The rise in bond yields in the euro area revives the debate on the "vicious circle" linking the health of banks to that of states. European institutions hold 4,300 billion euros in sovereign debt, but their capital reserves are stronger than during the crisis of the 2010s.
The Cardano Foundation opposes a MiCA crypto regime dedicated to DeFi and staking. Its position partly aligns with that of ESMA, but not on intermediated services.
The AI Expo Europe 2026 program includes 63 sessions in Bucharest on November 1 and 2. Cointribune has reviewed the agenda, biographies, and the organizer's announcements.
Christine Lagarde believes the eurozone economy is resilient to global shocks and confirms the progress of the digital euro project. Its public arrival, however, is not imminent: the ECB plans an internal pilot in the second half of 2027 and could only proceed with a first issuance in 2029, subject to prior adoption of the European regulation.
The European crypto-asset framework takes a step forward with a deadline for platforms. ESMA asks cryptocurrency companies in the European Union to address their exposures to stablecoins that do not comply with MiCA. National regulators will therefore need to oversee this transition within a timeframe, while providers will have to review several services offered to European clients. This measure specifically concerns custody, transfers, and operations still allowing holding certain tokens that do not comply with European rules.
Digital Euro: Can Bitcoin Serve as a Shield? Privacy, cap, anti-money laundering rules 2027: what cryptos enable in the eurozone.
More than 50,000 Europeans have asked the European Commission to ease the MiCA rules on rewards related to stablecoins. The mobilization comes as Brussels reviews its crypto framework. A separate petition led by Stand With Crypto EU also exceeds 126,000 signatures. At the center of the debate: cashback, loyalty benefits, and especially regulated stablecoin remuneration.
Many European regulators demand explanations from the Binance exchange regarding the continuation of its services within the European Union without MiCA authorization. "Reverse solicitation" is among the questions raised. It is an exemption that the platform would invoke to serve certain European clients from a structure located outside the EU.
Greece registers four crypto providers in the ESMA MiCA register on September 24, 2026. The crypto exchange Binance withdrew its Greek application six days before the first approval.
The European cryptocurrency framework enters a new phase. After the work dedicated to rules, authorities now focus on their application and monitoring. ESMA wants to strengthen coordination among national supervisors as the obligations of actors become more structured. In this context, MiCA occupies a central place in the 2027 work program of the European regulator. Verena Ross confirms this shift in approach, which is oriented towards supervision, convergence, and the monitoring of European risks.
From 2027, the EU will step up oversight of AI and tokenization as Washington and Beijing accelerate their technology race.
Zcash takes a new step in Europe with its first ETP listed on Euronext. 21Shares thus opens institutional access to a crypto known for its privacy.
The European Central Bank is preparing its first direct investments in tokenized securities. A small portion of its own funds will be placed in bonds and other euro-denominated securities, mainly issued by eurozone states, public agencies, and European institutions. The amounts and date of the first purchases are not yet fixed. Settlements will go through Pontes, the new infrastructure launched by the Eurosystem on September 21. For institutional crypto finance, the ECB no longer just observes tokenization: it now wants to use it itself.
European banks are quickly taking their place in the regulated crypto market. Their number in ESMA's MiCA register has increased from about 40 at the end of June to nearly 80 by September 16. At the same time, the full register grew from 243 to 349 providers. Banks now represent nearly 23% of the registered players, compared to about 17% three months earlier.
In Europe, the Binance case is taking an unexpected institutional turn. According to an investigation by the Wall Street Journal, Christine Lagarde is said to have personally weighed in to block the obtaining of a MiCA license by the exchange in Greece. This intervention is all the more sensitive as the ECB has no official power to issue these approvals. Two major issues emerge behind this showdown: the place of dollar-backed stablecoins in Europe and the future architecture of crypto supervision within the Union.
The European Central Bank reaches out to merchants. Since September 15, it has been accepting applications from e-commerce and mobile commerce companies to test the digital euro. The pilot will start in the second half of 2027 and last 12 months. It will bring together merchants, banks, payment service providers, and members of the Eurosystem. A potential issuance is still targeted for 2029, provided the European legislative framework is adopted.
