EU finance ministers agreed to impose holding limits on the digital euro, reaching consensus on procedures for setting caps during the latest Eurogroup meeting. Finance ministers of European Union member states agreed Friday on a pathway to set limits on how much digital euro an individual can hold, moving the bloc closer to launching a central bank digital currency. The decision was announced during a Eurogroup press conference following the Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Friday. Officials said they had reached a consensus on the “ceiling for holding limits and then ultimately on the issuance process itself for the digital euro.” One official noted during the press conference that what had been discussed were the procedures for establishing holding limits, rather than the limits themselves. The statements follow United Kingdom-based cryptocurrency industry advocacy groups calling on the local central bank not to proceed with plans to enforce very similar limits on s...
The adoption of TEEs in crypto is accelerating. But what does this technology truly offer? Amid growing interest in practical ways to scale and safeguard blockchains, hardware‑based approaches are coming into focus. The role of Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) in blockchain systems has gradually expanded from privacy-preserving projects to applications that improve scalability and enable secure offchain computation. Currently, over 50 teams are working on TEE-based blockchain projects. In this article, Cointelegraph Research explores the technical foundations of TEEs in blockchain systems and examines key use cases of this technology. Most blockchain technology relies on cryptography and distributed computing to maintain security. TEEs add a different approach, namely, hardware-level trust. A Trusted Execution Environment is an isolated area within a device processor that is designed to keep data and code tamper-proof and confidential during execution. The resulting secure enclave is inaccessible to the ...
The European Union is looking to block Russian crypto transactions, marking the first time that sanctions have directly targeted cryptocurrency platforms. The European Union will include cryptocurrency platforms in its latest financial sanctions against Russia, marking the first time digital asset services have been directly targeted. The measures, part of the bloc’s 19th sanctions package, prohibit all cryptocurrency transactions for Russian residents and restrict dealings with foreign banks tied to Russia’s alternative payment systems, according to a statement by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen published Friday. The package also seeks to block transactions with entities operating in Russian special economic zones. Read more
Bitcoin’s price pumped on news that the US Federal Reserve would cut rates by one quarter of a point. Crypto markets are up after the US Federal Reserve cut rates. But in other parts of the world, the picture isn’t so rosy. Thai bank customers are experiencing massive bank lockouts, and France says it could block companies operating on crypto licenses obtained in other parts of the European Union. Meanwhile, in Australia, securities regulators have made things easier for stablecoin distributors by scrapping a license requirement. Read more
The EU’s landmark crypto law was meant to unify the market with a single license. Less than a year in, diverging national approaches are raising fears of regulatory arbitrage and uncertainty. As the European Union rolls out its landmark Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework, the law’s key promise of a unified market is already under pressure. In the latest episode of Byte-Sized Insight, Cointelegraph explored whether MiCA can live up to its promise. The regulation was designed to simplify operations for crypto firms by introducing a single licensing system across all 27 member states. Once licensed in one country, companies would be able to “passport” their services across the bloc without navigating a patchwork of local rules. Read more
Stablecoins’ transparent blockchain nature could revolutionize financial crime detection, giving law enforcement unprecedented global transaction visibility. Opinion by: Debanjan Chatterjee, financial analyst The trajectory of the stablecoin industry is heavily influenced by warring factions on opposite sides debating possible criminal use. Stablecoin opposers point to transfers of illicit funds. Proponents argue that the transparent nature of blockchains can be used to detect such crimes. There is a lack of awareness of how a deep integration of stablecoins in global finance can drive the use of blockchain’s properties of immutability and transparency to fight financial crimes, even in traditional finance. Read more
Analysts are warning of a potential investor “recalibration” for short-term market volatility, which has historically occurred after US interest rate cuts. The Royal Government of Bhutan transferred more than $100 million worth of Bitcoin this week, raising concerns about potential sell pressure in the market just as the US Federal Reserve delivered its first interest rate cut of 2025. The Bhutan government-labelled wallet moved 913 Bitcoin (BTC) worth about $107 million into two newly created cryptocurrency wallets on Thursday. The original wallet still holds 9,652 Bitcoin worth over $1.1 billion, according to blockchain data platform Lookonchain. Read more
While Kraken said that the partnership opens up stocks for 200 million users, others said that geographical restrictions exist. Crypto exchange Kraken, the main distribution partner for Backed’s tokenized equities product xStocks, has partnered with Trust Wallet, one of the world’s largest self-custody crypto wallets, to extend the reach of tokenized equities to users. In a Friday announcement, Kraken said it is “bringing interoperable tokenized equities to over 200 million users across the world” by extending xStocks to Trust Wallet users, who will be able to trade tokenized equities by Backed, a provider of collateralized onchain assets. The integration will allow Trust Wallet users to buy and hold 60 different xStocks using a variety of local fiat currencies. It would also enable deposits and withdrawals across multiple chains, including Solana, BNB Chain, Tron and Ethereum. Read more
Multiple technical and onchain indicators suggested a potential Cardano price rally toward the $1.25 mark in the coming days. Key takeaways: ADA technical chart setups converge on a price target around $1.25. Cardano’s open interest has rallied to a record high of $1.95 billion, signaling high speculative interest. Read more