euro

Eurozone September unemployment rate 6.5%, expected 6.4%, previous value 6.4%

Eurozone Q3 seasonally adjusted GDP annual preliminary value 1.3%, expected 1.1%, previous value 1.2%

Eurozone Q3 seasonally adjusted GDP quarterly rate preliminary value 0.4%, expected 0.2%, previous value 0.6%

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde stated that the Governing Council debated whether it was appropriate to raise interest rates. The outcome of this meeting is to keep the interest rates unchanged.

According to Gate market data, the European Stoxx 600 Index's increase has expanded to 1%, reaching a new intraday high.

The European Central Bank has kept the deposit facility rate, main refinancing rate, and marginal lending rate unchanged at 2.5%, 2.65%, and 2.9%, respectively, in line with market expectations.

A survey released by OKX shows that among major economies in Europe, 19% of surveyed investors view crypto assets as a tool for creating long-term wealth, compared to 8% who prefer traditional retirement plans. The survey was conducted by Pollfish from October 14 to 18 in the United States, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland, with a total of 1,932 adults aged 18 to 88 who have invested in crypto assets. Real estate remains the most favored long-term wealth vehicle among all respondents, accounting for 34%.In terms of holding intentions, 47% of European investors expect to increase their holdings in crypto assets, with 13% planning to significantly increase their positions; across all age groups, 51% of respondents expect to raise their allocation to crypto assets. The baby boomer generation is an exception, as 55% of European baby boomer respondents believe that crypto assets are not important for intergenerational wealth transfer. American respondents are generally more optimistic about the role of crypto assets in their portfolios, with 55% expecting to increase their allocation over the next five years, and 22% planning to significantly increase their holdings; however, 65% of American baby boomer respondents believe that crypto assets are completely unimportant for intergenerational wealth accumulation, compared to 44% in Europe.Erald Ghoo, CEO of OKX Europe, stated that when investors under 45 on both sides of the Atlantic incorporate crypto assets into their long-term wealth planning, it indicates that crypto assets have become part of how people view personal finance; as these investors age and accumulate wealth, the role of crypto assets in wealth planning will become increasingly important. The survey also shows that American investors remain more cautious about allocating crypto assets in retirement accounts, with 21% choosing traditional retirement plans and 12% opting for crypto assets.

The Euronext exchange suspended the Zcash ETP from the cryptocurrency asset management company CoinShares just hours after its launch on the Paris market. The reason for the suspension is that the central securities depository is unable to support the related settlement operations, which prevents CoinShares from participating in the Zcash ETP trading.A spokesperson for Euronext stated that the suspension is not related to regulation but is a settlement infrastructure issue; the ETP will remain frozen until the central securities depository can fully support standard settlement operations. Currently, related products from 21Shares, Virtune, and Valor are still trading in the European market. According to the page content, the EU Anti-Money Laundering Regulation will come into full effect on July 1, 2027, prohibiting licensed cryptocurrency companies from handling privacy coins like Zcash and interacting with anonymous wallets.

According to Cointelegraph, exchange operator Euronext suspended CoinShares' Zcash exchange-traded product (ETP) on Wednesday, which was originally scheduled to be listed on the Euronext Paris exchange that day. Euronext announced that the CoinShares Zcash ETP (ticker ZCSH) is suspended from trading effective immediately until further notice, and the announcement did not specify the exact reason.Flavio Bornancin-Tomasella, Euronext's Media and Communications Manager, told Cointelegraph that the product will remain suspended until the Central Securities Depository (CSD) can fully support standard settlement operations. He stated that this measure is strictly limited to the scope of "operational settlement requirements."This suspension prevented the product from becoming the fourth ETP based on Zcash in Europe. Earlier this year, 21Shares, Virtune, and Valor launched their Zcash ETPs. CoinShares announced its plans to list the product on Euronext Paris earlier on Wednesday, and as of the time of publication, it had not responded to Cointelegraph's request for comment.

Apple Inc. stated that the Siri artificial intelligence feature is currently unavailable in the European Union and is working with the EU to promote subsequent solutions.

According to Cointelegraph, Piero Cipollone, a member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, stated that the digital euro is expected to help the European Union establish a self-controlled payment infrastructure and reduce reliance on non-European third-party payment service providers. Europe has already recognized the risks of excessive dependence on external forces in critical areas such as energy and defense, and the same applies to the payment sector. However, payment sovereignty does not mean excluding third parties, but rather allowing Europe to have autonomous choices in key services.The European Central Bank plans to launch a digital euro pilot next year and will test it using real transactions. It is currently collaborating with 36 market operators to prepare, while also inviting e-commerce and mobile commerce operators to participate.