The links between crypto and traditional finance are becoming significant enough to attract more attention from the European regulator. In its risk monitoring report published on September 10, ESMA calls for close monitoring of this interconnection. Tokenized stocks, DeFi and prediction markets are directly cited. The regulator does not yet speak of an established systemic risk, but rather new channels capable of transmitting a crypto shock to the rest of the financial markets.
Polymarket and Kalshi in ESMA's sights: can the prediction market survive European tightening? Comprehensive analysis.
The 12th edition of the European Blockchain Convention brings together the biggest names in finance moving on-chain in Barcelona on September 16 and 17, 2026. Over two days, the conference aims to bring together in one place an ecosystem usually scattered across European financial centres: banks, asset managers, custodians and crypto-native players. A special rate reserved for the Cointribune community accompanies the event.
After the drone attack in Leipzig, Germany, the EU tightens its sanctions against Russia. 14 crypto platforms already targeted.
ECB official Isabel Schnabel urges central banks to embrace blockchain. Explore what this shift means for crypto.
A tech conference where as many deals are signed on the surfboard as in the networking space. This is the bet of the SHAKA Festival, returning to the Cité de l'Océan in Biarritz from September 24 to 26, 2026. Founders, CTOs, and investors come for a format that embraces its "anti-conference" side and for a lineup mixing crypto, AI, and French institutions. Cointribune is a partner of the edition, with a code included.
One week after the European Blockchain Convention, Barcelona returns to the technology scene. The AI Summit Barcelona takes place on September 22 and 23, 2026 at the World Trade Center, on the port. Only the second edition, but an immense ambition: to go from 1,500 participants last year to more than 10,000 this year, with NVIDIA, Google, Microsoft, and Anthropic featured. Here's what to remember, and the code reserved for the Cointribune community.
The twelfth edition of the European Blockchain Convention takes place on September 16 and 17, 2026 in Barcelona. This year, the event more than ever embraces its institutional shift: banks, asset managers and market infrastructures take center stage, with BlackRock, Swift, State Street or Citi on the program. Here is what to expect, the entrance cost, and the code reserved for the Cointribune community.
The digital euro would offer more privacy than a traditional bank transfer. At least, that's what the European Central Bank claims, through Piero Cipollone, a member of its executive board, who states that the Eurosystem will remain unable to link a citizen to their payments. A promise that digital rights advocates receive with suspicion.
The locking of the European crypto market with MiCA already shows flaws. Indeed, the Binance exchange may have found loopholes. Despite the entry into force of this new regulatory framework, it is still possible for European citizens to open functional accounts without a MiCA license thanks to the world's leading crypto exchange platform. Such a scenario would therefore become a real-world test for the credibility of this standard and the future of international exchanges on the old continent.
European pressure on stablecoins is changing access to digital assets. Since the end of the European transition period, several platforms have removed USDT from their offerings. However, available data do not show a net decline in global demand. Activity is growing in some emerging markets, where people use stablecoins for payments, transfers, and financial services. This development places MiCA at a central challenge: regulating European access without altering global usages of the digital dollar.
The ECB warns of a stock market correction related to AI. A focus on the €440 billion of European exposure and the risks for the crypto market.
Crypto aims to become a means of payment like any other. In the eurozone, it is still far from it. In a large survey conducted by the European Central Bank (ECB), it is noted that, even in the case of sector development followed by the entry into force of the MiCA regulation, crypto payments remain marginal at the merchant level. Consumers are still attached to traditional payment channels while businesses show reluctance to take the plunge. This gap persists between the ambitions of the crypto industry and actual usage. Will European regulation be enough to shift the lines?
Binance cuts ties with 16 crypto players. Since August 14, 2026, the giant no longer processes their transactions in order to comply with international sanctions related to the war in Ukraine and anti-money laundering requirements. Among the targeted platforms is HTX (formerly Huobi), a global heavyweight in the sector. Under European and American regulatory pressure, Binance now prioritizes compliance over interconnection between exchanges. This decision reveals how sanctions and regulation are beginning to reshape relations between major crypto platforms.