ireland

According to Bloomberg, the Irish government officially launched the testing phase of the digital wallet on April 3 local time, which includes an age verification feature.According to a statement from the Irish Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, this digital ID will support age verification on social media platforms, aiming to protect children and adolescents from online harm.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, the cryptocurrency exchange platform Kraken announced that it has obtained the MiCA license issued by the Central Bank of Ireland, allowing it to provide compliant cryptocurrency services in 30 member states of the EU. This is another key compliance milestone for Kraken, following its acquisition of the electronic money institution license in 2023 and the MiFID license obtained in February 2025.

ChainCatcher news, according to official information, HashKey Group has announced that it has obtained registration approval as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) from the Central Bank of Ireland. This is the first VASP license for HashKey Group that is fully compliant with the EU's Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD5). The VASP registration allows HashKey Europe Limited to provide regulated services, including: exchange between virtual assets and fiat currency, exchange between one or more forms of virtual assets, virtual asset transfers, custody wallet services, and more.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, the UK Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) has approved former Northern Ireland Secretary John Baker to serve as an advisor to the Bitcoin investment firm Axiom. Baker will join the company's second venture capital fund, Axiom Venture Fund II, as a part-time advisor.Axiom announced in August this year plans to raise $75 million for its second venture capital fund. To mitigate potential risks, the committee has set several restrictions on Baker's appointment, including a ban on using government confidential information for Axiom's benefit for the next two years, prohibiting lobbying the UK government, and not providing advice to Axiom in areas related to his former ministerial role.

ChainCatche news, the encrypted trading platform Legend Trading's subsidiary Legend Financial Ireland Limited has been approved by the Central Bank of Ireland as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP). Additionally, Legend Trading is applying for a Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) license under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). In Ireland, VASPs registered and operating before December 30, 2024, can continue their business under the transitional provisions set by MiCA while submitting their CASP authorization application.

ChainCatcher news, according to Decrypt, before the European Union introduces a new round of laws and regulations to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, Irish Finance Minister Jack Chambers will draft "emergency" legislation to update the country's cryptocurrency regulations. However, the minister did not explicitly indicate what these rules would include, nor did he specify when they would take effect. Chambers was appointed to the position in June 2024, having had little experience as a cryptocurrency regulator.It is reported that the EU's Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act will take effect on December 30, 2024, granting EU member states' Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) greater investigative powers and the ability to suspend transactions.

ChainCatcher news, according to a report by Sina Finance, the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has fined Meta Platforms (META.US), the parent company of Facebook, €91 million (approximately $102 million) following an investigation into password storage at its Irish subsidiary, according to a statement from the regulatory agency.The owner of Facebook had previously notified the Data Protection Commission that it had inadvertently stored certain passwords of some social media users in "plain text" within its internal systems, without encryption protection or measures, prompting the Commission to begin an investigation into the password leak incident in April 2019.Last year, the European Commission accused the tech giant of transferring user data to the United States and imposed fines of up to €1.2 billion (approximately $1.3 billion), and this fine can be seen as a supplement to the fines imposed by the European Commission last year.

ChainCatcher news, according to the official website of the Central Bank of Ireland, Ireland is promoting financial democratization through the European Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). Derville Rowland, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland, stated at the European Compliance and Legal Conference that Ireland is committed to promoting the application of cryptocurrencies under the premise of secure innovation, particularly the positive impact of blockchain technology in the fields of investment and infrastructure.The MiCA regulation introduces a unified regulatory framework for the cryptocurrency sector, regulating electronic money token issuers and crypto asset service providers. Rowland emphasized that Ireland will work closely with European regulators to ensure consistent implementation of the regulations and avoid regulatory discrepancies. At the same time, Ireland will promote financial inclusion and innovation by improving the business authorization process, consolidating its position in the rapidly growing crypto industry.

ChainCatcher news, the cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com has announced that it has obtained approval from the Central Bank of Ireland to become a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP). This approval was granted after a comprehensive review of Crypto.com's compliance commitments, including its capabilities in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, and will enable it to further offer services in Ireland such as cryptocurrency exchange for fiat currency and fiat currency wallets.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, Ramp Network has obtained Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) registration in Ireland, plans to make Ireland its European headquarters, and has established a team and business in Dublin.

