Author: NBTC

Ethereum’s highly anticipated Pectra upgrade is set to go live, with key testnet fork dates now announced. According to expectations, Pectra will first launch on the Holesky and Sepolia testnets before an official mainnet deployment is scheduled. In a tweet, Ethereum developer Tim Beiko shared the expected dates for upgrading public Ethereum testnets: Holesky Testnet will fork at slot 3,710,976 on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, at 9:55:12 p.m. UTC. Sepolia Testnet will fork at slot 7,118,848 on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at 7:29:36 a.m. UTC. Pectra is going live 🥳Holesky will fork at slot 3710976 (Mon, Feb 24 at 21:55:12…

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson recently took to the X social media network to clarify that Input Output Global, the blockchain research and engineering company behind the popular proof-of-stake blockchain, will not contribute its ADA holdings to fund the integation of Circle’s USDC stablecoin. Hoskinson has explained that IOG is not obliged to use its private profits to finance such an ecosystem initiative. Meanwhile, the Cardano Foundation, a Switzerland-based blockchain organization, was specifically given ADA tokens in the form of a donation. “They have a mandate to spend it on the ecosystem. That’s the difference,” he said. Earlier today, Hoskinson clarified…

U.K. Member of Parliament Rupert Lowe has expressed openness to learning about Bitcoin, admits he holds XRP. Lowe expressed this sentiment while speaking with Bitcoin maxi Peter McCormack on an episode of the latter’s eponymous podcast, which was released on Wednesday, February 5. When McCormack pressed Lowe about Bitcoin and its value proposition to energy efficiency, Lowe asserted that he was no crypto expert but contended that he saw “the logic of having disciplined currency.” After further discussions, the British MP urged McCormack to come and share his knowledge about it with the Reform party, adding, “I am in favor…

Recent shifts in Bitcoin ($BTC) miner activity have sparked attention, with many analysts pointing to this as a potential precursor to significant price movements. As evidenced by the latest data from Glassnode’s Hash Ribbon, there is a noticeable change in miner behavior that could be signaling an upcoming shift in Bitcoin’s price. Historically, similar patterns of miner activity have preceded major fluctuations in Bitcoin’s value, and this could be no different. #Bitcoin $BTC miner activity is shifting, a trend that has historically preceded major price movements! pic.twitter.com/FWXvv8WV7T — Ali (@ali_charts) February 9, 2025 According to Crypto analyst Ali Martinez,The Hash…

Since the November 5 election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, bitcoin (BTC) is up around 47%, sharply outperforming the S&P 500’s 4% advance. The incoming president, of course, has made clear his friendliness towards bitcoin and crypto. Also worth consideration is the Republican sweep of the Senate and House of Representatives, where laws that might affect crypto will ultimately be passed. Andre Dragosch, Head of Research at Bitwise in Europe, spoke exclusively with CoinDesk about other factors affecting the divergence between bitcoin and stocks. “My view on bitcoin versus S&P 500 is that the stock market has been…

Although it is undeniable that President Donald Trump has been active with regard to cryptocurrencies since taking office, his engagement so far has, arguably, not been as many in the community had hoped. Specifically, while many expected a swift and decisive move in the direction of creating a strategic Bitcoin (BTC) – or a different, ‘America-first’ – reserve, Trump and his family used the inauguration to launch multiple thematic meme coins. Furthermore, while Finbold was examining on-chain data to determine the current state of the President’s cryptocurrency portfolio, we uncovered significant outflows of Ethereum (ETH) and wrapped Ethereum (wETH) from…

The cryptocurrency market is gearing up for an eventful week with major updates and launches across a variety of projects. Here’s what you should keep an eye out for in the coming days: Sonic’s highly anticipated token, S, is set to be listed on Binance on January 16. Fantom had rebranded as Sonic during the rebranding process. Aerodrome will be releasing Slipstream V2, a major upgrade to its decentralized exchange (DEX), this month. On January 18, $2.4 billion worth of ONDO tokens will be unlocked. Solv Protocol will officially launch its token on January 17. Known for its decentralized Bitcoin…

The most crypto-friendly countries in the world each share some common characteristics, including specific regulations that support crypto investment. Oftentimes, tax breaks or innovation hubs have also been introduced on the government level by countries seeking to encourage the development of blockchain technology within their national borders. This article will dive into the top 10 most crypto-friendly countries in 2025, taking a set of important characteristics into account when deciding which nations make the list. Read on to learn more about the extent to which cryptocurrency is supported in different countries around the world. Here are the most crypto-friendly countries…

Bitcoin’s computational difficulty leaped by 5.61% at block height 883,008, catapulting its measure to a historic peak of 114.17 trillion, as per the latest network analytics. Miners Brace for Heightened Challenge as Difficulty Spikes Following the successful mining of block 883,008, the twisting demands of Bitcoin block validation have intensified by 5.61%, with the system’s current complexity now fixed at 114.17 trillion—a numerical expression of the sheer computational rigor miners must conquer to authenticate transactions and forge fresh blocks onto the ledger. The uptick follows the 2.12% dip recorded two weeks back at block 880,992. The hashrate is hovering at…

Binance-backed project Elfin Metaverse aims to revive Web3 gaming with an iconic Japanese gaming brand. Elfin Metaverse partnered with MetaMe, which in turn will tap some of the most widely known IPs from Japanese anime. Elfin Metaverse, a project backed by Binance Labs, has signed a letter of intent with MetaMe, a leading business co-creation company based in Tokyo, Japan. With this move, Elfin Metaverse will gain access to images and branding from top Japanese games, bringing them into a metaverse-based Web3 project. The new products will include interactive storytelling and global tournaments, bringing a cross-border gaming project with on-chain…