The ESMA says crypto companies without MiCA authorization must stop serving EU clients from July 1, even if their licence applications remain under review. The European Union’s Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation hits a hard deadline on July 1 when the transitional period ends and in-scope crypto asset service providers operating under national regimes must either hold a MiCA licence or stop serving EU clients. A spokesperson from the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) told Cointelegraph that from that date, non-authorized entities “will not be allowed to operate within the EU” and should implement wind-down and client migration plans rather than rely on open-ended transitional status while awaiting a decision. The deadline could force some crypto firms to suspend EU operations while their applications remain under review, potentially affecting millions of users who continue to engage with platforms that are not yet authorized under MiCA. Read more
The whale is now backing Arthur Hayes’ favored HYPE, ZEC and NEAR plays, signaling a sharp pivot toward momentum-led crypto bets. A crypto whale who stubbornly held his HYPE short through May’s rally has finally been punished as Hyperliquid’s token kept climbing. Key takeaways: On Tuesday, the trader known as “loracle.hl” finally closed his HYPE short, locking in a $46.46 million loss, according to data resource HyperBot. Read more
Pillar 2 of the mandatory private pension system generated a net return of RON93.4 billion (EUR17.8 billion) for Romanians during its first 18 years of operation (May 20, 2008 – May 22, 2026), the calculations of the Association for Privately Managed Pensions in Romania APAPR calculations show.