As of the week ending October 20, leveraged funds increased their net short positions in euros by 1,305 contracts, reaching 94,100, the highest level since March 2020, corresponding to short bets of approximately 11.8 billion euros.The turmoil in French politics, debt pressures, and escalating protests have heightened market concerns, dragging down the euro's performance. The euro fell 0.4% against the US dollar this week.

According to Gate market data, the German DAX30 index closed down 201.19 points on October 23, with a decline of 0.79%, reporting at 25,170.56 points. The UK FTSE 100 index fell by 42.69 points, a decrease of 0.4%, closing at 10,682.34 points. The French CAC40 index dropped 28.44 points, a decline of 0.36%, reporting at 7,782.82 points. The Euro Stoxx 50 index decreased by 21.86 points, down 0.36%, closing at 6,065.15 points.The Spanish IBEX35 index rose by 80.82 points, an increase of 0.43%, reporting at 18,994.32 points. The Italian FTSE MIB index increased by 160.84 points, up 0.33%, reporting at 48,544.5 points.

According to CoinDesk, the Swedish central bank is pushing lawmakers to reconsider the necessity of issuing an electronic krona (e-krona), believing that with the development of foreign stablecoins and the digital euro, the use of the Swedish krona in the payment system may face long-term pressure.Per Jansson, the Deputy Governor of the Swedish central bank, stated that if cash becomes further digitized and the Swedish krona lacks a convenient digital form, the local currency may struggle to compete with digital payment tools that can be used across borders. Although the central bank has not yet decided whether to officially issue an electronic krona, it hopes to initiate preparations at the legislative level as soon as possible, as the related institutional and technical work is expected to take at least 5 years.

According to official news, BIT's subsidiary BIT Asset Management AG has been approved by FINMA and will list the first spot Bitcoin ETF (BBIT) in Europe on the Swiss Exchange in November. BBIT relies on Switzerland's high-net-worth wealth pool, providing a compliant channel for traditional bank accounts to directly allocate spot Bitcoin.In terms of business progress, BIT has launched services for US and Hong Kong stocks this year; in addition, its subsidiary Cactus Custody officially launched Swiss custody services last month, further building a safe and reliable bridge between traditional finance and crypto assets.

According to Politico, two insiders said that the United States is once again pressuring the European Union to relax regulations on large technology companies.

U.S. Vice President Vance stated that European countries have almost unanimously decided to initiate a regulatory and licensing battle against SpaceX, but now they are all requesting SpaceX to do what they need.

According to Bloomberg, the Central Bank of Ireland has fined Coinbase's Irish subsidiary €3.25 million (approximately $3.6 million) due to deficiencies in its outsourcing governance framework and inadequate customer fund protection measures.Regulators pointed out that the company relied too heavily on the U.S. Coinbase Group to execute customer fund protection processes, and design flaws in the system along with insufficient control testing led to a long-term shortfall in the designated customer fund protection accounts.A Coinbase spokesperson stated that the relevant issues mainly occurred during the U.S. banking crisis in 2023, when the company directed customers to deposit funds into other bank accounts of Coinbase to mitigate potential losses from bank failures. However, this practice resulted in the mixing of customer funds with those held by other entities of Coinbase, which did not comply with regulatory requirements.Last year, the Central Bank of Ireland also fined Coinbase Europe €21.5 million for violating anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing transaction monitoring obligations (which included a 30% settlement discount).

The Cardano Foundation calls on the European Union not to introduce new independent regulatory rules for DeFi and staking, advocating that existing financial laws should regulate based on the function and risk of activities rather than the technology used. The foundation outlined its 19-page opinion submitted to the European Commission on September 30 in a blog post released on Wednesday, urging a distinction between direct participation in decentralized networks and financial services provided by intermediaries, especially those involving the custody or control of user assets. The foundation stated that regulation should follow the substance of the activity, the functions performed, and the risks generated, rather than the technology relied upon to conduct the activity.The foundation pointed out that Cardano users can delegate native ADA tokens to help secure the network without relinquishing custody or locking up tokens, and this form of direct participation should be treated differently from staking services operated by intermediaries. The opinion also calls for a clearer distinction between the EU MiCA regulations and existing financial laws, warning that overlapping regulatory requirements and inconsistent interpretations among member states could create uncertainty for crypto businesses.This move comes as EU regulators consider expanding oversight of crypto services. In September, the European Securities and Markets Authority suggested adding additional safeguards for staking and lending activities and establishing a new category of regulated services for companies providing access to DeFi protocols. Additionally, the Cardano Foundation, along with five other blockchain organizations, sent a joint letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on October 20, urging it to formally recognize digital commodities as non-securities under the proposed crypto framework.