ChainCatcher news, according to Cryptonews, Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina emphasized again on April 3 during a speech at the State Duma that the use of cryptocurrencies in the domestic economy should be restricted and advocated for stricter penalties for violations of the ban. Nabiullina, a key ally of President Putin, currently leads the Central Bank of Russia's sovereign digital currency (digital ruble) project. She pointed out that while the central bank supports exploring the cross-border application of crypto assets within a specific "regulatory sandbox" framework, it firmly opposes their infiltration into the domestic monetary system and settlement activities.Since 2020, Russia has banned payments in cryptocurrencies, but current enforcement is relatively lax, and there is a lack of a clear legal framework for related transactions. Nabiullina called for increased legal accountability for the use of cryptocurrencies for payments within Russia, stating: "Our position has not changed. We cannot allow cryptocurrencies to penetrate domestic monetary circulation and domestic settlements. We suggest seeking investment opportunities in cryptocurrencies while increasing the responsibility for using cryptocurrencies in domestic settlements." Nabiullina also supports allowing "high-net-worth qualified investors" to invest in crypto assets within the "sandbox" and proposed discussing the extension of some derivative investment permissions to ordinary qualified investors. She emphasized the need to protect retail investors from the risks posed by the highly volatile crypto market.Furthermore, after Nabiullina's speech, Anatoly Aksakov, chairman of the State Duma's Financial Market Committee, pointed out that there are still differences in Moscow regarding cryptocurrency regulation. There are clear divisions within the Duma on crypto regulation, with some members supporting restrictions while others show strong interest.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin.com News, ECB President Lagarde urged the EU to develop an independent digital payment platform to reduce reliance on foreign giants like Visa and Mastercard, ensuring Europe's financial sovereignty. Lagarde recently stated that the ECB aims to complete the preparations for the digital euro by October 2025.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jinshi reports, the latest market pricing by central banks around the world is as follows:Federal Reserve: Traders are betting that the probability of the Federal Reserve making a fourth rate cut this year is close to 50%, whereas previous predictions indicated only three rate cuts.European Central Bank: Traders have increased their bets on rate cuts, with the possibility of a rate cut by the European Central Bank in April reaching as high as 90%, and a total cut of 68 basis points this year.Bank of England: Rate futures pricing indicates that the Bank of England will cut rates by about 60 basis points over the remaining time in 2025, compared to a previous expectation of 54.2 basis points.Reserve Bank of Australia: The bond market pricing has turned dovish, with an 85% probability of a 25 basis point rate cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia in May, and cuts also expected in August and November.Bank of Japan: Bets on an early rate hike by the Bank of Japan have decreased, with swap rates showing that the probability of a 25 basis point hike in May has dropped to 9.5%.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jin10 data reports, traders have increased their bets on an interest rate cut by the European Central Bank, believing that the likelihood of a rate cut in April is as high as 90%.

ChainCatcher news, ECB board member Villeroy stated that the latest Eurozone inflation data gives the ECB confidence to cut interest rates again soon, and Trump's tariffs will not have a significant impact on Europe's anti-inflation efforts.

ChainCatcher news, analysts Claus Vistesen and Melanie Debono from Pantheon Macroeconomics believe that in the face of increasing economic uncertainty, the European Central Bank may choose to remain cautious and keep interest rates unchanged at this month's meeting. This week's data shows that annual overall inflation in the Eurozone continues to slow down, approaching the European Central Bank's 2% target, with core prices also declining. However, Vistesen and Debono stated that risks related to energy prices and other factors remain in the coming months.Meanwhile, Europe is facing turmoil and the pressure of trade tariffs on economic growth, while also having to grapple with the ambiguous effects of internal stimulus plans on infrastructure, particularly in the defense sector.

ChainCatcher news, Citigroup analysts Jin-Wook Kim and Jiuk Choi wrote in a report that due to sluggish economic activity in the first quarter and the new tariffs effective in the U.S. in April, South Korea's GDP growth this year may be weaker than expected.Analysts said that the delay in fiscal stimulus measures could also weigh on the country's GDP growth. They lowered South Korea's GDP growth forecast for 2025 from 1.2% to 1.0%. The government is likely to prepare an additional budget of 20 trillion won in the third quarter after compiling an additional budget of 10 trillion won in the second quarter to support the economy. They added that the central bank may cut interest rates three more times this year—possibly in May, August, and November.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jin10 reports, traders have reduced their bets on the European Central Bank cutting interest rates, expecting a 58 basis point cut by the end of the year.

