Last week, the European Union appeared to be rather busy with making decisions that could define the future of the crypto industry. First of all, 566 out of 705 members of the European Parliament voted in favor of a resolution originally drafted by member of the European Parliament (MEP) Lídia Pereira. The resolution recommends authorities in the 27 member states consider a “simplified tax treatment” for crypto users involved in occasional or small transactions and have national tax administrations use blockchain technology “to facilitate efficient tax collection.” It also calls on the European Commission to assess whether converting crypto to …

Policymakers with the European Parliament Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, or ECON, have approved the Markets in Crypto-Assets framework following a vote from the European Council. In an Oct. 10 tweet, ECON member Stefan Berger confirmed the committee had accepted the MiCA legislation, a result of trialogue negotiations between the EU Council, European Commission and the European Parliament. Members of the parliamentary committee passed the crypto framework policy in a vote of 28 in favor and 1 against, with a final vote expected in a full European Parliament session soon. Wieder einen Schritt weiter…Das Ergebnis der Trilog-Verhandlung zu #MiCA …

In a statement released on Oct. 6, the European Union introduced another set of sanctions against Russia due to the prolonged and recently escalated conflict in Ukraine. The new sanctions include a complete ban on cross-border crypto payments between Russians and E.U. This statement includes the prohibition of, “all crypto-asset wallets, accounts, or custody services, irrespective of the amount of the wallet." New sanctions were installed as a response to Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory as the result of what the EU calls a “sham” referendum, along with troop mobilization and threats of nuclear escalation. The previous sanctions capped …

Representatives from a committee with the European Council have moved forward with regulating digital assets in the EU through the Markets in Crypto-Assets, or MiCA, framework, sending the finalized text to parliament for a vote. According to an information note on Oct. 5, the European Council’s Permanent Representatives’ Committee approved the MiCA text and sent it to the chair of the European Parliament Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. Edita Hrdá, chair of the Permanent Representatives’ Committee, confirmed that the crypto framework proposal would be enacted “should the European Parliament adopt its position at first reading” in the same wording. …

Members of the parliament of the European Union voted in favor of a non-binding resolution aimed at using blockchain to fight tax evasion and coordinate tax policy on cryptocurrencies. In an Oct. 4 notice, the European Parliament said 566 members out of 705 voted in favor of the resolution originally drafted by member Lídia Pereira. According to the legislative body, the resolution recommended authorities in its 27 member states consider a “simplified tax treatment” for crypto users involved in occasional or small transactions, and having national tax administrations use blockchain technology “to facilitate efficient tax collection.” For cryptocurrencies, the resolution …

The right to privacy is enshrined in many legal traditions around the world. In the United States, it’s protected by the Fourth Amendment; in the European Union, it falls under Article 8 of the European Convention for Human Rights. While definitions differ between jurisdictions, most of us have a right to a reasonable expectation of privacy for our correspondence, in our homes and about our persons. In the 1970s, businesses, families and individuals started generating data like never before, and the degree to which it fell under existing privacy mandates was increasingly unclear. This proliferation of data was first acknowledged …

Bitcoin (BTC) wobbled in its narrow trading range at the Sep. 29 Wall Street open as official data put the United States economy in recession. U.S. meets technical definition of recession Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD still hovering just above $19,000 at the time of writing. The pair weathered gloomy figures for the U.S., with the second quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth estimated at -0.6%. This, despite protests of the White House to the contrary, meant that the U.S. met the standard criteria for recession — two consecutive quarters of negative growth. "Everyone talks about …

The digital asset landscape in the European Union is evolving ahead of the passage of the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation framework that aims to instill regulatory clarity around crypto assets. While well-intentioned, the current structure of MiCA may throttle innovation. But if a revised version of this policy passes, it could see the European Union become one of the leaders in the digital payment space. If not, then there is a genuine possibility of the continent falling behind. MiCA aims to set a regulatory framework for the crypto asset industry within the EU. At this point, much still needs …

Greece is globally recognized for its touristic lures of idyllic beaches and a laid-back lifestyle. Prior to the outbreak of the global pandemic, the World Travel and Tourism Council said that tourism generated over one-fifth of Greece’s total GDP. This year, the country faced a record number of travelers during its summer tourism season. In the month of August alone, the country received nearly 1 million travel arrivals per week, according to the Greek Minister of Tourism Vassilis Kikilias. A report from ForwardKeys on this year’s summer tourism revealed that, of the top ten “sun and beach” locations in Europe, …

Bitcoin (BTC) crashed below $19,000 on Sept. 6, driving the price to its lowest level in 80 days. The movement not only completely erased the entirety of the 32% gains accrued from July until Aug. 15, it also wiped out $246 million worth of leverage long (buy) futures contracts. Bitcoin price is down for the year but it’s important to also compare its price action against other assets. Oil prices are currently down 23.5% since July, Palantir Technologies (PLTR) has dropped 36.4% in 30 days and Moderna (MRNA), a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, is down 30.4% in the same period. …

Members of the Germany-based Bundesblock, otherwise known as the German Blockchain Association, updated the community on the upcoming Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulations in a virtual panel held on Thursday, Sep. 1. According to the panel, the final legal text for the long-awaited regulations is set to be released in the upcoming 4-6 weeks. However, nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and stablecoins are still not covered, while crypto asset service providers (CASPs) are discussed in scope. @bundesblock panel discussion of #MiCAR with @DrStefanBerger, @SchildtMoritz, @paddi_hansen, moderated by Alireza Siadat. Key take aways: final text of MiCAR available in 4-6 weeks, MiCAR fully …

August marks the ninth consecutive month of rising inflation for the Eurozone at 9.1%. In July, the official inflation numbers landed at 8.9%. The Eurozone consists of 19 countries, including Germany, France and Belgium. This comes as the European Union (EU) faces a massive energy and gas crisis, largely as a result of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Current prices for daily necessities such as food, gas and electricity have soared across the continent. Over the last month energy prices made up the largest price push, up by an annual rate of 38.3%. While food, alcohol, and tobacco all rose …