In an exciting turn of events, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong confirms that the exchange has recovered an account belonging to National Basketball Association (NBA) player Kevin Durant. The Houston Rockets forward reportedly purchased BTC in 2016, when the price was around $650 per coin. However, they have since been locked out of the account for unknown reasons. Speculations include that he had forgotten his login credentials or had not remembered the investment, given how Bitcoin was less popular at the time. Nonetheless, Durant would be smiling to the bank this week after regaining access to the Coinbase account. To be clear, it is unknown exactly how much he invested in Bitcoin at the time. Yet, even a $650 investment, which was the price for one BTC at the time, would be worth $117,000 at current prices, a massive 180,000 times return on investment. One would not be wrong to expect, though, that the amount would be in the millions. As of 2016, Kevin Durant was the seventh-highest-paid NBA player, according to ESPN data, which listed him as having a $20.1 million contract while playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder. (Source: ESPN) To Self-Custody or Not? The Kevin Durant Lesson News of the NBA’s Kevin Durant’s recovery of their Coinbase account has been met with mixed reactions from the crypto community, especially on X. While some argue that he has only been able to recover the account because of being a star and thus able to attract Coinbase’s attention, others focus on the main benefit that comes from storing crypto with a custodian. Several stories abound of people who missed out on life-changing profits from their early Bitcoin investment simply because they chose to self-custody. For instance, one popular story involves a UK man, James Howells, who claims his girlfriend mistakenly disposed of a hard drive with access to 8,000 bitcoins as far back as 2013. If the investment was stored with a third-party exchange like Coinbase, perhaps there may still be hope of a recovery through account verification. Ultimately, users have the final say in where to store their coins, with self-custody remaining the preferred option, even among experienced investors. Yet, one might correctly argue that Kevin Durant’s case proves that there is value in using reliable exchange providers as an option for storing away such long-term wealth. The post NBA Star Kevin Durant Regains Access to 2016 Coinbase Account (BTC Was $650) appeared first on Cointab.In an exciting turn of events, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong confirms that the exchange has recovered an account belonging to National Basketball Association (NBA) player Kevin Durant. The Houston Rockets forward reportedly purchased BTC in 2016, when the price was around $650 per coin. However, they have since been locked out of the account for unknown reasons. Speculations include that he had forgotten his login credentials or had not remembered the investment, given how Bitcoin was less popular at the time. Nonetheless, Durant would be smiling to the bank this week after regaining access to the Coinbase account. To be clear, it is unknown exactly how much he invested in Bitcoin at the time. Yet, even a $650 investment, which was the price for one BTC at the time, would be worth $117,000 at current prices, a massive 180,000 times return on investment. One would not be wrong to expect, though, that the amount would be in the millions. As of 2016, Kevin Durant was the seventh-highest-paid NBA player, according to ESPN data, which listed him as having a $20.1 million contract while playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder. (Source: ESPN) To Self-Custody or Not? The Kevin Durant Lesson News of the NBA’s Kevin Durant’s recovery of their Coinbase account has been met with mixed reactions from the crypto community, especially on X. While some argue that he has only been able to recover the account because of being a star and thus able to attract Coinbase’s attention, others focus on the main benefit that comes from storing crypto with a custodian. Several stories abound of people who missed out on life-changing profits from their early Bitcoin investment simply because they chose to self-custody. For instance, one popular story involves a UK man, James Howells, who claims his girlfriend mistakenly disposed of a hard drive with access to 8,000 bitcoins as far back as 2013. If the investment was stored with a third-party exchange like Coinbase, perhaps there may still be hope of a recovery through account verification. Ultimately, users have the final say in where to store their coins, with self-custody remaining the preferred option, even among experienced investors. Yet, one might correctly argue that Kevin Durant’s case proves that there is value in using reliable exchange providers as an option for storing away such long-term wealth. The post NBA Star Kevin Durant Regains Access to 2016 Coinbase Account (BTC Was $650) appeared first on Cointab.

NBA Star Kevin Durant Regains Access to 2016 Coinbase Account (BTC Was $650)

2025/09/19 11:25

In an exciting turn of events, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong confirms that the exchange has recovered an account belonging to National Basketball Association (NBA) player Kevin Durant. The Houston Rockets forward reportedly purchased BTC in 2016, when the price was around $650 per coin.

However, they have since been locked out of the account for unknown reasons. Speculations include that he had forgotten his login credentials or had not remembered the investment, given how Bitcoin was less popular at the time. Nonetheless, Durant would be smiling to the bank this week after regaining access to the Coinbase account.

To be clear, it is unknown exactly how much he invested in Bitcoin at the time. Yet, even a $650 investment, which was the price for one BTC at the time, would be worth $117,000 at current prices, a massive 180,000 times return on investment.

One would not be wrong to expect, though, that the amount would be in the millions. As of 2016, Kevin Durant was the seventh-highest-paid NBA player, according to ESPN data, which listed him as having a $20.1 million contract while playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Kevin Durant Salary 2016(Source: ESPN)

To Self-Custody or Not? The Kevin Durant Lesson

News of the NBA’s Kevin Durant’s recovery of their Coinbase account has been met with mixed reactions from the crypto community, especially on X. While some argue that he has only been able to recover the account because of being a star and thus able to attract Coinbase’s attention, others focus on the main benefit that comes from storing crypto with a custodian.

