ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, the European Central Bank has established a special task force led by the central bank governors of major member countries such as Germany, France, and Italy, aimed at simplifying the banking regulatory framework. This move comes amid concerns that Europe is lagging behind other regions in regulatory efficiency.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin.com, Ghana's central bank governor Johnson Asiama stated in Washington that the central bank will establish a dedicated digital assets department and plans to launch regulation of cryptocurrencies and related platforms by the end of September 2025 after the passage of the "Virtual Asset Service Provider Act," emphasizing that the trend of blockchain technology is unstoppable.

ChainCatcher news, according to DLNews, the new chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Paul Atkins, pledged in a recent roundtable discussion to bring clear regulations for cryptocurrency oversight, criticized past efforts, and promised to establish a "purpose-built" framework for digital assets.He stated that he expects this market innovation to bring significant benefits in terms of efficiency, cost reduction, transparency, and risk mitigation. Innovation has been stifled in recent years due to market and regulatory uncertainty.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce stated at the SEC's "Know Your Custodian" roundtable that U.S. financial institutions are playing a game of "the floor is lava" in the dark when dealing with cryptocurrency business.Peirce explained that registrants of the SEC must treat activities related to cryptocurrency as if they were playing "the floor is lava," aiming to jump from one piece of furniture to another without touching the ground, except here, direct contact with cryptocurrency is the lava. "The Washington, D.C. version of this game is our regulatory approach to crypto assets, particularly the custody of crypto assets. Due to unclear regulatory rules, companies wanting to engage in cryptocurrency must avoid directly holding cryptocurrencies.Hester Peirce stated, "Now is the time for us to find a way to end this game. We need to turn on the lights and build some sidewalks over the lava pits."

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, the Nasdaq exchange has sent a letter to the U.S. SEC's cryptocurrency working group, suggesting that regulators carefully delineate categories of digital assets and clarify the role of regulatory "referees."The document, signed by Regulatory Affairs Chief John Zecca, proposes four categories:Financial securities tokens (such as tokens linked to stocks, bonds, ETFs, which should be treated the same as the underlying assets), regulated by the SEC;Digital asset investment contracts (tokenized contracts that meet the revised Howey test), subject to securities rules;Digital asset commodities (meeting the U.S. definition of commodities), governed by the CFTC;Other digital assets (not falling into the first three categories, not mandatorily subject to securities or commodity rules).The SEC and CFTC will collaborate to clarify regulatory boundaries, and new cryptocurrency laws may serve as guiding principles. Nasdaq also suggests establishing cross-trading qualification standards for multi-type asset handling platforms and emphasizes its credibility in the digital asset field, calling for enhanced security constraints on companies that comprehensively handle investor activities, aligning with industry practices.

ChainCatcher news, the Federal Reserve announced on Thursday the withdrawal of regulatory guidance regarding banks' cryptocurrency assets and dollar token businesses, and simultaneously updated the relevant business expectation standards. This move aims to ensure that regulatory requirements keep pace with the evolution of risks and further support innovation in the banking system.The announcement shows that the Federal Reserve has officially abolished the regulatory letter issued in 2022, which previously required state member banks to report in advance on proposed or existing cryptocurrency asset businesses. After the withdrawal, the Federal Reserve will no longer require banks to fulfill reporting obligations, instead opting to monitor related activities through regular regulatory procedures. Also abolished is the 2023 guidance document regarding the "no objection" procedure for state member banks participating in dollar token businesses.In addition, the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation jointly decided to withdraw two policy statements regarding banks' cryptocurrency asset businesses and risk exposures, which were jointly issued by federal banking regulators in 2023. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency had previously withdrawn from that statement. The Federal Reserve stated that it will collaborate with other regulatory agencies in the future to assess whether new guidance frameworks are needed to support innovation, including cryptocurrency asset businesses.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinGape, Binance has begun requiring all Indian users to re-verify their identities (KYC) to comply with anti-money laundering (AML) regulations.

ChainCatcher news, according to Crypto in America, MoonPay CEO Ivan Soto-Wright sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Banking Committee and the House Financial Services Committee on April 18, 2025, supporting the stablecoin legislative amendment proposed by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS).Soto-Wright called for a balance between state and federal regulation, warning that the current bill may lean too heavily towards federal oversight. As a company holding money transmission licenses in 46 states and serving over 30 million users, MoonPay emphasized the importance of the existing state-level regulatory framework.Meanwhile, cryptocurrency exchange Kraken is expanding into stock trading, while OKX announced its entry into the U.S. market after paying a $500 million fine and establishing its headquarters in San Jose, California.

ChainCatcher news, Swiss bank Sygnum stated that with the improvement of digital asset regulation and increased user participation, altcoins are expected to rebound in the second quarter of 2025. Although Bitcoin's market dominance reached a four-year high in April, Sygnum believes that regulatory progress in the U.S., such as President Trump's establishment of a digital asset reserve and the advancement of stablecoin regulation, could drive broader cryptocurrency adoption. Sygnum expects that protocols that successfully engage users will outperform the market, while Bitcoin's dominance may decline. The market's increased focus on economic value has intensified competition, driving better product development, which will ultimately benefit consumers. The report noted that while high-performance blockchains address the limitations of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, they still face challenges in achieving widespread adoption and revenue.