ChainCatcher news, the second largest stablecoin issuer in cryptocurrency, Circle Internet Financial Ltd., plans to move its legal base from the Republic of Ireland to the United States. A company spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday that it recently submitted relocation documents to the court but declined to disclose the reasons.Circle secretly submitted its initial public offering plan to U.S. securities regulators in January. Under this transition, Circle may face heavier U.S. taxes.According to the Web3 asset data platform RootData, Circle is a global fintech company that enables businesses of all sizes to leverage the power of digital currencies and public blockchains for payments, commerce, and financial applications worldwide. Circle is the issuer of USD Coin (USDC), one of the fastest-growing dollar digital currencies, powering always-on internet-native commerce and payments. Today, Circle's trading services, business accounts, and platform APIs are giving rise to a new generation of financial services and business applications, which are expected to promote global economic prosperity through frictionless financial value transactions.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, Kraken will delist the privacy coin Monero (XMR) in Ireland and Belgium on June 10 this year. All XMR trading and deposits will be halted starting May 10, and all margin positions should be closed before this date to avoid forced liquidation.It is reported that XMR withdrawals will stop on June 10, at which point any remaining XMR balance will be automatically converted to Bitcoin.

ChainCatcher news, Ripple's Irish subsidiary Ripple Markets Ireland Limited (Ripple Markets) has been added to the Central Bank of Ireland's (CBI) register of virtual asset service providers (VASP). Ripple Markets will be able to offer certain digital asset services within Ireland.Ripple stated that once the regulation of crypto assets (MiCA) comes into effect at the end of 2024, Ripple will seek to provide services to customers across the European Economic Area, subject to obtaining other necessary licenses.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, the digital asset trading platform Zodia Markets, supported by Standard Chartered Bank, has obtained registration as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) from the Central Bank of Ireland. This registration will enable Zodia Markets to provide over-the-counter (OTC) and trading services to institutional clients.It is reported that the company obtained a similar license in the UK last year and received a license in Abu Dhabi last month, now having a licensed entity in the EU. With the upcoming implementation of the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), it will, in principle, be easier for crypto companies licensed in one EU member state to obtain the necessary licenses to operate in the other 26 countries.Additionally, Ireland has become a popular destination for crypto companies, possibly due to its favorable tax regime. Coinbase designated Ireland as its EU hub earlier this month.

ChainCatcher news, according to CNBC, cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has chosen Ireland as its main operational and regulatory center in the EU. Coinbase has had an office in Dublin since 2018. The company has approximately 100 employees in Ireland. If approved, Coinbase will obtain a general "MiCA license" in Ireland, which will allow it to "expand its services to Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and other EU countries."

ChainCatcher news, cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has announced that it has obtained an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license from the Central Bank of Ireland and registered as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) with the Bank of Spain.The EMI license obtained by Kraken's Irish subsidiary enables Kraken to collaborate with European banks to expand its euro fiat services.Additionally, Kraken's new VASP registration will allow it to offer cryptocurrency exchange and custody wallet services to residents of Spain.

ChainCatcher news, according to Blockworks, the crypto payment provider MoonPay has registered as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) in Ireland. VASPs that are approved can offer fiat-to-crypto onramp solutions in Ireland, including five services such as the exchange between digital assets and fiat currencies, as well as the exchange between digital assets and other digital assets. However, currently, MoonPay is only authorized to provide the exchange between digital assets and fiat currencies.

ChainCatcher news, Ripple's Managing Director for Europe, Sendi Young, stated that the company has "recently" applied to register as a crypto asset company with the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and is seeking a payment institution license in Ireland.Young declined to disclose the numerical targets for Ripple's growth plans in the UK and Europe but confirmed that the company is still increasing its workforce and hiring for positions beyond critical roles. Over the past 18 months, Ripple's employee count in the UK and Europe has grown by approximately 75%, with more than 100 of its roughly 900 global employees based in offices in London, Dublin, and Reykjavik, Iceland.Additionally, Young stated that Ripple's position of having the U.S. as its global hub has "not changed."

ChainCatcher news, according to Cryptoslate, the cryptocurrency exchange platform Kraken has obtained a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license from the Central Bank of Ireland. Kraken stated that this approval demonstrates its compliance with strict anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regulations, and added that the license is proof of its robust compliance. (Source link)

ChainCatcher news, according to Finextra, Coinbase has been approved by the Central Bank of Ireland to operate as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP), which means Coinbase can offer products and services to individuals and institutions across Europe and internationally from Ireland.It is reported that Coinbase's operations in Ireland will be led by the newly appointed director Cormac Dinan. (Source link)