ChainCatcher news, according to cryptonews, European Crypto Initiative (EUCI) co-founder Marina Markezic stated that MiCA could accelerate the institutionalization and integration of the EU crypto market, driving mergers and acquisitions between traditional finance and crypto-native enterprises, while potentially leading to the exit of some companies or products from the market.Although MiCA largely excludes DeFi from direct regulation, its interfaces or service access points may face additional regulation from member states, and this uncertainty could lead to friction.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, major global markets are strengthening tax regulations on cryptocurrencies. According to the latest policy, the U.S. IRS classifies crypto assets as digital assets and adopts a taxation method similar to that of stocks and bonds. Specifically, simply buying and holding is not taxed, but actions that "realize gains," such as selling, exchanging between cryptocurrencies, and using cryptocurrencies for shopping, are subject to capital gains tax; mining income, staking rewards, and wages received in cryptocurrency are taxed as income.The UK's HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) imposes a capital gains tax of up to 24% on cryptocurrency transactions, with a basic rate taxpayer applicable to a 10% rate and a tax-free allowance of the first £3,000. Additionally, mining income and salaries paid in cryptocurrency are subject to income tax, and employers must pay national insurance on salaries paid in cryptocurrency.The EU has not yet unified tax standards, and there are significant policy differences among member states. Germany exempts cryptocurrencies held for more than a year from tax, while selling within a year incurs a maximum income tax of 45%, plus a 5.5% solidarity surcharge. Spain imposes a unified tax rate of 19%-28% on crypto gains. Portugal's tax rate ranges from 14.5%-53%, with a standard capital gains tax rate of 28%.

ChainCatcher news, according to Ledger Insights, the German Parliament (Bundestag) passed the Financial Market Digitalization Act (Finanzmarktdigitalisierungsgesetz of FinmadiG) this week. The parliament responded to industry demands to ensure legislation is in place before MiCAR fully comes into effect on December 30.FinmadiG not only pertains to cryptocurrencies and MiCAR but also affects other EU laws, such as DORA and the Funds Transfer Regulation. For MiCAR, it introduces the Cryptocurrency Market Regulation Act (KMAG), which replaces Germany's old cryptocurrency rules with MiCAR.Technically, MiCAR is a regulation, so local laws are not required. However, legislation must designate BaFin as the regulatory authority; otherwise, BaFin cannot issue licenses. This will allow EU companies with cryptocurrency licenses from other countries to operate in Germany, but German companies will not be able to operate in the EU.Additionally, MiCAR allows companies holding existing licenses to continue operating for up to 18 months, with the transition period determined by each jurisdiction. The new German legislation specifies one year.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, the EU's crypto asset law is set to come into full effect by the end of the year. To comply with the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), several cryptocurrency exchanges within the EU have delisted the mainstream stablecoin Tether's USDT. Tether's main competitor, Circle, obtained such a license in July.However, Tether has not yet obtained such a license but has not ruled out the possibility of attempting to acquire one in the future. In the absence of a license for Tether, regulated exchanges must delist the token by December 30. The new EU regulations aim to provide regulators with deeper insights into cryptocurrency flows and help prevent criminal activities such as money laundering, as blockchain forensic experts state that USDT is often used in such crimes.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, the Bitcoin Lightning Network payment platform ZBD (formerly Zebedee) announced that it has received approval from the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) and will be granted a license when the MiCA regulation officially comes into effect on December 30.This license will allow ZBD to provide cryptocurrency custody and trading services throughout the European Union. ZBD submitted its application in April this year and is one of the first companies to be approved.Currently, countries like the Netherlands are prepared for the implementation of MiCA, while other EU member states are still advancing related legislative work. The list of approved companies will be published on the AFM's official website after MiCA comes into effect.

ChainCatcher news, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Sarah Knafo from France delivered a speech urging the EU to adopt a "strategic Bitcoin reserve" as part of broader measures to promote financial autonomy and combat inflationary pressures. Knafo is a French local judge and a member of the Court of Auditors, with a background in public service and political consulting.In her parliamentary speech, Knafo cited global examples, including El Salvador's early adoption of Bitcoin, as well as statements from political figures like Trump and Federal Reserve Chairman Powell, emphasizing that the wave of institutional acceptance of Bitcoin is on the rise. She asserted that the EU's current financial strategy places member states at a disadvantage in the rapidly evolving monetary landscape and criticized existing regulatory measures as overly stringent.She continued to advocate for the EU's burgeoning Bitcoin mining industry, stating that France's nuclear energy infrastructure could provide a competitive advantage. Knafo also discussed the necessity of adjusting current tax policies, urging lawmakers to "stop taxing cryptocurrency holders" and emphasizing that holders of crypto assets take personal risks to create wealth.

ChainCatcher news, reported by Crowdfundinsider, indicates that the crypto trading platform provider Talos has partnered with Crypto Risk Metrics to provide environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data to its regulated clients, in order to comply with the sustainability disclosure requirements of the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA).It is reported that Crypto Risk Metrics is a company that offers a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform focused on the listing and delisting of digital assets and providing ESG data for crypto asset service providers. The platform currently serves several companies, including Bitpanda, Bank Frick, Coinmerce, and dwpbank, helping them meet the compliance requirements of MiCA regulations.

