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.

Artist behind Putin NFT will burn Picasso, Rembrandt paintings if Assange dies

NFTFeb 20

A Russian artist who previously created a series of NFTs depicting a bloodsoaked Vladimir Putin says he will destroy Picasso, Rembrandt, and Warhol masterpieces worth $45 million if WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange dies in prison. Andrei Molodkin’s art project ‘Dead Man’s Switch’ has seen him gather 16 famous artworks in a 29-tonne safe along with two barrels filled with an “extremely corrosive” substance. After 24 hours the barrels are rigged to destroy the art. Only when “someone close” to Assange confirms daily that he is still alive will the timer be reset and the acid kept at bay. If Assange…

Lava Network Raises $15 Million in Seed Funding, Introducing Magma

RegulationFeb 20

Lava Network has successfully secured $15 million in a seed funding round, introducing the next phase of the mainnet. According to a recent blog post by Lava Network, the seed funding round was co-led by Tribe Capital, Jump Capital, and Hashkey Capital. Alliance DAO, Node Capital, North Island Ventures, Finality Capital Partners, and other investors participated in the round. Excited to share Lava Protocol's $15 million seed raise to build a modular data access layer for Ethereum & web3. We're also introducing our next phase to Mainnet: Magma. Wallet users can now earn points on @ethereum, @NEARProtocol, @Starknet, @EvmosOrg and…

D8X Launches on Polygon zkEVM, Targets Institutional Grade Investors

DeFiFeb 20

D8X, a cryptocurrency decentralized exchange (DEX) for derivatives has launched on Polygon’s zkEVM in a bid to provide an institutional-grade platform for investors in decentralized finance (DeFi). In a recent press release, the company announced its launch on Polygon’s zkEVM, rolling out plans, use cases to institutional clients, on-chain solutions, and multiple stablecoin integrations as it plans to create alternatives to USD-based assets. According to the release, the platform is supported by Polygon Ventures to reshape how users interact with decentralized exchanges allowing institutional investors to trade perpetual futures seamlessly with on-chain tools. The platform utilizes several interoperable features including…

Chamber of Digital Commerce Backs Hermés in Landmark “MetaBirkins” Case

NFTFeb 20

Blockchain and digital asset trade association, the Chamber of Digital Commerce (CDC), filed an amicus curiae brief on February 9 in support of French design house Hermès in the company’s landmark MetaBirkins case. Hermés, designer of the legendary Birkin bag, has been caught up in a contentious legal battle that very well may shape how trademarks are applied to digital assets in the Metaverse and beyond. “Setting A Precedent For The Entire Digital Economy” The luxury goods company formally sued an artist named Mason Rothschild (real name Sonny Estival) for his creation of “MetaBirkins” – non-fungible tokens (NFTs) depicting Birkin…

Will Ethereum Reach $10k? Assessing the Bullish Case for ETH

EthereumFeb 20

Ethereum is the front-runner of the discussion on digital asset space as it continues to evolve, with an estimated potential rise of $11,250 by year-end. This is in light of several developments that could significantly impact its value, such as technological progress, growing institutional interest, and the approval of Spot Ethereum ETFs. Make sure #Ethereum $ETH is on your watchlist this 2024! It's only a matter of time before it explodes! #EthereumETF pic.twitter.com/zt0kZl63IJ — CryptoBusy (@CryptoBusy) February 15, 2024 Technological Upgrades Fuel Optimism Ethereum’s path towards a future enriched in upgrades is already being paved, with important milestones, including the…

Cathie Wood Ark Offloads $31M Coinbase Shares Post-Earnings As Price Hit 2-Yr High

RegulationFeb 20

Bitcoin bull Cathie Wood’s investment management firm Ark Invest sliced holdings in Coinbase as COIN stock price rallied over 15% after the crypto exchange posted its first quarterly profit in two years, surprising investors again. Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest Surprises With Coinbase Shares Selloff On February 15, Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest sold a total of 162,762 Coinbase shares worth nearly $31 million, as per trades seen by CoinGape. It follows as Coinbase earnings beat market expectations and COIN price rallied over 15% after market hours. ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) sold 146,807 Coinbase shares and Ark Fintech Innovation ETF (ARKF) sold…

Analyst names next BTC levels to watch

BitcoinFeb 20

Bitcoin (BTC) continues to exhibit bullish sentiment, maintaining its position above the $50,000 mark as the market anticipates a possible push toward a new record high. Despite the optimistic market conditions, uncertainty over the digital asset’s next move still looms. In this line, cryptocurrency trading expert Gareth Soloway, during an interview with David Lin published on February 18, suggested that Bitcoin can potentially experience a drop, drawing parallels with the stock market. According to Soloway, amid the bullish conditions, Bitcoin could retest the $30,000 mark if the stock market undergoes a correction ranging between 20% to 30%. He considers this…

Ripple Senior Executive Responds to Allegations of Manipulation in XRP Price

AltcoinsFeb 20

In a recent statement, Ripple Chief Technology Officer (CTO) David Schwartz strongly denied allegations that Ripple is manipulating the price of XRP through programmatic sales. Schwartz said the following regarding the issue in his statement: “I do not believe our scheduled XRP sales manipulate the price in any way. “I am confident that we have made every effort to minimize the price impact of our scheduled sales.” Schwartz flatly denied these accusations and said that Ripple stopped scheduled XRP sales starting from the first quarter of 2023 and that this was explained in detail in Ripple's 1st Quarter 2023 XRP…

Defi TVL reaches 20-month highs with Ethereum dominating the scene

DeFiFeb 20

The decentralized finance (defi) total value locked (TVL) has been constantly rising since the start of the month and is getting close to the $70 billion mark. According to data provided by Defi Llama, the global defi TVL recorded a 22% surge over the past two weeks and is currently standing at $68.99 billion. On Feb. 13, the TVL reached a 20-month high of $69.35 billion — a level last seen in mid-June 2022. Defi TVL – Feb. 14 | Source: Defi Llama Per the data aggregator, there are currently 40 defi protocols with a TVL of over $500 million…

As EtherRocks Hit Sotheby’s, Who Is Laughing Hardest?

NFTFeb 20

This Valentines Day, buy your lover a rock. That may just be the marketing angle legendary auction house Sotheby’s is hoping to play up for tomorrow, Feb. 14, when it will begin a sealed auction of EtherRock NFTs. According to the auction page, the EtherRock collection is a “pivotal” part of NFT history. There’s certainly a case to be made: Launched in 2017 shortly after CryptoPunks, but before the ERC-1155 and ERC-721 token standards (which today support most Ethereum-based NFTs) were around, EtherRocks have remained part of the digital art conversation since they became popular during the last bull market.…