As MiCA enters its implementation phase, uneven enforcement across the EU is reigniting debate over whether crypto supervision should move from national regulators to ESMA. Europe’s crypto regulatory framework is entering a new phase of scrutiny as policymakers weigh whether enforcement of the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation should remain with national authorities or be centralized under the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). MiCA, which came largely into force at the beginning of 2025, was designed to create a unified rulebook for crypto-asset service providers across the European Union. But as implementation progresses, disparities between member states are becoming harder to ignore. Some regulators have approved dozens of licenses, while others have issued only a handful, prompting concerns about inconsistent supervision and regulatory arbitrage. Read more
Bitcoin faced troublesome resistance levels to end the Wall Street trading week as new bullish BTC price forecasts reappeared. Bitcoin (BTC) battled stubborn horizontal resistance Friday with $94,000 next on bulls’ radar. Key points: Bitcoin keeps up pressure on familiar resistance levels as optimism over market strength increases. Read more
Ripple Payments partnered with Swiss crypto bank Amina to plug its fiat-to-stablecoin payment infrastructure into the FINMA-regulated institution. The payments subsidiary of blockchain services company Ripple has partnered with Swiss bank Amina to provide it with access to its payment infrastructure. According to a Friday Ripple Payments announcement, the company will allow Amina to “settle transactions more efficiently without relying on traditional payment infrastructure, making transactions faster, lower cost, and with increased reliability and transparency.” This builds on a previous relationship between the companies, with the bank’s integration of the Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin happening back in July. The move also reinforces Ripple’s presence in Europe, with Amina being a Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority-regulated financial institution. The bank’s Austrian subsidiary also holds a license under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) granted by Austria’s Financial ...