Category: Bitcoin News

House Passes Defense Bill Without Promised CBDC Ban

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A group of Republicans has called foul after the US House passed a massive defense spending bill on Wednesday that omitted a ban on central bank digital currencies despite promises it would be included.  “Conservatives were promised — explicitly — that strong anti-Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) language would be included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). That promise was broken,” GOP Representative Keith Self wrote to X on Wednesday. The House voted 312-112 to pass the NDAA on Wednesday, sending the $900 billion annual military funding bill to…

A16z Opens First Asian Office In Seoul For Crypto Expansion

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Crypto venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is opening its first Asia-based office in South Korea with plans to expand its portfolio in the region. The firm stated that there was a “particularly strong concentration” of onchain users in Asia, and the expansion aims to support portfolio companies with growth, partnerships, and community building across Asia. “Our expansion will offer go-to-market support for portfolio companies seeking to accelerate growth, forge strategic partnerships, and build lasting communities across Asia,” said a16z Crypto managing partner and chief operating officer, Anthony Albanese. Albanese…

CFTC Innovation Council Adds Prediction Markets & Crypto Exchange CEOs

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The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has added a host of blockchain industry executives alongside counterparts from traditional finance as part of the agency’s new CEO Innovation Council.  According to an announcement on Wednesday, the CEO Innovation Council will discuss market structure developments relating to the derivatives markets overseen by the CFTC.  The discussion topics will primarily be about “tokenization, crypto assets, 24/7 trading, perpetual contracts, prediction markets and blockchain market infrastructure.”  The list of participants includes the bosses of crypto exchanges and prediction markets such as Polymarket, Kalshi, Kraken,…

Crypto Among Industries Major Banks “Debanked,” OCC Finds

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The nine largest US banks restricted financial services to politically contentious industries, including cryptocurrency, between 2020 and 2023, according to the preliminary findings of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The banking regulator said on Wednesday that its early findings show that major banks “made inappropriate distinctions among customers in the provision of financial services on the basis of their lawful business activities” across the three-year period. The banks either implemented policies restricting access to banking or required escalated reviews and approvals before giving financial services to…

Bitcoin Options Project Sub-$100K Price By Jan 2026, Despite Fed Rate

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Key takeaways: BTC derivatives pricing indicates weak conviction in a move above $100,000, reflecting macroeconomic uncertainty and Bitcoin’s underperformance compared to gold. Despite improved liquidity from Federal Reserve actions, whales remain cautious, signaling skepticism toward a durable Bitcoin breakout. Bitcoin (BTC) derivatives markets are becoming increasingly skeptical that the cryptocurrency can sustain bullish momentum, despite the shift toward an expansionist monetary policy by the US Federal Reserve. Traders remain wary of risk aversion amid uncertain economic conditions and Bitcoin’s continued underperformance relative to gold. Gold/USD (left) vs. Bitcoin/USD (right). Source:…

Surf Raises $15M to Build Crypto-Focused AI Model Backed by Pantera

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Surf, an AI platform built for digital-asset analysis, raised $15 million in a round led by Pantera Capital with participation from Coinbase Ventures and DCG, to expand its AI models and enterprise tools. The company offers a domain-specific model used by exchanges and research companies to analyze onchain activity, market behavior and sentiment. The funding will go toward Surf 2.0, which will introduce more advanced models, broader proprietary data sets and additional agents designed to handle multi-step analytical tasks. Surf said its platform has seen rapid uptake since its launch…

Tether Launches Privacy-Focused Health Platform With On-Device AI

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Tether has launched a new platform that aggregates data from multiple wearables and wellness apps into a single, locally processed dashboard, aiming to give users control over their biometric information. The platform, called QVAC Health, aggregates data from fitness trackers, nutrition apps and other wearables into an encrypted dashboard that works offline, using on-device AI and peer-to-peer model downloads to analyze activity, meals, symptoms and medication logs without relying on external servers. The app includes experimental computer-vision tools that can estimate calories and macronutrients from meal photos and can correlate…

Fed Cuts Rates But BTC Stuck Under $100K: Glassnode

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On Wednesday, the US Federal Reserve approved a 25-basis-point interest rate cut, marking the third this year and aligning with market expectations. Typical of its previous pre-FOMC price action, Bitcoin rallied above $94,000 on Monday, but the media’s hawkish depiction of the rate cut reflects a Fed that is divided over the future of US monetary policy and the economy. Given the “hawkish” label associated with this week’s rate cut, it’s possible that Bitcoin price could sell on the news and remain range-bound until a new momentum driver emerges. CNBC…

Galaxy Expands to UAE as Part of Middle East Push

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Galaxy, the digital asset management and infrastructure company, announced an upcoming office and a new arm in Abu Dhabi as part of its push into the Middle East. In a Wednesday notice, Galaxy said it would establish an entity under the registration authority of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the area’s international financial center. According to Galaxy founder and CEO Mike Novogratz, the move was part of a strategy to expand the company’s existing partnerships and operations. “The Middle East is a rapidly growing financial hub that is home…

Price Predictions of Major Cryptocurrencies.

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Key points: Buyers will have to drive Bitcoin above $94,589 to open the gates for a retest of the psychological level of $100,000. Ether is showing strength, but several other major altcoins are struggling to sustain their rebound.  Bitcoin (BTC) pulled back from $94,589 on Tuesday, but the bulls are striving to maintain the price above $92,000. Market participants will closely watch Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s news conference, as well as the dot plot of individual Fed officials’ rate expectations, on Wednesday. While some analysts believe that a bottom is…