Several stories abound of people who missed out on life-changing profits from their early Bitcoin investment simply because they chose to self-custody. For instance, one popular story involves a UK man, James Howells, who claims his girlfriend mistakenly disposed of a hard drive with access to 8,000 bitcoins as far back as 2013. If the investment was stored with a third-party exchange like Coinbase, perhaps there may still be hope of a recovery through account verification.

Ultimately, users have the final say in where to store their coins, with self-custody remaining the preferred option, even among experienced investors. Yet, one might correctly argue that Kevin Durant’s case proves that there is value in using reliable exchange providers as an option for storing away such long-term wealth.

The post NBA Star Kevin Durant Regains Access to 2016 Coinbase Account (BTC Was $650) appeared first on Cointab.

Disclaimer: The articles reposted on this site are sourced from public platforms and are provided for informational purposes only. They do not necessarily reflect the views of MEXC. All rights remain with the original authors. If you believe any content infringes on third-party rights, please contact service@support.mexc.com for removal. MEXC makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the content and is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided. The content does not constitute financial, legal, or other professional advice, nor should it be considered a recommendation or endorsement by MEXC.
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Unsecured stablecoin lending: a vision

Unsecured stablecoin lending: a vision

Article author: haonan Article compiled by: Block unicorn Foreword Users of the global unsecured consumer credit market are like fat sheep in modern finance—slow to act, lacking judgment, and lacking mathematical ability. As unsecured consumer credit shifts to the stablecoin track, its operating mechanism will change, and new participants will have the opportunity to get a share of the pie. Huge market In the United States, the primary form of unsecured lending is credit cards: this ubiquitous, highly liquid, and instantly available credit instrument allows consumers to borrow money without providing collateral when making purchases. Outstanding credit card debt continues to grow and has now reached approximately $1.21 trillion. outdated technology The last major transformation in the credit card lending sector occurred in the 1990s when Capital One introduced a risk-based pricing model, a groundbreaking move that reshaped the landscape of consumer credit. Since then, despite the emergence of numerous new banks and fintech companies, the structure of the credit card industry has remained largely unchanged. However, the emergence of stablecoins and on-chain credit protocols has brought new foundations to the industry: programmable money, transparent markets, and real-time funding. They promise to ultimately disrupt this cycle, redefining how credit is generated, financed, and repaid in a digital, borderless economic environment. In today's bank card payment systems, there is a time lag between authorization (transaction approval) and settlement (the issuing institution transferring funds to the merchant through the card network). By moving the funds processing flow onto the blockchain, these receivables can be tokenized and financed in real time. Imagine a consumer purchases goods worth $5,000. The transaction is immediately authorized. Before settling with Visa or Mastercard, the issuing institution tokenizes the receivables on-chain and receives $5,000 worth of USDC from a decentralized credit pool. Once settlement is complete, the issuing institution sends these funds to the merchant. Subsequently, when the borrower makes a repayment, the repayment amount will be automatically returned to the on-chain lender via a smart contract. Again, the entire process is conducted in real time. This approach enables real-time liquidity, transparent funding sources, and automatic repayments, thereby reducing counterparty risk and eliminating many of the manual processes that still exist in today's consumer credit. From securitization to fund pooling For decades, the consumer credit market has relied on deposits and securitization to enable large-scale lending. Banks and credit card issuers package thousands of receivables into asset-backed securities (ABS) and then sell them to institutional investors. This structure provides ample liquidity but also introduces complexity and opacity. "Buy Now, Pay Later" (BNPL) lenders like Affirm and Afterpay have demonstrated the evolution of credit approval processes. Instead of offering a universal credit line, they review each transaction at the point of sale, differentiating between a $10,000 sofa and a $200 pair of sneakers. This transaction-level risk control produces standardized, divisible accounts receivable, with each receivable having a clearly defined borrower, term, and risk profile, making it an ideal choice for real-time matching through on-chain lending pools. On-chain lending can be further expanded by creating dedicated credit pools tailored to specific borrower demographics or product categories. For example, one credit pool could fund small transactions for high-quality borrowers, while another could specifically offer travel installment plans for less-than-ideal consumers. Over time, these pools of funds may evolve into targeted credit markets that enable dynamic pricing and provide transparent performance metrics for all participants. This programmability opens the door to more efficient capital allocation, better interest rates for consumers, and the establishment of an open, transparent, and instantly auditable global market for unsecured consumer credit. Emerging on-chain credit stack Reimagining unsecured lending for the on-chain era is not simply about porting credit products to the blockchain; it requires fundamentally rebuilding the entire credit infrastructure. Beyond card issuers and processors, the traditional lending ecosystem relies on a complex network of intermediaries: We need new ways of credit scoring. Traditional credit scoring systems, such as FICO and VantageScore, may be ported to the blockchain, but decentralized identity and reputation systems may play a greater role. Lenders will also need credit assessments, which are equivalent to ratings from S&P, Moody's, or Fitch, to evaluate approval quality and repayment performance. Finally, the less visible but crucial aspects of loan collection also need improvement. Stablecoin-denominated debt still requires enforcement mechanisms and recovery processes that combine on-chain automation with off-chain legal frameworks. Stablecoins have bridged the gap between fiat currency and on-chain spending. Lending protocols and tokenized money market funds are redefining savings and returns. Bringing unsecured credit on-chain completes this triangle, enabling consumers to borrow seamlessly and investors to fund credit in a transparent manner—all powered by open financial infrastructure.
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PANews2025/11/04 15:00