According to ChainCatcher, as reported by The Block, Bank of America is actively lobbying for regulations on stablecoin issuance that favor banks rather than tech companies. Currently, there is a high-stakes power struggle between traditional banks, tech giants, and cryptocurrency companies like Tether.According to insiders, Bank of America is primarily lobbying lawmakers through industry organizations such as the Bank Policy Institute and the American Bankers Association to establish rules that benefit mature banks in issuing stablecoins, while restricting large tech companies (non-banks) like Amazon and Meta from issuing dollar-backed crypto tokens.

ChainCatcher news, according to Decrypt, U.S. court documents reveal that on April 16, Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove of the Eastern District of Kentucky approved a 60-day pause in the lawsuit between the state attorney general coalition and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding cryptocurrency regulation, on the grounds that the SEC acknowledged that the case may be resolved due to a leadership transition. Both parties did not oppose this motion and are required to submit a joint status update within 30 days. Previously, the coalition of 18 states accused the SEC of overstepping its authority in enforcing regulations against cryptocurrency companies, violating the Constitution.

ChainCatcher news, according to Decrypt, after the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) passed the new regulation "allowing licensed institutions to provide staking services," the Ethereum staking ETF launched by Huaxia Fund (Hong Kong) in collaboration with OSL Digital Securities has been approved and is set to be listed by May 15 at the latest. This Ethereum staking ETF operates through the custody of the licensed platform OSL and the node verification by the French staking service provider Kiln, allowing investors to indirectly earn staking rewards from Ethereum.Last month, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) released the "ASPIRe" roadmap, which clearly outlines five pillars—Access, Safeguards, Products, Infrastructure, and Relationships—aiming to build a complete virtual asset ecosystem. Hong Kong's first Ethereum staking ETF is scheduled to launch on April 25, with the Hong Kong government approving two staking-type crypto ETFs within three months, indicating that the regulatory framework is gradually becoming internationally competitive.

ChainCatcher news, according to the Daily News, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) of South Korea has reiterated its commitment to the smooth and timely development of a regulatory framework for stablecoins. Previously, the South Korean government announced plans to review the second phase of legislation for its broader virtual asset framework, with stablecoin regulation listed as a top priority.The FSC confirmed that it will adhere to the original timeline, aiming to draft specific content for the second phase of regulation in the second half of this year. A dedicated working group composed of relevant government agencies will be responsible for organizing this process. The commission also stated that, in light of recent market volatility, it will enhance monitoring of the broader virtual asset market, including stablecoins. These efforts aim to strengthen protection for cryptocurrency users.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, on Wednesday, a federal judge in the United States agreed to pause the lawsuit filed by 18 state attorneys general and a DeFi lobbying group against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), after all parties noted that the SEC's new leadership was in place. Last November, after Trump won the 2024 presidential election, these state attorneys general (all Republicans) filed the lawsuit in conjunction with the DeFi Education Fund. They accused the federal securities regulator of overstepping its authority in suing cryptocurrency exchanges. In documents submitted on Wednesday, the SEC stated that the lawsuit could come to an end following the confirmation of Paul Atkins as the new agency chair. The judge ordered the parties to submit a joint status report within 30 days, but paused all deadlines for 60 days.On Wednesday, another lawsuit filed by the DeFi Education Fund, the Texas Blockchain Council, and the Blockchain Association against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was also dismissed. This lawsuit argued that the IRS's DeFi broker rules exceeded the agency's authority. Last week, Trump signed a resolution passed jointly by the House and Senate under the Congressional Review Act to repeal this rule. In documents submitted on Wednesday, the parties stated that the lawsuit had become "meaningless" after Trump signed the resolution.

ChainCatcher news, Federal Reserve Chairman Powell: A "partial easing" of cryptocurrency-related bank regulations is expected.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, Robinhood's Chief Information Security Officer Katelyn Perna stated that the goal of the crypto industry should be to design tools that make crypto accessible, secure, and simple, without sacrificing self-custody or decentralization.As the crypto industry matures, much of the focus remains on regulation, custody, and scalability. However, by 2025, the biggest barrier to adoption will not be policy, but user experience. The interface of crypto is still too complex for everyday users. From managing mnemonic phrases to deciphering blockchain transactions, onboarding feels more like navigating a maze than joining a financial revolution. Wallets remain fragmented, unintuitive, and risky. To achieve mainstream adoption, the industry must prioritize usability—making wallets and financial tools easier to access—while not compromising the core principles of decentralization. Until then, poor user experience will continue to hinder the development of cryptocurrency.

ChainCatcher news, according to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal, Binance executives met with officials from the U.S. Treasury Department last month to discuss easing government regulations on the company. Meanwhile, Binance is exploring the possibility of a business partnership with the Trump family's cryptocurrency project. Some insiders have indicated that Binance executives proposed to Treasury officials in Washington the removal of the independent monitor position overseeing the company's anti-money laundering compliance. This move would be the first step for Binance to return to the U.S. market.