euro

According to market news, the actual controller of the recently collapsed European cryptocurrency exchange Zondacrypto is reportedly hiding in Dubai, and the losses for the exchange's customers may exceed $100 million.Polish media Onet Wiadomości disclosed that the official representative of Zondacrypto is in Dubai with a man nicknamed "Maniek," who is the true controller of the cryptocurrency business, while CEO Przemysław Kral is merely a "front figure." Kral has been missing since the company was revealed to have reserves drop by over 99%, and he was previously thought to have fled to Israel but is now confirmed to be in the UAE. The exchange was formerly known as BitBay, founded in 2014, and was taken over by Kral in 2021 and renamed Zondacrypto, moving its operations to Estonia.Polish media reports that the exchange may be controlled by the Russian Tambov gang, with about 30,000 Poles potentially becoming victims, with preliminary estimates of losses at least 350 million zloty (approximately $97 million), and the actual amount may be higher. Additionally, founder Sylwester Suszek went missing in 2022, and it is claimed that a wallet key containing 4,500 bitcoins that he controlled was never handed over.

According to a report by The Block, the crypto security firm CertiK released a report today indicating that in the first four months of 2026, there have been 34 confirmed cases of crypto "ransom attacks" globally (i.e., offline physical assaults and extortion targeting crypto asset holders), an increase of 41% compared to the same period in 2025, with total losses for victims amounting to approximately $101 million. If the trend continues, the total number of incidents for the year is expected to reach around 130, with losses potentially soaring to hundreds of millions of dollars.In terms of geographical distribution, out of the 34 incidents, 28 (82%) occurred in Europe, with France being particularly notable, having recorded 24 incidents in just the first four months of 2026, surpassing the total of 20 incidents for the entire year of 2025. CertiK attributes this to France's hosting of flagship crypto companies like Ledger and Binance, frequent data breaches, and a prevalent culture of "showing off wealth and doxxing" within the community. In contrast, the number of reported incidents in the United States dropped from 9 in 2025 to 3 in the first quarter, while Asia saw a decrease from 25 to 2.Regarding attack patterns, CertiK pointed out that criminal groups have shifted to a "data-driven targeting" model, reducing the need for on-site reconnaissance by purchasing victims' names, addresses, and asset information from data intermediaries. This year, over half of the incidents involved threats or direct harm to victims' family members (spouses, children, elderly parents) as a means of exerting pressure. In terms of execution, small groups of 3 to 5 individuals typically operate through

According to CoinDesk, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde stated in a speech that Europe should not simply replicate the U.S. stablecoin model, but should prioritize building tokenized settlement infrastructure centered around central bank currencies.She pointed out that the $310 billion stablecoin market, dominated by Tether and Circle, poses financial stability risks and could transmit pressure to underlying asset markets during times of crisis. Lagarde believes that the technological advantages of stablecoins can be replicated by central bank infrastructure, while their monetary functions introduce unacceptable financial stability risks. She cited the 2023 collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, which led to a brief de-pegging of USDC, as an example.Although a consortium of 12 major European banks, including ING, BBVA, and BNP Paribas, plans to launch a private digital euro later this year, citing that Europe faces "dollarization risks," Lagarde still called for EU countries to support the research and development of central bank digital currencies. The European Central Bank aims to launch a digital euro by 2029.

According to Jinshi reports, ECB Governing Council member Nagel stated on Friday that due to the Iran war, the European Central Bank is "highly vigilant" about rising inflation risks and will take action as needed to prevent rising energy costs from spreading more broadly to prices. Nagel emphasized that although the medium-term impact of the conflict on inflation is "still difficult to assess," policymakers are prepared to respond to ensure that energy-driven price increases do not spread and become entrenched.

According to Bloomberg, ECB President Lagarde stated that even euro-denominated stablecoins pose risks to financial stability and the transmission of monetary policy, questioning the necessity of introducing such tools.She pointed out that while euro stablecoins could lower financing costs in the euro area and enhance the global appeal of the euro, the costs are significant and outweigh short-term benefits. Lagarde emphasized that if the goal is to enhance the international appeal of the euro, stablecoins are not an effective means. She referenced a working paper from the ECB in March, which warned that the widespread adoption of stablecoins would pose significant risks to euro area banks and monetary sovereignty. She stated that Europe's task is not to "replicate tools developed elsewhere" and continues to push for the introduction of a digital euro.

According to Jinshi reports, the dollar index, which measures the dollar against six major currencies, rose by 0.05% on May 8, closing at 98.063 in the forex market. As of the end of the New York forex market, 1 euro exchanged for 1.1751 dollars, up from 1.1748 dollars the previous trading day; 1 pound exchanged for 1.3583 dollars, down from 1.3593 dollars the previous trading day; 1 dollar exchanged for 156.67 yen, up from 156.45 yen the previous trading day; 1 dollar exchanged for 0.7788 Swiss francs, down from 0.779 Swiss francs the previous trading day; 1 dollar exchanged for 1.3635 Canadian dollars, down from 1.3636 Canadian dollars the previous trading day; 1 dollar exchanged for 9.2432 Swedish kronor, up from 9.2339 Swedish kronor the previous trading day.

