The European Council has reached an agreement to form an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) body that will have the authority to supervise certain crypto asset service providers, or CASPs. In a Wednesday announcement, the council said it had agreed on a partial position of a proposal to launch a dedicated Anti-Money Laundering Authority, or AMLA. According to the regulatory body, the AML body will have the authority to supervise “high-risk and cross-border financial entities” including crypto firms — “if they are considered risky.” European Parliament member Ondřej Kovařík said European Union officials had also reached a “provisional political agreement” on the …

Bitcoin (BTC) held steady at just above $20,000 after the June 29 Wall Street open as Europe's chief banker admitted the world would "never" return to low inflation. Lagarde on inflation: "I don't think we're ever going back" Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD looking nonvolatile but precarious as it stuck in a narrow range on the day. United States equities markets were likewise calm after Asian trading had seen fresh losses. In Europe, meanwhile, comments from central bankers set the macro tone. In particular, Christine Lagarde, head of the European Central Bank (ECB), appeared to state …

A week after the major American crypto lending platform Celsius had to freeze the withdrawal option for its users, European Central Bank (ECB) president Christine Lagarde voiced her conviction on the necessity of tighter scrutiny over this part of the crypto market. During a testimony before the European Parliament on Monday, Lagarde expressed her thoughts not only about the looming inflation in Europe and around the globe but also about the increasing activities of crypto-asset staking and lending. In Lagarde’s opinion, this trend demands additional regulatory efforts from the European Union. Referring to the major regulatory package making its way …

After Norway and Liechtenstein, Ukraine became the third country outside the European Union to join the European Blockchain Partnership (EBP), an initiative derived by 27 member states to deliver cross-border public services. The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine announced the country’s move to join the EBP as an observer on Friday. With the ultimate goal of integrating its digital economic space with the EU, Ukraine plans to expand its interstate blockchain network partnership with other countries. Ukraine’s intent to join the EBP dates back to July 2021, when Oleksii Zhmerenetskyi, head of parliamentary group Blockchain4Ukraine, and Konstantin Yarmolenko, founder …

Mairead McGuinness, the Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability and Capital Markets Union at the European Commission, is moving forward with a discussion on regulating cryptocurrencies amid three major events in the space. In written remarks for a speech in Brussels on Tuesday, McGuinness said the Celsius Network's recent suspension of withdrawals, as well as the crash of Terra (originally LUNA, now LUNA Classic, or LUNC), show the need for crypto-asset regulation in the European Union. She added that ongoing concerns about crypto potentially being used to circumvent sanctions on Russia were also a factor. “Regulating all crypto-assets — whether …

As decentralized finance continues its victorious march — although the road is sometimes bumpy — some significant questions on its nature remain. How can DeFi applications be protected from becoming nonoperational under extreme stress? Is it really decentralized if some individuals have way more governance tokens than others? Does the anonymous culture compromise its transparency? A recent report from the EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum elaborates on these questions and many others around DeFi. It contains eight sections and covers a range of topics, from the fundamental definition of DeFi to its technical, financial and procedural risks. Conducted by an …

In its efforts to fight money laundering risks and the possible schemes of Russian elites circumventing financial sanctions, the 2.8-million nation of Lithuania is planning to tighten its scrutiny over crypto. As the local Ministry of Finance announced on Wednesday, various ministries of the Lithuanian government approved legal amendments to Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and countering the financing of terrorism in the crypto sector. The amendments to the current law — should they later be approved by the Seimas, Lithuania’s legislature — would stiffen the guidelines for user identification and prohibit anonymous accounts. The new regulations would also tighten up demands …

On Tuesday, Borsa Italiana — Italy’s stock exchange — listed a “Bitcoin-thematic” exchange-traded fund (ETF) by Melanion Capital, bringing Bitcoin (BTC) exposure to Italian institutions and retirement plans. Cyril Sabbagh, managing director of Melanion Capital, told Cointelegraph that “The Melanion BTC Equities Universe UCITS ETF is an equity ETF around stocks in the crypto ecosystem.” He explained that the ETF would be “accessible to as many people as possible.” “The Italian Stock Exchange (Borsa Italiana) has not accepted any ‘spot ETFs’ but welcomes our thematic ETF!” Following the successful launch of a Bitcoin-thematic ETF in October 2021 on Euronext Paris, …

The crypto community has fired back at European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde for her recent anti-crypto remarks, with people expressing disappointment and even criticizing the euro. As crypto markets show signs of stagnation, Lagarde reminded the world of her stance on cryptocurrencies. According to her, cryptocurrencies are “worth nothing” because the assets are “based on nothing.” Additionally, she expressed concerns for those who invest in crypto and called for regulation. Responding to these comments, the crypto community expressed their sentiments. Sheila Warren, CEO of the Crypto Council for Innovation, wrote that she’s disappointed, but not surprised, to hear …

The regulation of cryptocurrencies across the world is a constant battle for investors in a rapidly expanding and constantly changing ecosystem. Various regulatory agencies around the world view digital assets in a different light that vary significantly from one another. Recently, executive board member of the European Central Bank (ECB) Fabio Panetta mentioned in a written statement for a speech to Columbia University that regulators should follow a globally coordinated approach while regulating digital assets. He said that the world should have digital assets regulated by the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) rules of the …

Most decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols aren’t truly decentralized, which means we need proper regulations in place to understand the inner workings of this emerging technology, according to European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili. In an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Kaili was asked to outline her definition of DeFi. By definition, DeFi is “completely decentralized,” she said, which means that “nobody can control or [...] manipulate a blockchain.” Our news reporter @JoeNakamoto interviewed Eva Kaili, VP of the European Parliament. Subscribe to our YouTube video to watch it when it drops: …

While there are risks associated with crypto investing, some see it as a way to boost their family savings, a recent study commissioned by crypto trading platform BitMEX shows. The survey, conducted by research firm Kantar, tried to discover crypto-related trends among consumers in 2022. Going through 3,000 respondents within 14 markets in Europe, Asia and Latin America, the study found that Europeans look at crypto as a method for investments and saving up for their families. Fifty-five percent of the European participants declared that they currently hold cryptocurrency. Moreover, 70% of these respondents noted that crypto’s main function is …