ChainCatcher news, according to Ledger Insights, the German tokenization company Cashlink Technologies has obtained a cryptocurrency custody license issued by the country's regulatory authority BaFin. The company already holds a cryptocurrency securities registrar license.According to German law, when issuing securities on DLT, a registrar can be used instead of a central securities depository (CSD). With the new license, Cashlink can now manage the private keys associated with the tokenized securities it participates in issuing and registering.

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 Ledger Insights, the German parliament has passed the "Financial Market Digitalization Act."This act not only involves cryptocurrencies and MiCAR but also affects other EU laws, such as DORA and the Funds Transfer Regulation. Most of the European crypto assets market regulation (MiCAR) will come into effect by the end of the year, but German companies are unable to obtain MiCAR cryptocurrency licenses issued by BaFin due to legislative delays. Foreign companies can operate freely in Germany and the EU after obtaining licenses elsewhere. Each country must designate a regulatory authority to issue licenses to crypto asset service providers, with Germany designating BaFin, but the relevant legal draft had previously not been passed.

ChainCatcher news, on Wednesday, the German Parliament (Bundestag) finally passed the bill, the Financial Market Digitalization Act (Finanzmarktdigitalisierungsgesetz of FinmadiG). It was placed on the agenda in a short time to ensure that legislation is in place before MiCAR comes into full effect on December 30.FinmadiG not only concerns cryptocurrencies and MiCAR but also affects other EU laws, such as DORA and the Funds Transfer Regulation. However, for MiCAR, it introduces the Cryptocurrency Market Regulation Act (KMAG), which replaces Germany's old cryptocurrency rules with MiCAR.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, the Bavarian Data Protection Authority (BayLDA) in Germany has issued corrective measures regarding the handling of biometric data in the digital identity project World (formerly known as Worldcoin). The regulator announced that it has completed its investigation into World’s compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and has ordered World to implement GDPR-compliant data deletion procedures within one month of the ruling taking effect.In response, the World Foundation has appealed the decision, requesting the regulator to provide judicial clarification on whether the privacy-enhancing technologies (PET) of the World network comply with the legal definition of anonymization in the EU.

ChainCatcher news, Coinbase disclosed that law enforcement requests have decreased by 18% year-over-year. In its transparency report, Coinbase revealed that over the past year, the company received 10,707 requests from law enforcement and government agencies worldwide, a decrease of 18% compared to the previous reporting period.The United States submitted the most law enforcement and government requests for the third consecutive year. Outside the U.S., Coinbase also saw a significant decline in law enforcement requests in key markets. Requests from Germany, the UK, and Spain decreased by 33%, 45%, and 35%, respectively.In contrast, the number of requests from Singapore saw a substantial increase, with a growth rate of 221%, rising from 34 in 2023 to 109 this year. This indicates that regulatory activity in the region is on the rise.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, the tokenized asset exchange 21X running on Polygon has received approval from the German financial regulator BaFin to go live, planning to launch a tokenized financial instruments exchange at its headquarters in the first quarter of 2025. The exchange plans to trade tokenized equities, debt securities, funds, and real-world assets (RWA), such as real estate or artworks that qualify as financial instruments.It is reported that, in addition to BaFin, the Deutsche Bundesbank, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), and the European Central Bank (ECB) were also involved in the approval of 21X.

ChainCatcher message, according to a recent W3NOW study initiated by the Hansa Blockchain Research Institute and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, despite the transformative potential of blockchain, the technology is largely overlooked by German companies. The study combines two quantitative surveys (targeting 9,000 German companies and 204 experts) and qualitative interviews.In 2023 and 2024, over 74% and 72% of companies, respectively, stated that blockchain is irrelevant to their business operations.In Germany, the financial services sector is leading in blockchain applications, with 54% of surveyed companies having started using the technology. In the digital identity sector, 31% of companies have implemented various blockchain-based solutions, while 23% are in the planning stage. This indicates that the ability of blockchain to provide secure and decentralized identity management is becoming increasingly important.Currently, 28% of companies use blockchain for marketing purposes, but only 10% of companies plan to implement blockchain in their marketing strategies.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin Magazine, the German listed company Samara Asset Group will issue a bond of 30 million euros to purchase Bitcoin and fund shares.The bond issuance will be managed by Pareto Securities, and the bonds will be listed on the Oslo and Frankfurt stock exchanges, with a minimum subscription amount of 100,000 euros.The company plans to use the bond proceeds to purchase shares in alternative investment funds and increase its Bitcoin holdings. Samara CEO Patrik Lowry stated that this will further strengthen the company's balance sheet and diversify investments in emerging technology sectors. Bitcoin is currently the main treasury reserve asset for Samara.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin.com, the German stock exchange Boerse Stuttgart has launched insured Ethereum staking through its retail trading platform Bison. By partnering with top companies in Germany, Bison allows staking for as low as 0.005 ETH, with rewards distributed weekly. This service is currently available only in Germany, promising an annual return rate of 2-5%, and will soon expand to other cryptocurrencies.