According to Jinshi News, ECB Executive Board member Schnabel stated that if the Iran war leaves a more lasting mark on inflation, the European Central Bank will have to raise interest rates. She pointed out that businesses are planning to raise prices, supply chains are facing disruptions, and households are adjusting their expectations. Schnabel emphasized that if the energy price shock expands, monetary policy will need to tighten to curb the risks to medium-term price stability. She also mentioned that protecting the independence of the central bank is crucial in order to tighten policy when necessary.

According to Jinshi reports, ECB Governing Council member Kocherl stated that if the inflation situation does not improve, the European Central Bank will consider raising interest rates in the coming months.

According to Jinshi reports, European stocks have expanded their gains, with the German DAX index soaring 3% during the day, currently reported at 25,134.9 points. The UK FTSE 100 index rose by 2.38%, and the French CAC40 index increased by more than 3%.

According to Jinshi reports, the European Stoxx 600 Index is currently up 2.3%.

According to Gate market data, the euro against the US dollar EUR/USD has risen more than 0.5% during the day, currently reported at 1.1751.

According to Cryptopolitan, a court in Barcelona is investigating six former Sevilla FC players for their alleged involvement in a fraud case related to the Shirtum crypto project.Newly submitted criminal complaints indicate that the project is accused of selling fake NFTs and manipulated tokens to investors, resulting in losses of over 24 million euros, approximately 28 million dollars. The players named in the complaint include Papu Gómez, Lucas Ocampos, Ivan Rakitić, Nico Pareja, Alberto Moreno, and Javier Saviola. Additionally, El Correo de Andalucía reports that Diego Perotti and Marcelo Guedes were also involved in promoting the project. Thirteen Spanish investors have filed a lawsuit with the Barcelona Investigative Court No. 5, claiming they lost all their funds.It is reported that Shirtum was promoted as a digital collectibles trading platform for football and sold "cinematic NFTs" containing player photos and recordings, priced at around 450 euros each. However, the complainants claim that these NFTs were never minted on any blockchain and cannot be transferred or resold. Furthermore, Shirtum's promoters previously obtained about 3 million euros in BNB from investors for the development of iOS and Android mobile applications, but the app was never launched, and the related funds were neither refunded nor accounted for.

According to Gate market data, the euro against the US dollar (EUR/USD) has fallen below 1.17, with a daily decline of 0.17%.

Bitcoin reserve company Capital B announced the completion of a €1.1 million financing, with the funds subscribed by Blockstream CEO Adam Back for the BSA 2026-02 equity warrant.At the same time, the company has lowered the conversion price of the OCA B-04 convertible bonds from €5.174 per share to €2.59, and added a two-year equity warrant (BSA OC) for each converted bond. This move aims to optimize the capital structure and accelerate the advancement of the Bitcoin reserve strategy.

According to Jinshi reports, Standard Chartered Bank expects the European Central Bank to raise interest rates by 25 basis points in June, whereas the previous forecast was for rates to remain unchanged.

According to Jinshi News, ING analyst Carsten Brzeski stated in a report that ECB President Lagarde's remarks at the press conference indicate that a rate hike in June is one step closer. Lagarde emphasized that the risks on both growth and inflation are intensifying, although the decision to keep interest rates unchanged was unanimous. Brzeski pointed out that the ECB has introduced a clear inclination towards rate hikes in its wait-and-see stance.

According to Jin Shi reports, the European Stoxx 600 index has expanded its gains to 1%, reaching a new intraday high.

The joint venture AllUnity, supported by DWS, Flow Traders, and Galaxy Digital, announced the expansion of its euro stablecoin EURAU, compliant with the EU MiCA regulatory framework, to the Solana blockchain network to enhance the efficiency of euro transfers on-chain and support compliant financial applications.EURAU was first launched on Ethereum last July, backed by 100% reserves and issued under the EU electronic money regulatory framework. With the integration into Solana, AllUnity aims to leverage its high-performance network to achieve faster settlement speeds and lower transaction costs, enabling businesses and developers to complete euro transfers on-chain in seconds. This mechanism can be widely applied in scenarios such as cross-border payments, trade settlements, lending, and corporate fund management. For example, payment companies can make real-time payments to overseas contractors without waiting for traditional bank transfers to arrive over several days.

According to Gate market data, the euro against the US dollar (EUR/USD) broke through 1.17, rising 0.22% during the day. Meanwhile, the US dollar against the Japanese yen (USD/JPY) fell below 159, with a daily decline of 0.87%.

According to Jinshi News, after the European stock market opened, stock indices in multiple countries experienced declines, with the German DAX30 index falling by 0.9%, the French CAC40 index dropping by 1.3%, and the Euro Stoxx 50 index decreasing by 1.2%.