The past week has marked a number of crypto- and blockchain-related developments in the German-speaking world. Malta Enterprise partnered with Deutsche Telekom's IT service subsidiary to offer its blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS) marketplace, French IT company Atos and Austrian startup Smart Digital proposed industrial plant inspections using blockchain, and the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) launched a market survey on crypto assets derivatives. Below is the past week of crypto and blockchain news in review, as originally reported by Cointelegraph auf Deutsch. BaFin launches a market survey into crypto derivatives BaFin’s survey contains 19 questions in five subject blocks and is …

The German-speaking world has experienced another week full of exciting developments in the crypto industry, with Germany setting the pace in the European fintech scene, German banks arguing in favor of a digital euro, Austria testing how to trade electricity with blockchain technology, and the Swiss crypto trading platform Sibex securing a $1.8 million investment. Here is the past week of crypto and blockchain news in review, as originally reported by Cointelegraph auf Deutsch. Austria: Pilot project tests local blockchain electricity trade In a pilot project starting in November in Styria, Austria, local energy communities will be able to trade …

Regulators are clamping down on cryptocurrency, and companies around the world are feeling the strain. In late June, one of the most authoritative regulatory organizations worldwide, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), issued new guidelines on how digital assets should be regulated. While FATF recommendations are not legally binding, the G-20 stated that it uses them to regulate cryptocurrencies for Anti-Money Laundering (AML). For businesses that fail to make the grade, this could mean being shut out of lucrative international markets. No punitive measures have yet been imposed, but companies and crypto exchanges alike are acting fast. What are the …

The German-speaking world continues to see lots of developments in the crypto industry, with the German government clarifying proposed regulations, Switzerland adding a new blockchain hub, while Bitcoin (BTC)-scammers are using Austrian celebrities in fake crypto ads. Here is the past week of crypto and blockchain news in review, as originally reported by Cointelegraph auf Deutsch. German government explains proposed regulations for crypto wallets and exchanges Cointelegraph auf Deutsch reported on Sept. 3, that, in reply to a request by the Free Democratic Party, the German Federal Government announced further details on planned regulations for cryptocurrency exchanges and wallet providers. …

The German-speaking world continues to keep up a fast pace in regard to cryptocurrencies and blockchain implementation. Among other stories during the past week: the Cabinet of Germany and Deutsche Bundesbank are working closely on issues related to central bank digital currencies, the Swiss Federal Council expressed its official opinion on Facebook's Libra, Bitwala launched an all-in-one mobile Bitcoin bank app and more. Swiss crypto banks receive licenses from a financial regulator Two Swiss crypto-specializing organizations, Seba Crypto AG and Sygnum, received banking and securities dealer licenses from the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA), the banks announced in separate …

The German-speaking world was highly active as far as crypto was concerned this past week. Among other stories, the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) issued several items of interest to the crypto community, a new fund for blockchain startups launched in Hamburg and an Austrian crypto ATM service filed for bankruptcy following an armed robbery. BaFin publishes summary of current regulation On Aug. 16, the BaFin published a leaflet for issuers of crypto tokens that summarized current German legal standards in the field. By condensing active regulations in such a fashion, the BaFin reportedly hopes to encourage compliance among …

Major Austrian telecom operator A1 has started accepting cryptocurrencies as payment in seven selected shops in Austria. Six cryptos accepted Starting from Aug. 19, A1 customers can pay for network services in selected A1 branches using six major cryptos: Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), XRP, Litecoin (LTC), Stellar (XLM) and Dash (DASH), according to an official announcement published on Aug. 16. A1 Payment service, a digital payment system developed in collaboration with Austrian digital currency specialist Salamantex, German cashless payment provider Concardis and French smart payment solutions supplier Ingenico, was first unveiled in mid-June. Alipay and WeChatPay on the way In …

An online survey by banking giant ING finds that Austrians are the most skeptical of Bitcoin (BTC) and cryptocurrencies in general. The poll, including respondents from 15 countries, shows that Bitcoin-positivity is also weakening in other countries, according to Der Standard, Aug. 14. The worst and getting worse Austrians are generally conservative on investments, but on cryptocurrency they are very skeptical, with only 13% seeing digital currencies in a positive light. Attitudes towards cryptocurrency worsened since last year’s survey. This year, 17% of Austrians think that cryptocurrency is the future of digital payments compared to 20% last year. Additionally, only …

Youniqx Identity AG, a subsidiary of the Austrian State Printing House, has developed a cryptocurrency hardware wallet, reveals a press release published on July 29. Per the report, the hardware wallet — named Chainlock — enables the offline storage of private keys allowing access to cryptocurrency wallets. The device is reportedly capable of generating the private key, and is also water and heat resistant. The wallet in question will be available via the firm’s partners, including Tokenize Exchange in Singapore and Coinfinity in Central Europe. The release further claims that the Austrian State Printing House is specialized in identity document …

Blockchain-based energy trading firm Power Ledger will roll out its peer-to-peer (P2P) network in Graz, the second-largest city in Austria, according to an announcement on June 18. The Australia-based company has partnered with E-NEXT, an innovation arm of major Austria’s energy utility Energie Steiermark, to launch its blockchain-powered energy trading platform in and around Graz. The initiative is an attempt to optimize energy distribution and to contribute to the city's transition towards zero-carbon energy, the release notes. As such, Power Ledger’s technology is expected to enable rooftop solar energy-based households in the city to sell excess renewable energy to their …

Austrian steel trading company Alukönigstahl is working on a blockchain-based steel trading data system, local media outlet industriemagazin.at reported on June 13. Alukönigstahl CEO Stefan Grüll is working on the business model of a blockchain-based steel trading database dubbed “STEEL but SMART,” which targets traditional use cases. Within the framework of the project, Grüll reportedly founded a separate company called S1Seven GmbH that undertakes all blockchain-related activities. Specifically, the system is set to provide stakeholders with clear data on steel products’ origin, account and industry standards, as well as information about product properties, processing, and deployment. As a result, the …

The Austrian Post has released a line of crypto collectible stamps, according to a press release on June 11. According to the press release, the so-dubbed “crypto stamp” is the first stamp in the world to be authenticated via blockchain technology. The postal service has reportedly issued 150,000 copies sold at € 6.90 apiece. When purchased, the stamp set comes in two parts. As pictured below, the left part, which is stylized with a unicorn associated with Ethereum, functions as a standard stamp that can be used to send mail. The right section, on the other hand, contains the credentials …