Kazakhstan is ready to legalize a mechanism for converting cryptocurrencies to cash if there is demand, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, per local news agency Informburo on Sept. 28. Speaking at the international forum Digital Bridge 2022, Tokayev emphasized that Kazakhstan aims to become an international leader in the field of digital technology, cryptocurrency ecosystem and regulated mining. He noted that the government of Kazakhstan has drafted amendments in national law to pilot a mechanism for converting crypto at the Astana International Financial Centre. “We are ready to go further. If this financial instrument shows its further relevance and security, it …

The digital asset landscape in the European Union is evolving ahead of the passage of the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation framework that aims to instill regulatory clarity around crypto assets. While well-intentioned, the current structure of MiCA may throttle innovation. But if a revised version of this policy passes, it could see the European Union become one of the leaders in the digital payment space. If not, then there is a genuine possibility of the continent falling behind. MiCA aims to set a regulatory framework for the crypto asset industry within the EU. At this point, much still needs …

The United States-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase continues its aggressive expansion in Europe, with the latest regulatory approval coming from the land of tulips. Coinbase officially announced on Thursday that it had received registration from De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), the central bank of the Netherlands. The regulatory approval allows Coinbase to offer its retail and institutional crypto products in the Netherlands. According to the official DNB records, Coinbase is one of the major international exchanges approved by the Dutch central bank to operate cryptocurrency services alongside smaller local crypto firms. Coinbase Europe Limited and Coinbase Custody International are listed on DNB’s …

According to a new press release on Wednesday, Société Générale, one of the largest investment banks in Europe, said that it would be expanding its cryptocurrency asset management services through its Security Services subsidiary. Clients who are digital asset fund managers can now elect to have Société Générale as their fund custodian, valuator and liability managers. The tools are designed to facilitate the addition of cryptocurrencies into institutional investors' portfolios. The firm's most recent client is Arquant Capital SAS, a licensed asset management company in France with two euro-denominated digital asset products consisting of Bitcoin, Ether, and other derivatives. David …

Global cryptocurrency taxation rules significantly vary among countries, and some jurisdictions have come up with extremely tough crypto tax policies for their residents. In a new study by crypto analytics firm Coincub, Belgium is referred to as the worst country in the world in terms of crypto taxation for residents. That is according to in-house rankings covering taxation aspects like taxes on crypto income or crypto capital gains. Belgium is known for its massive 33% tax on capital gains on crypto transactions, and it also withholds up to 50% in taxes from professional income on crypto trades. As previously reported, …

21.co, the new parent firm of exchange-traded products (ETP) provider 21Shares, has become “Switzerland's largest crypto unicorn,“ the firm announced on Tuesday. It raised $25 million in a funding round led by London-based hedge fund Marshall Wace. The new funding brings the firm's valuation to $2 billion. 21.co is designed to unite 21Shares with third-party token provider Amun and other upcoming crypto projects aiming to build bridges into the crypto world, 21.co founder Hany Rashwan told Cointelegraph. All crypto ETP products launched by 21Shares will maintain the same nomenclature, Rashwan said. He also said that the new name won’t change …

At the end of August, a digital platform called ECOS Free Economic Zone delivered good news from a country that rarely sparks on the global crypto map — Armenia. ECOS reported adding 60 megawatts (MW) of capacity to its power plant-based facility, operating since 2018. Situated at one of the hydroelectric plants on the Hrazdan river, the mining facility gets its electricity supply directly from the high-voltage grid and uses the site’s infrastructure to power containers. The platform’s representatives noted that ECOS could expand to an additional 200MW of clean electricity. For comparison, the Berlin Geothermal plant in El Salvador …

Members of the Germany-based Bundesblock, otherwise known as the German Blockchain Association, updated the community on the upcoming Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulations in a virtual panel held on Thursday, Sep. 1. According to the panel, the final legal text for the long-awaited regulations is set to be released in the upcoming 4-6 weeks. However, nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and stablecoins are still not covered, while crypto asset service providers (CASPs) are discussed in scope. @bundesblock panel discussion of #MiCAR with @DrStefanBerger, @SchildtMoritz, @paddi_hansen, moderated by Alireza Siadat. Key take aways: final text of MiCAR available in 4-6 weeks, MiCAR fully …

Cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com has reportedly dropped out of a half-billion-dollar sponsorship deal with the Union of European Football Associations Champions League. According to a Wednesday report from SportBusiness, Crypto.com pulled out of a $495-million agreement with the Union of European Football Associations, or UEFA, close to being signed off due to its legal team citing regulatory concerns with the exchange’s licenses in the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. Had the deal gone through, Crypto.com’s branding would have been present for the UEFA Champions League for five seasons at a cost of roughly $100 million per season, ending in 2027. Uefa …

August marks the ninth consecutive month of rising inflation for the Eurozone at 9.1%. In July, the official inflation numbers landed at 8.9%. The Eurozone consists of 19 countries, including Germany, France and Belgium. This comes as the European Union (EU) faces a massive energy and gas crisis, largely as a result of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Current prices for daily necessities such as food, gas and electricity have soared across the continent. Over the last month energy prices made up the largest price push, up by an annual rate of 38.3%. While food, alcohol, and tobacco all rose …

The number of crypto investors in Ireland has decreased slightly in the past year, or so it appears according to recent data from Finder.com. The report revealed that cryptocurrency adoption in the island nation has dropped by approximately 16.6% within the last year. Of the surveyed adult Irish internet users, 10% own cryptocurrency, as opposed to 12% in 2021. Finder’s crypto specialist James Edwards commented that such a small decrease is actually a positive shock given the state of the bear market. “We saw huge drops in the price of Bitcoin at the start of May and June and while …

Bitcoin (BTC) drifted near $21,000 on the Aug. 22 Wall Street open as the new week began without a rebound. European commodity surge hammers euro Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD failing to summon a comeback after last week’s 11.6% losses. The pair put in fresh multi-week lows under $20,800 over the weekend, subsequently staging a modest relief bounce to circle $21,200 at the time of writing. Anxiousness over European markets and the upcoming United States Federal Reserve Jackson Hole symposium contributed to a downbeat mood on risk assets. The S&P 500 lost 1.8% within two hours …