rewards

Hex Trust, an institutional-grade digital asset custodian, has expanded its business partnership with the Algorand network by launching an Algorand staking service to institutional investors. The launch of the staking service marks a continued relationship that the two firms started in 2021. 🚀 New milestone with @AlgoFoundation Building on our partnership since 2021, Hex Trust now offers institutional access to Algorand Staking Rewards—expanding our role as their licensed custody provider. 👉 Read more: https://t.co/GobE1hqKcC pic.twitter.com/FHyJ0cM05g — Hex Trust (@Hex_Trust) July 17, 2025 What Does Hex Trust Bring On Board? This rollout of this staking offering provides institutional customers with the…

AltcoinsJul 24

'Tokyo Beast' Speedruns Crypto Game Cycle, Shutting Down Just a Month After Launch

Numerous crypto games have shut down already in 2025, but this might be the fastest pivot yet from launch hype to imminent shutdown. The developers of Tokyo Beast, a competitive mobile combat game launched on Ethereum layer-2 network Immutable zkEVM on June 9, said Tuesday that the game will go offline on August 24. Revealing the move barely a month after launch, producer Naoki Motohashi called it “unexpected news” in a blog post. “Due to the difficulty of balancing operational costs, and after extensive discussions with our stakeholders, we have arrived at the painful decision to terminate the service,” he…

GameFiJul 24

SEC May Soon Grant Highly-Awaited Approval for Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs! "Positive Developments!" Bloomberg Analyst Explains

While positive decisions regarding the cryptocurrency industry continue to come from the SEC, the latest news came for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). Accordingly, Bloomberg analyst James Seyffart said that the SEC is increasingly likely to approve in-kind refunds for Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. Seyffart cited numerous filings filed with the SEC yesterday, stating that progress has been made with the SEC following recent filings by issuers to add in-kind payments to Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. At this point, Seyffart noted that five issuers with Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs on the CBOE have amended their prospectuses, citing “positive action” from…

EthereumJul 24