Bitcoin Startup ZBD Raises $40M To Build Gaming Pay Rails

Bitcoin payments startup ZBD has raised $40 million in a Series C funding round as it looks to expand blockchain-based payment infrastructure for the video game industry, Fortune reported.

The New Jersey–based company, which provides payments software for game developers, was led in the round by Blockstream Capital. The crypto investment firm contributed $36 million, according to cofounder and CEO Simon Cowell, who spoke with Fortune. 

Cowell declined to disclose the company’s valuation or name the other investors involved.

The platform allows video game developers to integrate payments directly into games, enabling transactions such as peer-to-peer transfers, loyalty…

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Judge Rakoff And The Fear Of Monetary Exit

Judge Jed Rakoff’s essay “It’s a Racket!” reads less like analysis than confession.

He opens with a dictionary definition of cryptocurrency and proceeds to explain why systems that operate outside government control are dangerous. This framing reveals the core assumption beneath the essay: money is legitimate only when sanctioned, supervised, and reversible at the discretion of the state.

Bitcoin exists because that assumption failed.

The Genesis Block of the Bitcoin blockchain contains a timestamp referencing the 2008 bank bailouts. It marks the moment the modern financial system exposed itself as a closed hierarchy enforced by regulation, complexity, and rescue….

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Thailand Finalizes Rules For Bitcoin ETFs In Early-2026 Push

Thailand is moving decisively to cement its position as one of Asia’s most crypto-friendly financial centers, with regulators finalizing new rules for bitcoin and crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs), futures trading, and tokenized investment products in early 2026.

The country’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) confirmed this week that it is preparing comprehensive regulatory guidelines that would allow crypto ETFs to be formally established, crypto futures to trade on the Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX), and digital assets to be recognized as an official asset class under existing derivatives law.

SEC Deputy Secretary-General Jomkwan Kongsakul said the new…

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A Tax On Unrealized Bitcoin Gains? Here’s Which Country Is Looking At That Starting 2028

The Netherlands reportedly plan to tax unrealized Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) gains beginning in 2028, when a new asset taxation framework is expected to take effect.

Unrealized Crypto Gains To Be Taxed

Under the proposed reform, the Dutch government would introduce an annual capital gains tax covering both realized and unrealized gains on assets including stocks, bonds, and cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin News stated on X.

The overhaul follows court rulings that declared the current Box 3 tax system unlawful.

Despite widespread criticism, a parliamentary majority is expected to support the plan to avoid an estimated €2.3 billion in annual revenue losses from further delays.

While many parties oppose…

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Alternative Asset Investing In 2026 – New regulations Can be A Magnet For Capital

Since the times of global pandemic, alternative assets have become an investing trend. In just five years, investing in private equity, real estate and even tokenized funds is expected to increase from modest $15 trillion in 2022 to more than $24 trillion in assets in 2028.

However, the global regulations for this asset class are quite uneven. Europe is tightening oversight, the UK is experimenting with new rules, and Asia is advancing at a faster pace compared to others. As a result, the overall regulatory picture in the alternatives sector remains fragmented. To make things clearer, let’s break down why we have to watch out for this market and what the new regulations are about. 

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Crypto Bill Delayed As Senate Pivots To Housing Initiatives

The sweeping U.S. Senate effort to establish a comprehensive legal framework for cryptocurrency trading and oversight is likely to be pushed back for weeks or even months, after key legislative momentum stalled this week in the wake of major industry backlash.

The Senate Banking Committee indefinitely postponed work on its long-anticipated market structure bill — widely seen as the centerpiece of U.S. crypto regulation — after Coinbase, one of the industry’s largest exchanges, publicly withdrew its support for the measure.

The withdrawal came at a crucial moment before a scheduled markup hearing, where lawmakers would have debated amendments and potentially advanced the…

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Eric Trump’s Predicted Q4 Crypto Rally Never Happened—Could The Market Structure Bill Still Deliver It?

Eric Trump predicted an “unbelievable” Q4 for crypto back in September 2025, but Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is down around 20% from Trump’s prediction.

Yet, the now-delayed crypto market structure bill could deliver a much-needed catalyst for the crypto sector to kickstart a new uptrend.

Trump’s Wrong Prediction

Eric Trump made his bullish call in late September 2025, projecting Q4 would deliver major gains for crypto based on two catalysts: rising M2 money supply and the Federal Reserve returning to quantitative easing.

He also pointed to Q4’s historical strength for crypto markets as reason for optimism.

The reality looked different. Bitcoin fell from roughly $113,400 on September 30…

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Trump Hailed Crypto Bill As Stepping Stone To Financial Freedom—So Why Did The Senate Delay Until March?

The Senate Banking Committee pushed back its crypto market structure bill until late February or March after Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) withdrew support, with lawmakers now prioritizing housing legislation instead.

Housing Beats Crypto On The Priority List

The Senate Banking Committee is shifting focus to housing legislation, following President Donald Trump’s executive order directing his administration to prevent large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes.

Housing is most Americans’ largest monthly expense and a key contributor to inflation. 

With congressional elections approaching this year, Republicans see affordability as a political liability after…

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