Poland’s parliament is in a deadlock over crypto and its inability to align local laws with MiCA may drive some local crypto companies abroad. Poland’s parliament, the Sejm, has yet to pass a domestic enabling act for the EU’s regulations on cryptocurrencies. The parliament has again failed to override a presidential veto on a key crypto regulation bill. President Karol Nawrocki defended his veto, citing concerns over excessive regulation that could harm small businesses. Opponents state that the lack of framework makes the Polish market vulnerable to fraud and free-for-all for illicit actors. The political path forward is unclear. Outside the political arena, the reality is that Poland is the only EU member state left to implement the bloc’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulatory framework. The deadline for the transitionary period ends on July 1. Read more
A survey by Börse Stuttgart Digital shows that 35% of European investors would switch to banks with better crypto offerings, but regulatory uncertainty remains an issue. Cryptocurrency offerings are starting to influence how European investors are choosing their bank providers, but regulatory uncertainty continues to hinder mainstream adoption, according to a new survey. A Börse Stuttgart Digital survey released Tuesday found that 35% of European investors would consider switching banks if another institution offered better cryptocurrency investment options, suggesting crypto is starting to influence how some customers choose financial providers. Nearly one in five respondents said they expect their main bank to offer crypto access within the next three years, according to the survey, which covered about 6,000 investors in Germany, Italy, Spain and France. The findings suggest crypto is moving closer to the mainstream banking relationship, at least among investors already open to digital assets. Read more
A thwarted home invasion near Montpellier adds to France’s surge in violent “wrench attacks,” as high‑profile and doxxed crypto holders are increasingly in criminals’ sights. A man posing as a delivery driver allegedly tried to extort a crypto investor at gunpoint in a suburb of Montpellier, in what local media describe as the first reported crypto-motivated home invasion in France’s Hérault region. According to French outlet Actu.fr, the suspect gained access to the family home in Saint-Jean-de-Védas on April 11, pulled out a handgun and forced the parents and their children into a room before the father overpowered him during a struggle in which a shot was fired. No one was injured, and investigators from the Montpellier research section of the Gendarmerie later identified and arrested a 25-year-old suspect, who has since been charged and remanded in custody while police examine whether he acted alone. Read more
A 39-member coalition including Nasdaq urged the EU to fast-track DLT pilot changes, warning Europe could lose ground to the US in tokenized finance. A group of European financial companies and industry bodies have urged European Union officials and lawmakers to fast-track changes to blockchain rules, warning the region risks falling behind the US in tokenized finance. In a joint letter on Tuesday, 39 signatories, including Nasdaq and Boerse Stuttgart, called on the European Commission and Parliament to carve out the DLT Pilot Regime from a broader legislative package and review it as a standalone law, according to a copy of the letter shared by crypto association Adan. The group argued that folding the regime into the wider Market Integration and Supervision Package could delay reforms needed to keep pace with global developments. “Negotiations are likely to be lengthy,” the letter, addressed to Financial Services Commissioner Maria Luis Albuquerque, said, adding that delays “risk dampening Europe’s momentum...
The UK government plans a stablecoin and tokenization rules overhaul, appointing former FCA official Chris Woolard to support work on its digital markets strategy. The United Kingdom is revisiting its payments rulebook to support the adoption of new fintech and payment technologies such as stablecoins and tokenization. In a Tuesday announcement, HM Treasury and Economic Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Rigby said the government will consult on reforms for payment services and electronic money rules. The Treasury said the changes are meant to create a single framework for traditional and tokenized payments, including stablecoins and tokenized deposits. It also said it plans to bring forward legislation to reduce administrative burdens for companies seeking to offer stablecoin payment services. Read more
South Korea's tax authority is looking to build crypto transaction tracking software that can help track potential tax evaders. South Korea’s National Tax Service (NTS) has opened a tender for software licenses to track virtual asset transactions as part of tax evasion enforcement, according to a government procurement notice. The notice said the contract is for “virtual asset tax evasion response transaction-tracking software licenses,” with a budget of 146.5 million won (around $99,500), including value-added tax and delivery due within 30 days of contract signing. Bid submissions are scheduled for April 28 to April 30, with proposal evaluation set for May 7. The procurement notice itself gives limited detail on the software’s technical scope. However, citing an official from the NTS scientific investigation unit, local outlet ZDNet Korea reported that the software would allow officials to monitor crypto transactions in real time, visualize transfers between specific wallet addresses and exchanges, and supp...
Private key compromises led crypto hack losses over the past decade as recent DeFi exploits show attackers moving beyond smart contract bugs. Private key compromises are emerging as one of crypto’s costliest attack vectors, with hackers stealing more than $17 billion across 518 recorded incidents over the past decade, according to data platform DefiLlama. In data shared Tuesday, DefiLlama’s dashboard shows a large share of those incidents stemmed from compromised private keys, alongside phishing and other credential-based attacks. Around 22.3% of the incidents were attributed to private key compromises through “brute force,” 18.2% to private key compromises via “unknown methods,” and 10% occurred due to phishing attacks on multi-signature wallets. Read more