Author: NBTC

A new report found that American pension schemes have increased their allocations to Bitcoin, Ethereum and stablecoins, but have avoided other altcoins. Market volatility has made some question these allocations, with 11 pension funds recently losing over $250 million after Strategy’s shares tanked. There has been a heated debate in regulatory and investment circles over whether pension funds should include crypto in their portfolios. However, even as the debate continues, a new report has found that these funds have been quietly expanding their exposure as they seek to beat average market returns. The report, dubbed ‘US Public Pension and Trust…

KuCoin has expanded the real-world use of digital assets in Latin America through the integration of KuCoin Pay with Brazil’s Pix network, enabling local users to make QR code payments with crypto through one of the country’s most widely used payment systems. The launch represents more than a local payments update. It reflects KuCoin’s broader effort to build trusted Web3 infrastructure that connects digital assets with everyday financial activity. By linking crypto balances to a payment method already embedded in daily commerce, KuCoin is advancing a wider industry shift: moving crypto beyond trading and into more practical consumer use. Launched…

McLaren Racing, which competes in Formula 1 and IndyCar, has joined the Hedera Council to help govern the enterprise blockchain network. The Surrey, UK-based racing team—which won the last two F1 team championships, and last year’s driver title with Lando Norris—will contribute to Hedera software and services governance, actively participate in the network, and hold equal voting rights alongside other Council members, according to an announcement. “McLaren Racing is built on performance and innovation, and that extends to how we engage our fans,” said McLaren Racing Co-Chief Commercial Officer Nick Martin, in a statement. “Joining Hedera Council enables us to…

Architectural innovations in decentralized finance, like multi-use liquidity pools, can improve capital efficiency without adopting risky collateral ratios, narrowing the gap with traditional finance, Jean Rausis has argued. The Sovereignty Tax In the current market landscape, trading on a centralized platform feels like driving on a paved highway, while decentralized trading can often feel like navigating a series of disconnected toll roads. Centralized exchanges ( CEXs) benefit from unified order books, where all global buy and sell interest is concentrated in one engine. This density allows for razor-thin spreads and minimal slippage. In contrast, decentralized exchange ( DEX) users often…

BitGo Prime (BTGO) and Susquehanna Crypto said they are partnering to provide institutional clients with over-the-counter (OTC) access to prediction market trades, using digital assets held on BitGo’s platform as collateral. The offering targets hedge funds, family offices and high-net-worth investors, allowing them to transact in event-driven contracts without relying on retail platforms or converting crypto holdings into cash, the companies said in a press release Tuesday. Liquidity will be provided by Susquehanna Crypto, with trades executed bilaterally through BitGo’s OTC desk. The firms said transactions will follow standard derivatives documentation frameworks. Investors use over-the-counter desks mainly to trade large…

In a significant development for decentralized artificial intelligence, the Walrus storage protocol has unveiled MemWal, a groundbreaking memory layer specifically designed for AI agents operating on the Sui blockchain network. This announcement, made via the project’s official X account on March 15, 2025, represents a major advancement in how AI systems store, recall, and share information within decentralized environments. The MemWal technology addresses persistent challenges in blockchain-based data storage while enabling AI agents to maintain permanent memory of conversational and reasoning processes. MemWal AI Memory Layer: Technical Architecture and Innovation The MemWal memory layer introduces a novel approach to decentralized…

Aave Labs plans to use idle liquidity in its lending system to generate extra yield as it moves closer to its V4 upgrade. Summary Aave V4 will redeploy idle liquidity into approved strategies while keeping depositor access unchanged throughout. Roughly $6 billion in stablecoin deposits sits unused and may now generate extra yield onchain. The Aave DAO moved V4 closer to launch as governance tensions and contributor exits continued. According to a blog post, the firm said the new Reinvestment Module will deploy unused funds into low-risk strategies while keeping assets available for withdrawals and borrowing. The update comes as…

Key Takeaways The internet’s initial promise of decentralization has shifted towards centralization and conflict. China’s controlled internet model is viewed with envy by some world leaders. Western narratives often oversimplify the complexities of the Chinese internet. Personal stories provide a nuanced view of China’s digital landscape. Vague censorship laws in China enhance their effectiveness. Censorship in China now includes deviations from the party’s ideology. Both direct directives and proactive self-censorship drive China’s censorship. Criticism of local officials in China is heavily censored. The tactic of “flooding” is used to suppress unwanted news online. Patterns of online behavior are universal, not…

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with tokenization platform Securitize, as part of a broader effort to develop blockchain-based stock trading infrastructure for Wall Street. Securitize will become the first digital transfer agent, enabling it to mint blockchain-based shares for stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on the upcoming tokenized securities platform, the Digital Trading Platform, according to a Tuesday announcement from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), parent company of the NYSE. Under the MoU, the companies plan to develop a digital transfer agent program and standards for digital transfer agents and tokenization agents, with a…

Cipher Digital, a publicly traded developer and operator of industrial-scale data centers for high-performance computing workloads, announced Wednesday that it has signed a 15-year lease for its third data center campus, furthering its recent pivot from Bitcoin miner to powering the growing demand for AI power and other computing needs. The company will develop and deliver a new HPC data center at one of its existing sites under the agreement, according to a press release. Investors appear to like the news, with Cipher’s stock (CIFR) rising more than 8% since the opening bell Wednesday to recently trade at $16.14 per…