ChainCatcher news, according to FinanceFeeds, eToro has expanded its cryptocurrency offerings in Germany by launching a spot trading service, whereas previously German users could only trade cryptocurrency contracts for difference (CFDs) on the platform. eToro announced that it has partnered with two local companies regulated by BaFin to support the spot cryptocurrency trading service, with DLT Finance responsible for spot trade execution and Tangany handling digital asset custody.Under the new arrangement, German traders will interact with DLT Finance as their counterparty, while Tangany will hold their cryptocurrency assets on behalf of eToro. To trade, users need to agree to the terms of service of the three entities (eToro, DLT Finance, and Tangany), and eToro plans to charge a 1% fee on cryptocurrency transactions.

ChainCatcher news, German authorities have shut down 47 cryptocurrency exchanges suspected of being involved in money laundering and other criminal activities, stating that these exchanges deliberately failed to fulfill their obligations to conduct identity and background checks on customers. Some of these exchanges include Xchange cash, 60cek, Baksman, and several other smaller platforms. One of the exchanges has been active since 2012, while others were established just the previous year.

ChainCatcher message, cryptocurrency exchange Kraken removed the Lightning Network feature for German customers citing "technical changes." Cryptocurrency news publication Protos reported that a support agent from Kraken attributed the removal to "regulatory issues."Kraken "misquoted" the regulatory changes that led to the suspension of the service. Kraken stated, "The changes to the service for German customers wanting to use Lightning are the result of technical changes."

ChainCatcher news, the Ministry of Finance of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, issued commercial paper worth 50 million euros using the Deutsche Börse's Clearstream D7 platform. This issuance is part of the European Central Bank's wholesale DLT settlement experiment. Therefore, according to Clearstream's Jens Hachmeister, the transaction was settled using the German central bank's trigger payment solution.The trigger solution is designed to interoperate with blockchain to support DLT payments. It triggers payments on the TARGET2 real-time gross settlement system. Natwest acted as the dealer for the commercial paper, while DekaBank and Deutsche Girozentrale served as investors.

ChainCatcher news, the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) of Germany recently launched a nationwide operation against unlicensed cryptocurrency ATMs. This operation seized 13 cryptocurrency ATMs and $28 million in cash. The action took place on August 20 and involved 35 locations that reportedly operated unlicensed crypto ATMs.BaFin emphasized that these unlicensed ATMs are often used for scams, fraud, and money laundering activities, posing a serious risk to the financial system. According to German banking law, cryptocurrency ATM operators must obtain authorization from BaFin. Violators may face severe legal consequences, including up to 5 years of imprisonment.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin.com, the German public holds a strong skepticism towards the digital euro, especially among older users who prioritize privacy and security in financial transactions. The President of the German central bank (Bundesbank), Joachim Nagel, stated that cash is "sacred" in Germany, reflecting deep-rooted concerns about losing control over personal finances.The European Central Bank (ECB) plans to address these concerns through robust privacy measures, but doubts still remain. Although ECB President Christine Lagarde insists that the digital euro will coexist with physical cash, many elderly Germans are worried about reliance on technology and potential privacy breaches.

ChainCatcher news, according to CryptoSlate, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) in Germany recommends that cryptocurrency users use hardware wallets to protect their digital assets, claiming that hardware wallets are the safest method for storing digital assets, and explaining that these devices can help keep users' private cryptographic keys in offline or "cold" storage.The BSI warns that while exchange-based custody is more convenient, it is easily susceptible to hacking. In contrast, self-custody wallets on mobile phones or personal computers also have significant security vulnerabilities. Given these risks, the BSI recommends using hardware wallets as the best option for protecting cryptocurrencies.

According to ChainCatcher news, the Saxony State Prosecutor's Office announced on the official website of Saxony that it sold nearly 50,000 bitcoins over a period of about three and a half weeks, with each sale being less than 1% of the market trading volume. More than 90% of the transactions were conducted through over-the-counter (OTC) markets to minimize the impact on bitcoin prices. This sale raised a total of 2.63968 billion euros, and the funds will be temporarily held in the "movie2k" case criminal proceedings at the Leipzig District Court until the final ruling of the case.Previous news reported that German law enforcement agencies sold nearly 50,000 bitcoins, netting about 2.88 billion dollars.