ChainCatcher news, ECB President Lagarde stated that due to the uncertainty brought by the U.S. government's trade policies, the European Central Bank cannot afford to be complacent about inflation. She said, "It's a daily struggle, we are almost at the level we should be, but we must stay there, so that's why I say it's a long battle." There is currently no clear consensus on what will happen at the next decision on April 17. Lagarde said, "We are all determined to achieve this goal, which is a 2% inflation target. On the road to achieving this goal, some want to speed up. Others say, let's take a few steps at a slow pace and wait to see what obstacles arise along the way."

ChainCatcher news, traders are increasing their bets on an interest rate cut by the European Central Bank, expecting the deposit rate to reach 1.84% by the end of the year, down from last Friday's expectation of 1.88%.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, the Governor of the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) Khaled Mohamed Balama stated that the country's blockchain-based central bank digital currency (CBDC) digital dirham is expected to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2025. This digital currency will help enhance financial stability and combat financial crime.It is reported that the digital dirham will be accepted across all payment channels just like physical currency. Balama stated that the digital dirham will promote the development of innovative digital products, services, and new business models, while reducing costs and improving access to international markets.

ChainCatcher news, Swedish Nordea Bank analyst Hjalmar N. said in a report that the European Central Bank's rate cuts are currently helping to alleviate the upward pressure on long-term government bond yields caused by Germany's more expansionary fiscal policy. "However, once the market is convinced that the European Central Bank has completed its rate-cutting cycle, this situation could change rapidly." He stated that the market's focus will then shift to the timing of the first rate hike, which is expected to start pushing long-term rates higher.He noted that for investors, this means there is no structural downside for eurozone long-term government bond yields, and any decline should be viewed as an opportunity to buy as long-term rates rise.

ChainCatcher news, the Governor of the Central Bank of Russia, Nabiullina, stated that the Central Bank of Russia considers cryptocurrency to be a volatile financial instrument. She reiterated the Russian side's concerns about the risks of crypto assets, pointing out their high volatility, making it difficult to be widely adopted as a means of payment or store of value.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, European Central Bank (ECB) Chief Economist Philip Lane warned that dollar stablecoins and electronic payment systems from American tech giants are taking a larger share of the European financial system, and Europe needs to launch a digital euro to meet the challenge.He pointed out that payment methods like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal increase Europe's dependence on external systems, bringing economic pressure and risks of external coercion. The digital euro will provide a secure, universally accepted payment option under the European regulatory framework, reducing reliance on foreign payment systems and limiting the influence of dollar stablecoins in the eurozone. Currently, 99% of the stablecoin market is composed of dollar-pegged tokens, which could lead to a gradual dominance of the dollar in the eurozone payment system.Like other major economies, the ECB is studying central bank digital currencies (CBDC) to respond to the competition from stablecoins and tech company payment systems. Lane believes that the eurozone payment system is fragmented due to differing national standards, and the digital euro could be a key tool to address the fragmentation of retail payments.

ChainCatcher news, according to a report by Reuters, Jan Kubicek, a member of the Czech National Bank (CNB) board, holds a "skeptical attitude" towards incorporating Bitcoin into the bank's large reserve assets, primarily due to concerns about its legal uncertainty and the volatility of digital currencies. Earlier this year, CNB Governor Ales Michl proposed considering Bitcoin, and the bank has begun analyzing the possibility of expanding the asset classes in its reserve investment portfolio. However, CNB Vice Governor Eva Zamrazilova has stated that Bitcoin is not a suitable reserve asset.In an interview on Tuesday, Kubicek stated, "We will evaluate different categories of assets, and Bitcoin is just one of them. I have a fairly skeptical attitude towards Bitcoin." He pointed out that the legal status of Bitcoin is an issue, as directly holding Bitcoin would mean developing many new processes in areas such as accounting or auditing. He also mentioned that volatility is another concern, making it difficult to assess market price trends. He said, "We cannot be sure whether the volatility of Bitcoin in the coming years will resemble the patterns observed in the past decade, because I doubt that if more institutional investors accept Bitcoin as an investment asset, its performance will be different from what we have seen so far."Kubicek indicated that the bank's research on new asset classes may be completed before October, and this research could explore the possibility of holding international corporate bonds, as well as investing in more targeted stock indices (such as technology) and real estate investment funds.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cryptonews, the Central Bank of Russia has invited the Republic of Tatarstan to assist in testing the smart contract functionality of the digital ruble. The Tatarstan Ministry of Finance has established a working group that will conduct conditional targeted funding expenditure experiments using the central bank's testing platform, with the tests expected to conclude in the third quarter of 2025.A month prior, the Central Bank of Russia had "indefinitely postponed" the nationwide rollout plan for the digital ruble originally scheduled for August this year, but this testing indicates that the digital ruble project is still progressing. Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina stated that the new launch date will be announced later.At the same time, the Moscow Metro also announced the expansion of its digital ruble pilot project, collaborating with the central bank and VTB Bank to test the functionality of recharging Troika smart cards using the digital ruble. These developments are similar to the pilot projects of China's digital yuan, but Russia has previously stated that one of the main functions of the digital ruble is to assist Russian enterprises in making cross-border payments with other countries that use digital fiat currencies.

