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German Banks Increasingly Charging Retail Clients Negative Interest Rates
16.12.2019
A growing number of banks in Germany are charging retail customers negative interest rates, starting with the very first euro deposited into their accounts. At least three German banks are reportedly doing so, with more expected to follow suit in the near future. As the European Central Bank...
European AML Directive Pushes Crypto Startup Bottle Pay Out of Business
15.12.2019
Bottle Pay, a cryptocurrency payments provider from the U.K., has announced its decision to cease operations by the end of the year. Despite attracting some serious funding and expanding its user base significantly in the past few months, the company has found it unacceptable to continue to work...
The Country With Europe’s Highest Interest Rate Has Cut It 5 Times This Year
14.12.2019
Around half of European countries, over 20, now have 0% interest rates and a few are already in negative territory. Ukraine, which has the highest benchmark interest rate on the continent, has just reduced it again, for the fifth time this year. The race between central banks to cut rates, when...
Bitcoin App Bottle Pay Shuts Down Over Impending EU Money-Laundering Laws
13.12.2019
Bottle Pay is shutting down, citing the EU's new AML rules, which could compel crypto wallet providers to collect KYC info from users starting next month
Lagarde Sees Demand for Stablecoins, Plans to Put ECB ‘Ahead of the Curve’
13.12.2019
At her first press conference as head of the European Central Bank (ECB), Christine Lagarde outlined her plans to lead the ECB “ahead of the curve” in the field of digital currency. “There is clearly a demand out there that we have to respond to,” she said, referring...
Italians Love Cash But Are Growing Fond of Crypto, New Stats Suggest
11.12.2019
Italy, one of the world’s largest economies, has faced plenty of financial challenges in the past decade. That’s probably one of the reasons why cryptocurrencies have been faring better there than in other European countries. Italians love cash but are also warming up to...
Crypto Gains New EU Stronghold as Sweden Approves Swiss ETP Startup
10.12.2019
Swiss crypto firm gets approval from Swedish authorities to offer its exchange-traded products to investors in the EU
Regulatory Roundup: Bitcoin Futures Fund Approved, India’s RBI-Backed Digital Currency
9.12.2019
In this regulatory roundup, we cover the U.S. SEC approving a bitcoin futures fund, the new IRS tax form targeting crypto owners, and several more steps taken by the U.S. government toward crypto regulation. We also cover India’s central bank digital currency plan, South Korea’s crypto...
EU Won’t Let Stablecoins Enter Its Market Until Risks Are Addressed
5.12.2019
No global stablecoin project should begin operations in the EU until the associated risks are addressed, EU authorities say in a new adopted statement
ECB Nominee Blames Resistance to Negative Rates on Financial Illiteracy
5.12.2019
European Central Bank (ECB) executive board nominee and member of the German Council of Economic Experts, Isabel Schnabel, recently remarked at a European Parliament hearing that “This scapegoating [of the ECB] is extremely dangerous: it may damage the trust in the euro.” Schnabel...
European Banks Struggle With Low Interest Rates and Strict Regulations
4.12.2019
Banks in Europe have been in a difficult spot lately. A new report reveals that financial institutions across the region faced serious difficulties in the 2018 financial year, and despite all the cost cutting that followed, haven’t managed to compensate the revenue decline in 2019....
Dutch Crypto Startups Brawl With Regulators Over Scope of EU Money Laundering Rule
2.12.2019
Dutch crypto startups are crying foul as local regulators look to implement the EU 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive ahead of a Jan. 10 deadline
European AML Regulations Follow the US Path With a Six-Years' Delay
30.11.2019
The EU’s AML legislation is following the U.S.’s path but with significant delays for the emerging tech industry
European Crypto Exchange Bitbay Ends Monero Trading due to Anonymity Features
27.11.2019
Authorities around the world are trying to stamp out online anonymity in various ways, sacrificing users’ privacy for alleged security. One of these ways is forcing digital asset exchanges to drop support for some cryptos, as European venue Bitbay is now the latest to do with monero. Also...
The Quest for a Pan-European Approach to Cryptocurrency
24.11.2019
Will the European Union lead other countries in legal approaches to crypto asset legislation?
EU Launches Estimated €400M Blockchain, AI Fund to Avoid Lagging US, China
22.11.2019
A new fund has been set up with the aim of preventing the EU falling behind nations like the U.S. and China on blockchain and AI innovation
European Investment Fund Unveils €400M Blockchain, AI Initiative
22.11.2019
EIF launches blockchain and AI-specific investment scheme
Fintech Firm Plaid on Expansion Spree; rolls out services in 3 More European Nations
21.11.2019
Plaid, a financial technology company, has embarked on expansion in three European nations, as its most recent development. Its products help in interfacing fintech applications with individual’s bank accounts; currently, it serves France, Ireland, and Spain. Earlier this year, the organization...
Two European Salmon Producers Use IBM’s Blockchain Platform to Track Supply Chain
20.11.2019
Salmon farming company Cermaq and smoked salmon producer Labeyrie now use the IBM Food Trust platform to trace their product supply chains
Coinbase Card Adds XRP and Launches in 10 More European Countries
14.11.2019
Coinbase’s Visa debit card added 5 new cryptos including XRP in addition to expanding support to 10 more countries in Europe