Author: NBTC

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse declared at $XRP Las Vegas that the CLARITY Act will pass by the end of May, his third public deadline for the bill after predicting 80% odds of April passage on Fox Business in February and revising to May at two successive industry events. Brad Garlinghouse confirmed his end-of-May CLARITY Act timeline at $XRP Las Vegas on April 30, three months after first placing an 80% probability on April passage during a Fox Business appearance. Disruption Banking reported that Garlinghouse is betting the bill clears the Senate Banking Committee, passes the Senate floor, and reaches Trump’s…

XO Market is betting that the future of prediction markets won’t be dictated by centralized teams deciding what people can trade on, but by users themselves. The startup, which just closed a $6 million seed round led by 20VC, Picus Capital, Coinbase Ventures, Venture Together and a group of angels including Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins, is positioning itself as the “YouTube of prediction markets,” according to co-founder Ali Habbabeh. “Today’s major platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket act more like Netflix,” Habbabeh told CoinDesk in an interview. “They decide what markets exist. We’ve flipped that model entirely. On XO, users…

The DeFi Report, a closely followed analysis platform in the cryptocurrency markets, has examined the potential bottom levels for Bitcoin (BTC) in the current cycle. Company analysts, considering both macroeconomic uncertainties and on-chain data, urged investors to “be patient.” Mike, the company’s chief analyst, argued that despite a general market downturn, the “most attractive buying point” has not yet been reached. Referring to Warren Buffett’s investment philosophy, the analyst argued that a 5-6% drop in prices doesn’t represent significant value; real opportunities lie in declines of 50% or more. The analysis focuses on two key metrics for predicting Bitcoin’s bottom.…

TL;DR: Changpeng Zhao (CZ) and industry leaders warn that the traditional banking system is incapable of processing the micro-payment volume required by millions of AI agents. A 2026 study by the Bitcoin Policy Institute reveals that 90% of AI models prefer Bitcoin or stablecoins for autonomous transactions over fiat currency. Gartner estimates that “machine customers” will influence $30 trillion in purchases by 2030, solidifying blockchain as the native settlement layer for AI. The global financial system is facing a structural mismatch. As autonomous AI agents transition from experimental tools to active economic participants, traditional infrastructure is proving obsolete for their…

The $XRP Ledger (XRPL) has reached an important milestone by recording its first zero-knowledge (ZK) proof transaction on the testnet. The transaction was initiated by DNA Protocol, a blockchain-based platform that allows users to manage and control their biological identity on-chain. This development shows the $XRP Ledger’s capability to support privacy-focused transactions linked to DNA data. Key Points The XRPL recorded its first ZK proof transaction on March 25, 2026, which anchored a verified proof from real genomic data onto the testnet. The transaction used a small 0.000001 $XRP transfer and stored only cryptographic proof data to ensure no sensitive…

A breakthrough agreement involving Coinbase Global Inc. has revived momentum for long-delayed US crypto legislation. This comes after lawmakers reached a compromise on one of the most contentious issues in the debate, stablecoin yield rewards. Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal had initially framed the CLARITY Act as critical unfinished business following the passage of the $GENIUS Act last year. He called it a “watershed” moment for the crypto industry. The $GENIUS Act established a regulatory framework for stablecoins. Still, it left a gap in the market structure. The CLARITY Act is expected to fill that by drawing clear jurisdictional…

Upbit, one of South Korea’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges, has announced its decision to end trading support for Drift (DRIFT). According to the official statement, the DRIFT token will be removed from the platform on June 1, 2026, at 3:00 PM. This will completely halt trading on the DRIFT/KRW, DRIFT/BTC, and DRIFT/USDT trading pairs. The exchange stated that this decision was the culmination of a previously initiated review process. On April 2nd, Upbit placed the DRIFT token on an “investment alert” list, requesting that the project address certain issues. However, the latest assessment indicated that the explanations and improvements provided by…

TitanRWA, a notable Web3 entity for RWA tokenization, has partnered with GXChain, a decentralized public chain. The partnership focuses on utilizing cutting-edge blockchain infrastructure for advancement in decentralized application (dApp) development. As TitanRWA mentioned in its official X announcement, the development is a crucial step toward increasing Web3 cost-efficiency and accessibility. So, the move has already attracted blockchain enthusiasts and builders looking for scalable solutions. 🎉Exciting Partnership Announcement🤝🥳We are thrilled to announce our strategic partnership with @GXChainGlobal 🔵 #REInetwork is a zero-fee, EVM-compatible blockchain built for scalable Web3， born from GXChain as a full network reconstruction, not a fork. It…

Bitcoin ATM numbers in the United States declined during the first quarter of 2026, pointing to a cooling in deployment after a brief rise earlier in the period. Quarterly comparisons are based on first-of-month snapshots, providing a consistent view of network changes over time. Data from Coin ATM Radar shows that the number of Bitcoin ATMs fell from 30,788 on January 1, 2026, to 30,229 on April 1, 2026, marking a 1.82% decline over the quarter. In absolute terms, that translates to a net loss of 559 machines. Crypto ATM installations in the United States in Q1 2026. Source: Coin…

Oil is the single most vital commodity, wielding an overbearing influence on all corners of the global economy. This reality was made painfully clear by recent war-led oil price spikes above $100 a barrel and the resulting financial market jitters. Yet, for all its immense importance, the machinery powering global oil trading largely remains archaic. It is dominated by massive legacy exchanges, extensive paperwork, and high barriers to entry that can deter all but the largest players. Baron Lamarre, co-founder of the International Digital Exchange (INDEX) — a blockchain-based platform for tokenized oil, and identified as a former head of…