ChainCatcher news, institutional surveys show that interviewed analysts expect the European Central Bank to cut interest rates two more times this year, and no longer anticipate that the bank's rates will fall below 2%.The monthly survey indicates that after six rate cuts so far, the European Central Bank is still likely to cut rates consecutively in April and June. However, unlike the previous survey, respondents expect the deposit rate (currently at 2.5%) to remain at 2% before the end of the survey period. In mid-February, a slight majority had anticipated that rates would eventually drop to 1.75% by March 2026. Governments across Europe plan to significantly increase defense investments, which could boost sluggish economic growth and exacerbate inflation.In addition to military spending, Germany also intends to increase spending by several hundred billion euros to renovate its aging infrastructure. Deutsche Bank economist Marco Wagner stated that this spending "will increase inflationary pressure by the end of 2026."

ChainCatcher news reports that, according to 4E monitoring, under the continuous impact of Trump's tariff policy, the three major U.S. stock indices experienced significant fluctuations last week and collectively closed lower. The Dow Jones fell about 3.1%, marking its worst weekly performance since March 2023. The S&P 500 dropped 2.27%, and the Nasdaq fell 2.43%, both marking the fourth consecutive week of decline. Large tech stocks, except for Nvidia which rebounded nearly 8%, all closed lower for the week.The cryptocurrency market was highly volatile, with Bitcoin rebounding after dipping to a recent low on Tuesday, oscillating around $83,000. U.S. stocks closed higher on Friday, driving Bitcoin above $85,000, but the upward momentum could not be sustained over the weekend due to a lack of liquidity, closing at $83,144, up nearly 1.5% over the past week. Other major tokens saw slight increases, with Ethereum striving to hold above $1,900, and BNB boosted by a $2 billion investment in Abu Dhabi and a revival in on-chain memes, rising nearly 10% over the past week.In the forex commodities sector, the U.S. dollar index fell about 0.1% last week; the oil market rebounded on Friday, reversing the downward trend for the week, with U.S. oil seeing its first weekly increase in nearly two months. The shadow of the trade war triggered a rush to safe-haven assets, with spot gold reaching a high of $3,004.94 on Friday, marking the first time it has surpassed the psychological threshold of $3,000, with a cumulative increase of 2.65% for the week.U.S. inflation data for February, both CPI and PPI, came in below expectations, easing concerns about economic stagflation. However, the latest University of Michigan consumer confidence index hit its lowest level in nearly three years, indicating extreme pessimism among consumers regarding the economic outlook. This week marks the "Super Central Bank Week," with over 20 central banks set to announce their latest policy rates, with a focus on the Federal Reserve and Japan, where the market currently expects both the Fed and the Bank of Japan to maintain their interest rates.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cryptoslate, François Villeroy de Galhau, the Governor of the Bank of France and a member of the European Central Bank's governing council, stated in an interview with the French newspaper La Tribune Dimanche that U.S. President Trump’s support for cryptocurrencies is making a huge mistake, and the U.S. could pave the way for the next financial crisis by embracing cryptocurrencies and non-bank finance. He said, "The U.S. may make a mistake out of negligence. Financial crises often originate in the U.S. and then spread to other parts of the world. By encouraging crypto assets and non-bank finance, the U.S. government is laying the groundwork for future turmoil. The current wave of deregulation in the U.S. is dangerous."Villeroy de Galhau has been openly critical of Trump’s policies. Even before Trump took office in January, Villeroy de Galhau was one of the earliest economists to express concerns about Trump and his policies. On January 15, he said, "I think that the claims we sometimes hear in the U.S. about the lack of regulation of non-bank institutions, various funds, or the lack of regulation of crypto assets could jeopardize financial stability." Earlier this week, Villeroy de Galhau stated that Trump’s trade war and economic policies are "a tragedy for the U.S. economy."

ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, European Central Bank Governing Council member Francois Villeroy de Galhau stated that the U.S. support for cryptocurrencies and non-bank finance could potentially trigger the next financial emergency.In an interview with the French weekly "Le Journal du Dimanche," he said: "The U.S. could commit a crime out of negligence. Financial crises often originate in the U.S. and spread to other parts of the world.By encouraging crypto assets and non-bank finance, the U.S. government is sowing the seeds of future turmoil." Galhau added that regulation in Europe is more secure and stated that there is no risk of a banking crisis occurring in the EU.