Swift will begin live trials for digital asset and currency transactions in 2025, engaging banks across North America, Europe, and Asia in a major step toward real-world applications. By leveraging its existing network, Swift aims to merge digital and traditional assets, addressing the challenges of disconnected platforms. The trials build on successful blockchain experiments, seeking…
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Sygnum, a Swiss digital asset banking group, has registered its local subsidiary with the Liechtenstein financial regulator. This move allows the company to offer regulated services in the EU and European Economic Area under the incoming MiCA framework. With plans for further growth in Asia, including Hong Kong and Singapore, Sygnum continues to strengthen its…
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Commerzbank, one of Germany’s largest banks, has partnered with Deutsche Börse subsidiary Crypto Finance to offer secure bitcoin and ether services to its corporate clients. The collaboration focuses on seamless trading and custody solutions, ensuring regulated access to digital assets for select clients in Germany. This marks an important step towards broadening institutional crypto services…
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Boerse Stuttgart Digital is collaborating with DZ Bank to bring secure cryptocurrency trading and storage to over 700 cooperative banks across Germany. The move marks a significant step toward mainstream crypto adoption in Europe, with banks now offering regulated crypto services to retail customers. This collaboration will help meet the growing demand for digital assets,…
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New data shows that 134 countries, representing 98% of global GDP, are now exploring central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), with 66 nations advancing to pilot or development stages. Every G20 nation is engaged in CBDC efforts, with notable leaders such as China and the European nations pushing forward. The U.S. remains lagging behind Europe and…
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UBS reported on Thursday that European real estate markets appear to be entering a new investment cycle, with key indicators pointing to stabilization. “A new cycle starts,” the report said, as investment volumes show signs of bottoming out. After a period of inflation and rising interest rates, the UK saw a 6.5% quarter-on-quarter growth in…
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Chris Pavlovski, founder and CEO of Rumble, an independent online video platform, has reported that he left Europe after the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov. Pavlovski criticized the measures taken against Durov, stating that France had “crossed a red line” by arresting him for not censoring speech. “Rumble will not stand for this behavior…
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Circle has announced that its stablecoins, USDC and EURC, are now compliant with the EU’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulation. This compliance allows Circle to natively issue these stablecoins to European customers. The company is also authorized as an e-money issuer in France, which now serves as its European headquarters. Circle’s Stablecoins Achieve EU…
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The European Central Bank (ECB) has published its first progress report on the digital euro preparation phase, highlighting key design features and ongoing developments. The report emphasizes high privacy standards for both online and offline payments, aiming to provide users with a cash-like level of privacy. First Progress Report on the Digital Euro Preparation Phase…
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In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital finance, the emergence of crypto assets has introduced unprecedented challenges as well as opportunities for regulators who provide proactive frameworks across the globe. The European Union is the largest government body that has done so through the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR), however, it finds itself at a…
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