IG Group, which launched spot crypto in the UK last year, is bringing the service to European investors through Bitpanda’s infrastructure. IG Europe has partnered with Bitpanda to offer crypto for European investors, using the Austrian exchange’s infrastructure for liquidity, trading connectivity and market data. IG’s push to bring spot crypto trading to its European client base comes after launching the service in the United Kingdom in 2025. The new expansion has no confirmed timeline. “This partnership broadens our product offering across Europe, giving experienced investors access to a wider range of asset classes with the quality and security they demand,” said Esteve Jane, managing director of IG Europe, which is regulated by BaFin in Germany. Read more
HYPE’s rally is flashing exhaustion near its record-high resistance, raising the risk of a 20% pullback toward the $51.5–$45 support zone. A Hyperliquid (HYPE) whale is refusing to close a massive short position even as the token’s rally leaves the trader sitting on more than $22 million in unrealized losses. Key takeaways: As of Thursday, the wallet '0x8ef...' held a 5x cross-margin short on 1.80 million HYPE, worth about $102.98 million, with an entry price near $44.96, according to HypurrScan data. Read more
Kraken’s parent company, Payward, received preliminary approval from Dubai's VARA, paving the way for UAE dirham funding, margin and OTC trading and institutional access via Kraken Prime. Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken moved closer to a launch in the United Arab Emirates after its operator, Payward, received preliminary approval from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), according to the company. Payward on Thursday announced its UAE expansion alongside receiving preliminary approval for a broker-dealer, investment and management licence from VARA. A spokesperson for Kraken told Cointelegraph the preliminary approval was granted on Thursday, with a full launch date to be confirmed. Read more
OFAC sanctioned six Ethereum addresses linked to a Sinaloa Cartel money laundering network allegedly converting drug proceeds into crypto. The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned six Ethereum addresses tied to a Sinaloa Cartel-linked money laundering network that allegedly converted drug proceeds into cryptocurrency. OFAC added the addresses to its Specially Designated Nationals list (a US sanctions list of people, entities and assets subject to blocking restrictions) on Wednesday as part of sanctions against 11 individuals and two entities connected to two Sinaloa Cartel financial networks. Treasury said one network, led by Armando de Jesus Ojeda Aviles, collected bulk cash in the US from fentanyl and other drug sales before allegedly converting the money into cryptocurrency for transfer to the cartel in Mexico. Read more