ChainCatcher news, the European Banking Authority (EBA) has released a report on tokenized deposits, stating that from a regulatory perspective, tokenized deposits are fundamentally the same as traditional deposits. The agency plans to analyze existing regulations to determine if they are adequate. It noted that, due to the limited activity in tokenized deposits so far, there is no urgency to take action. A survey conducted in March identified only two projects, but did not specify their names.Analysis suggests that one of the projects should be the Commercial Bank of Germany's Currency Token (CBMT), as it mentioned five banks and five enterprises; the other could be Euroclear's D-FMI, as it is purely used for securities settlement and referenced the UTXO used by R3's Corda enterprise blockchain. According to the EBA's survey, 17% of EU banks plan to engage in tokenized deposits in the next two years.The paper discusses the benefits of tokenized deposits, such as programmability, efficiency, and atomic settlement. It believes that most banks may adopt permissioned blockchains due to the need to identify customers, and the Basel Committee's crypto rules make it difficult for banks to use permissionless blockchains. However, the agency points out that blockchains face typical 51% attack risks and potential reliance on third parties, while programmability may introduce additional liquidity risks. Nonetheless, the report states that it is still too early to discuss the impact of tokenization on deposit stickiness.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jin10 reports, the new EU Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, stated that the potential breakup of Google's business is still under consideration. She also promised to establish a communication bridge with the incoming U.S. President Trump.However, one of the early challenges she faces will be dealing with Trump, who has repeatedly accused Europe of unfair treatment towards the U.S. and threatened to initiate a trade war. The EU's hefty fines on American tech companies could be seen as another provocative act, warranting a strong response from the U.S.However, it remains uncertain to what extent she can implement these measures, especially in the context of political uncertainty across the EU, most notably in its two largest economies— the French government collapsed after lawmakers supported a no-confidence motion, and just weeks ago, Germany's ruling coalition also disbanded.

ChainCatcher news, an analysis by Patrick Hansen, Senior Director of Strategy and Policy at Circle, shows that the EU's banking regulation provides a significant competitive advantage for crypto companies, while their American counterparts face regulatory uncertainty and restricted bank access.The report indicates that the EU has promoted innovation in the financial sector for non-bank payment service providers (PSPs) through legal frameworks such as the Electronic Money Directive (EMD) and the Payment Services Directive (PSD). Recent regulations like the Instant Payment Regulation (IPR) and Payment Services Directive 3 (PSD3) further expand non-bank PSPs' access to central bank payment systems.In contrast, the United States is hindered by a lack of a unified federal regulatory framework, leading to restricted bank access and stunted industry development. Data shows that Europe has 55 crypto-friendly banks, far surpassing North America's 23.Hansen points out that the EU's coordinated regulatory strategy provides important support for the crypto and fintech industries while reducing regulatory uncertainty.

ChainCatcher news, according to official sources, the blockchain and tokenization infrastructure platform Paxos has announced that it has agreed to acquire the Finnish licensed electronic money institution Membrane Finance. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval, and upon completion, Paxos will obtain an electronic money institution (EMI) license in Finland and the European Union.Paxos' strategic officer Walter Hessert stated that this acquisition will help Paxos launch asset and tokenization solutions compliant with the MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) regulations in the EU market. Currently, Paxos has issued several regulated digital assets, including PayPal USD (PYUSD), Pax Dollar (USDP), and Pax Gold (PAXG).

ChainCatcher news, according to Jinshi reports, Meta Platforms (META.O) has been fined nearly 800 million euros for violating EU antitrust rules. Meta plans to appeal the EU fine.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jin10, Meta stated that it will reduce the monthly subscription price for its services in the EU from €9.99 for desktop users to €5.99, and from €12.99 to €7.99 for iOS and Android users.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, Tether CEO Paulo Ardoino stated that the upcoming regulatory framework in Europe will bring significant banking concerns for stablecoin issuers, which could threaten the stability of the broader cryptocurrency sector.The Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) is the first comprehensive regulatory framework for the crypto industry, set to come into full effect on December 30. Under MiCA, stablecoin issuers must hold at least 60% of their reserve assets in European banks.

ChainCatcher news, the Dutch government has sought public opinion on a proposed law that would require cryptocurrency service providers (such as exchanges) to collect and share user data with local tax authorities to comply with EU regulations.The Dutch Ministry of Finance stated in a press release on October 24: "The purpose of this bill is to increase the transparency of cryptocurrency ownership to prevent tax evasion and avoidance."Under the new law, tax authorities will share data collected by service providers regarding residents of these countries with tax authorities in other EU countries, as stipulated by the EU-wide cryptocurrency tax reporting rules (i.e., DAC8) passed last year. The ministry explained that these rules reduce the administrative burden on cryptocurrency service providers because "they only need to report in the EU member state where they are registered."

ChainCatcher news, the European Commission has launched a new initiative called the "Trusted Investors Network" to support the growth of the deep tech sector in Europe. This network is supported by the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund and brings together a group of investors committed to co-investing in European innovative companies.The network consists of 71 investors, including Bpifrance, Atomico, and Sofinnova, with assets exceeding €90 billion (approximately $98 billion), and will work closely with the EIC Fund to provide funding for deep tech startups, including those in the blockchain sector.The EIC Fund has already invested nearly €1 billion (almost $1.1 billion) in over 250 startups, and the Trusted Investors Network aims to further drive these co-investments.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, the EU will transition from national laws regarding Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASP) to the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) by December 30. The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) is providing a model for this transition by freezing CASP applications and warning market participants of the upcoming changes.Starting from October 17 (the date of the announcement), CySEC will no longer accept CASP applications submitted under Cyprus national law. CASPs that successfully registered under national law before the December 30 deadline will be able to operate in that jurisdiction until July 1, 2026, unless authorized or denied authorization under Article 63 of MiCA before then. Once the MiCA regulations come into effect, CASPs will be subject to the Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) and Implementing Technical Standards (ITS) of the European Commission.These standards have not yet been published, but CySEC advises relevant parties to refer to the draft Technical Standards published by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) during this period. On October 30, CySEC will stop accepting notifications of intent from EEA entities to provide services in Cyprus under Cyprus national rules; entities that submit notifications before this date will be able to operate under the same conditions as local entities until July 1, 2026.