EU Bans High-Value Crypto Services to Russia in New Round of Sanctions

European institutions are closing crypto loopholes for Russia with the latest package of penalties imposed by the EU over Moscow’s aggression against Ukraine. The new sanctions prohibit the provision of “high-value” crypto-asset services to Russian entities and residents. EU Limits Russian Crypto Wallet Deposits to €10,000 Expanding its sanctions in response to the Russian military … Read more

EU Designates ESMA as Crypto Regulator of the Region in Latest MiCA Draft

The Parliament of the EU has designated ESMA, the European Securities and Markets Authority, the top cryptocurrency regulator of the region in the latest draft of MiCA, the Markets in Crypto Assets regulation. The European organization would have the task of licensing crypto-related institutions and exchanges, putting national regulators under its authority. ESMA Gets Crypto … Read more

Russia’s Central Bank Slashes Benchmark Rate, Pegs RUB to Gold — Ruble Rebounds to Pre-War Levels

Amid the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the Russian ruble has managed to rebound despite the strict sanctions imposed against the Russian Federation. The country’s central bank has taken a few steps to protect the nation’s currency as the Bank of Russia revealed a fixed price for gold and rubles. Furthermore, after pegging the fiat currency to gold, … Read more

EU Lawmakers Back Regulation Threatening Unhosted Crypto Wallets, Defi Space

Members of the European Parliament have approved a controversial regulation that could undermine the decentralized finance (defi) sector in the EU. Some of its provisions, which are yet to be coordinated with other European institutions, aim to introduce restrictive measures for transactions involving privately managed crypto wallets. EU Parliament Moves to Introduce Verification for Defi … Read more

Ukraine Pushes for Membership in European Blockchain Partnership

Activists and lawmakers in Kyiv are urging the EU to accept Ukraine as a member of the European Blockchain Partnership. They believe the recently adopted law “On Virtual Assets” opens the way for the country to become a blockchain leader on the Old Continent. Kyiv Officials Hope Blockchain Technology Can Help Post-War Reconstruction of Ukraine … Read more

European Union’s MiCA Proposal Progresses to Trilogue Stage Without Bitcoin Ban Provision

The Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulatory package passed another potential hurdle this week and is moving to the next stage of the EU’s legislative process. Proponents of a controversial text prohibiting proof-of-work (PoW) cryptocurrencies, which was recently dropped from the draft, did not take an opportunity to block the draft’s progress. EU Parliament, Commission … Read more

Russia May Accept Bitcoin for Gas Exports, Lawmaker Says

Russia is moving away from the dollar and the euro as payment options for its energy exports, and bitcoin has been mentioned as a possible substitute alongside the ruble and the national currencies of partnering countries. A high-ranking parliamentarian has indicated that Moscow may take cryptocurrency for natural gas and other resources. Russian Official Mentions … Read more

Co-Founder of Bitmex Predicts Gold Rising to $10K, Bitcoin Marching to $1 Million

On March 16, Arthur Hayes, the co-founder of the cryptocurrency exchange Bitmex, published a blog post called “Energy Cancelled,” which describes the economics behind the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Hayes explains in his 26-minute long opinion piece that historians may point to February 26, 2022, as the time in history when the “Petro Dollar / Euro … Read more

EU Regulators Warn Crypto Unsuitable as Investment or Means of Payment for Most Retail Consumers

Several European regulators have issued a joint warning on crypto assets. “These assets are not suited for most retail consumers as an investment or as a means of payment or exchange,” they stressed. EU Supervisory Authorities Warn About the Danger of Investing in Crypto Assets Three European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) issued a joint statement warning … Read more

MiCA Amendments Proposed Last Minute Revive Threat of EU Ban on Bitcoin, Report Reveals

Changes to the EU’s MiCA proposal to regulate crypto markets, suggested shortly before a vote on the package, indicate a bitcoin ban is still a possibility. Despite recently removing wording that would have prohibited coins with energy-intensive mining, some members of the European Parliament are now targeting “unsustainable” cryptocurrencies. New MiCA Paragraphs Call for Subjecting … Read more